Publishing its “clean industrial deal” on Wednesday, the European Commission said it had a plan to help polluting industries, such as steel and cement, make the switch to the net zero emissions future, as well as boosting clean tech companies, such as firms making electric vehicle charging points.
Now the clean industrial deal reaffirms the EU goal of cutting emissions by 90% by 2040, and unveils 40 different measures to speed up the green transition, including faster permits for windfarms and other infrastructure, and changing public procurement rules to favour clean tech made in Europe.
Similarly, officials said the corporate sustainability due diligence directive (CSDDD), which requires companies with more than 1,000 employees to assess the environmental and human rights impacts of their products, would be delayed by one year, while the commission tries to lighten the load on smaller companies.
“We think that the clean industrial deal is Europe’s business plan to tackle the climate crisis,” Teresa Ribera, the European Commission executive vice-president in charge of the green transition, told reporters.
The new European Commission, which took office in December with a red-tape cutting agenda, simultaneously published details on relaxing environmental reporting and due diligence rules for small companies, a far-reaching rethink of laws only agreed in 2023 and 2024.
