The PES Council held in Warsaw during 2-3 December has adopted a policy paper entitled "Making Green Growth become a reality" , which defines a strategy to emerge from the current economic and financial crisis, to safeguard the EU’s economic and social model and to increase living standards and employment while decreasing its environmental footprint.

PES President Poul Nyrup Rasmussen said:

"Europe is at a crossroads. The worst economic and social crisis since the end of the second world war alongside a rising threat of environmental degradation and climate change, have left Europe facing a double challenge: ensuring fair recovery and jobs while greening its economy in order to safeguard the world’s climate. However, there is one way to tackle both these challenges and turn them into opportunities: green growth. We as European socialists and social-democrats plead to increase renewable energy to 95% until 2050 and to reduce the final energy demand by 40%. However, just transition for the entire society needs to be ensured: negative consequences of the transition to a carbon-free economy must be avoided".

The PES paper outlines a clear strategy for green growth covering a wide range of policies (social, economic, external…) on all levels of EU governance, from local to European.

The PES strategy proposes actions in five broad areas:

• extending and assuring renewable, efficient and secure energy generation

• modernizing and greening production patterns through the introduction of new technologies

• promoting sustainable consumption

• decarbonise mobility and extend public transportation

• secure financing and funding through incentive setting for private investors and the tapping of new sources of revenue such as a Financial Transaction Tax, Green Bonds and Carbon Taxes.

Read the approved Policy Paper

For further details, please contact:
Brian Synnott – Mobile: +32 474 98 96 75 – brian.synnott@pes.org