Before the COVID-19 crisis, the world had been moving towards increasing environmental awareness. Multinationals were voicing commitments to new, more environmentally conscious forms of corporate governance. Young people were mobilising global climate movements. The European Commission had unveiled plans for a European Green Deal as an answer to the climate emergency.
COVID-19 has changed the world in countless ways. The recovery will bring diverse opportunities to accelerate the transition to a greener and more sustainable future. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has warned that averting the worst-case climate scenario will depend entirely on the actions taken (or not taken) during this decade. The stakes could not be higher. How do we move forward?
To focus on what comes next, the European Investment Bank, together with Project Syndicate and other partners, organised a two-day virtual conference on the path to a green recovery. A variety of speakers held a series of in-depth discussions, with an emphasis on biodiversity, energy, public investments, and financial and corporate governance.
