Open AccessTwo birds with one stone: Greening the EU’s post-coronavirus recovery
Author(s) -
Eva Palacková
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
european view
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1865-5831
pISSN - 1781-6858
DOI - 10.1177/1781685820964299
Subject(s) - transformative learning , covid-19 , pandemic , political science , intergovernmentalism , momentum (technical analysis) , coronavirus , political economy , economic recovery , poverty , climate change , sustainable development , economics , development economics , economic system , member states , economic growth , sociology , economic policy , european union , law , pedagogy , ecology , pathology , virology , outbreak , keynesian economics , biology , medicine , disease , finance , infectious disease (medical specialty)
If there is a silver lining to the ongoing pandemic, it could be its potential to change people’s behaviour and policymakers’ attitudes in favour of more sustainable models. The article focuses on the global struggle with the coronavirus and the resulting economic crisis, amid the ongoing crises of climate change and environmental degradation, and argues that returning to business as usual is not an option. Instead, it suggests learning from the experience, harnessing the momentum and embracing new ways of doing things to achieve green growth. The EU’s post-coronavirus recovery package has this sort of transformative potential for the economies and societies of the member states. If it is implemented well, it could turn the crisis into an opportunity, and people will reap its benefits for generations to come.