In December 2019, the European Commission under Ursula Von der Leyen presented the European Green Deal (EGD). With an investment of at least €1.8 trillion, alongside strong legislation packages and the creation of new instruments, the first step to transform Europe into the first neutral continent has been completed.

Despite their ambitious plan, the Commission faced the ‘perfect storm’ that could have derailed the efforts of the EGD. Just four months after its presentation, the pandemic obliged governments to enforce lockdowns, halting the European economy for months. The health emergency would be followed by the illegal Russian invasion of Ukraine. The war, subsequently, caused an energy crisis, which came along with a historic draught in 2022 and the drop in French nuclear energy generation. The Von der Leyen Commission faced these challenges by activating green opportunities as a managing tool. Through these efforts, the Commission has attempted to conjugate decarbonisation with strategic autonomy to push forward the bloc’s economy.