In his own intervention, Papadakis, who is a member of the Socialists and Democrats group in the EP, said that the objective for the 8th Environment Action Programme should be the rapid and fair transition of the Union to a climate-neutral and inclusive economy. "The environmental goals of the United Nations 2030 agenda and those of sustainable development must also be achieved," he said."
He said the Programme is an ambitious, high-level strategic tool to guide EU environmental policy up to 2030. "It should include the actions and objectives of the European Green Deal and the Sustainable Development Goals," he said, adding that it should also closely monitor progress towards achieving the targets.
"By 2050 at the latest, people should be living well, within planetary boundaries, in a prosperous and sustainable economy where nothing is wasted," he added.
Europe, he said, along with the rest of the world, is in a race against time to avoid catastrophic impacts on the economy and society from climate change, ecosystem degradation and overconsumption of natural resources.
"Particularly today with the huge environmental disaster in addition to the humanitarian one unfolding in Ukraine, it is imperative to implement the programme," he said."
He said they had secured the inclusion in the 8th Programme of social issues, such as references to reducing inequalities. "We have also ensured that actions taken to achieve the objectives of the Programme will be carried out in a socially just and inclusive manner," he said.
He concluded by saying that this means protecting the environment while shielding social rights.
The proposal aims to accelerate the transition to a climate-neutral, resource-efficient and regenerative economy that gives back to the planet more than it needs.
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