The EU was largely successful in branding the European Green Deal as key for driving future growth and prosperity at home. But on the global stage, diplomacy around the external dimension of the European Green Deal has so far come up short.
Multiple global crises highlight that a boosted European clean economy is critical for greater European security and autonomy. But in an interconnected world, the prosperity of the EU can only last if EU economic success is shared. European Green Deal diplomacy stands as the missing vehicle for strengthening European prosperity at home through shaping the global clean economy. This briefing is the first in our series exploring the toolbox for credible and effective European Green Deal Diplomacy.
Key messages
- The EU can leverage the European Green Deal (EGD), its own core growth strategy, into the global economy, to accelerate the green transition, and build partnerships with other countries on the road to net zero. This Green Deal Diplomacy can shape the global economy and ensure that the clean economy transition can be a motor of global resilient growth and development, while protecting the EU’s legitimate economic interest.
- European Green Deal diplomacy could achieve three objectives:
- Objective 1 – Use EU rules and market power to incentivise the clean economy transition of other economies while supporting lower to middle-income partner countries to adapt.
- Objective 2 – Build coalitions for global trade and economic rules that facilitate the transition for all.
- Objective 3 – Centre clean economy cooperation in bilateral partnerships with developing countries and emerging economies.
- Deploying Europe’s European Green Deal diplomacy can be kick-started with existing tools and initiatives provided that:
- EU and member states’ trade, economic, development and climate stakeholders have the task of working jointly in order to deliver on European Green Deal priorities.
- EU stakeholders see the clean economy cooperation potential in existing tools to promote the global transition as well as the EU’s own domestic transition.
- The swift domestic implementation of a socially inclusive net-zero ambition is crucial for ensuring international credibility and remains the foundation of any European Green Deal diplomacy.
