ABSTRACT The European Green Deal marks a shift in policy-making, aiming to transform the European economy and society to achieve sustainability and climate neutrality. Its zero-pollution ambition, outlined in the Zero Pollution Action Plan, provides an opportunity to address marine pollution in the European Union in a more integrated manner, setting the ground for new governance requirements to address existing challenges, and drive the integration of previously separate policy domains. In this context, the Source to Sea concept is explored to assess plastic pollution policy integration with regard to tyre wear particles, a form of unintentionally released microplastics. In this vein, the article considers the life cycle stages and pathways of tyre wear particle pollution across land, freshwater, and the marine environment to identify key actors, including responsible authorities, and policies that govern them. In applying a Source to Sea approach to the tyre wear particles case, the assessment highlights cooperation and conflicts among actors, conflicting policy objectives and how tyre wear particles are covered under the European Green Deal. This assessment offers a perspective to explore opportunities for policy integration regarding marine pollution and for future research avenues into policy integration, including through the application of empirical studies.

The European Green Deal (EGD) sets an ambitious, cross-sectoral agenda with direct implications for the sea. Yet methods to systematically assess how national Maritime Spatial Plans contribute to EGD objectives remain scarce. The article proposes an EGD–MSP nomenclature that translates the EGD's complexity into a practical, adaptable framework for practical application in Maritime Spatial Planning. The framework clusters EGD ambitions into seven topics—climate change mitigation, climate change adaptation, sustainable seafood production, biodiversity and ecosystem protection and restoration, blue circular economy, zero pollution, and fair and just transition—and organises them hierarchically into sub-topics and operational elements. The nomenclature was tested across seven EU countries (Bulgaria, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Spain) using desk analysis of MSP plans and related documents, targeted interviews, and a workshop to examine aspects common to the participating countries. A semi-quantitative synthesis (YES/PARTIALLY/NO) enabled consistent comparison of how EGD elements appear in MSP visions, objectives, and measures. Results show that climate change mitigation is widely and explicitly addressed—primarily via offshore renewable energy—while adaptation is present but often indirect. Biodiversity protection is common, whereas restoration remains limited. Blue circular economy and zero-pollution objectives are referenced more often in objectives than in concrete measures. Approaches to a fair and just transition are emerging, with participation and transparency improving, yet institutional, financial and technical knowledge capacities remain uneven. The nomenclature balances harmonisation and interpretative flexibility, enabling robust cross-national comparisons without imposing uniformity. Beyond analysis, it provides a practical scaffold for implementation, monitoring, and iterative plan revision, and can be extended into an indicator-based system to track MSP contributions to the EGD over time.

ABSTRACT This article examines the European Green Deal (EGD) from a critical realist perspective and engages with two key approaches in eco-Marxist thought: the theory of metabolic rift and the world-ecology framework. Although these approaches have not directly addressed the EGD, they provide conceptual tools to analyze it as a hegemonic project of restructuring capital accumulation. The purpose of the study is not only to compare these approaches but also to explore how each can comprehend the EGD and, more importantly, what they offer in terms of emancipation, revolutionary agency, alternative forms of social organization, and transformative political imagination. Critical realism’s ontological view of nature as a material and autonomous domain, independent of human perception, together with Roy Bhaskar’s conception of emancipation as the ultimate goal of social knowledge, provide a unique foundation for rethinking the transformative relation between structure and agency. From a critical realist perspective, the metabolic rift approach conceptualizes the EGD more clearly in terms of class antagonisms and praxis, whereas the world-ecology framework tends to obscure the role of the revolutionary subject and thus limits political imagination.

The European Green Deal and Sustainability: A Model for Better Governance Solutions for Latvia

Against the backdrop of intensifying global climate change and frequent climate-related disasters, carbon neutrality has become a common goal worldwide. The European Green Deal, initiated by the European Union (EU), sets forth a strategic objective to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. It seeks to change the energy system through three key strategies: promoting renewable energy, increasing energy efficiency, and ramping up investment in green technologies. However, the energy crisis sparked by the Russia-Ukraine conflict, along with slow progress in renewable energy adoption, has highlighted the institutional obstacles and path-dependent issues within Europe's energy transition. The differing energy policies of member states, technical challenges, and political dependencies have all hindered the EU's progress toward its carbon neutrality goals. Thus, identifying effective approaches to break through these constraints has become the linchpin for advancing the green transition. Based on a review of policy documents issued by the EU and its member states, along with relevant academic literature, this paper analyzes the institutional changes and path-dependent issues encountered during the implementation of the European Green Deal, drawing on EU energy statistics. The results reveal that legal frameworks, capital allocation mechanisms, and social mobilization are the key drivers of the transition, while political constraints and technical bottlenecks are the main obstacles to progress. To overcome path dependence, the EU must strengthen customized policy design, optimize funding support mechanisms, and promote cross-border technological collaboration. By doing so, the EU can strike a balance between maintaining policy coherence at the bloc level and enhancing geographical flexibility, thereby offering valuable insights for the global endeavor to attain carbon neutrality.

Green building is a practical pathway for meeting the European Green Deal objectives through lower life cycle impacts, healthier indoor environments, responsible material use, and improved resource efficiency across construction and renovation. This paper develops and characterises a competence framework for green building derived from the GreenSCENT competence framework materials. The framework is organised into four competence areas and twelve competences, each articulated through sets of knowledge, skills, and attitudes and mapped across European Qualifications Framework levels. The resulting framework contains 276 statements distributed across knowledge, skills, and attitudes, enabling curriculum design, formative assessment, and micro credential development for learners ranging from introductory to expert levels. Quantitative profiling highlights uneven density across competences, with project management and energy saving in buildings carrying the largest statement sets, indicating strong cross cutting requirements in governance and operational performance. The framework supports education and training that connects building design, material stewardship, technology selection, circular practices, and economic decision, making in a single competence logic aligned with Green Deal policy directions.

The approval of the European Green Deal and the introduction of new and more ambitious environmental goals has led to the prioritization of renewable energies, which translates to regulations that, despite trying to guarantee the decarbonisation of the economy, in some situations end up pushing this objective further away. In other words, in its effort to regulate this matter, the European Union incurs the risk of overregulating it. The case study for this paper is renewable hydrogen and whether it is affected by this problem. In case it is, this paper will aim to propose recommendations for its solution. Likewise, the legal bases that allow the exclusive competence of the Union to be established will be pointed out so that decision-making regarding certain cases is effective and problems of consensus intrinsic to the European Union are avoided.

Abstract The efficient implementation of forest-related policies under the European Green Deal requires assessing the capacity of ecosystems to deliver ecosystem services (ES) and involving stakeholders in the decision-making process. Public involvement ensures that policies align with local needs, relevant ES are identified, ES supply is optimised, and acceptance of measures is increased. We conducted a nationwide public survey ( n = 813) in Slovenia, consisting of three sections: (1) knowledge and perceptions related to ES and the bioeconomy, (2) a discrete choice experiment (DCE) to elicit preferences for possible changes in the supply of forest ES and products based on them (FPS) that support the strategic objectives of the EU Green Deal, and (3) questions on socio-demographics, lifestyle, and consumer behaviour. The results of the DCE, together with respondents’ place of residence using Moran’s I statistic, allowed us to identify areas of distinct preferences (ADP), either positive or negative, for FPS. Based on biophysical indicators, we assessed the potential supply of FPS within and outside ADP and found statistically significant differences. Then we compared potential supply with public preferences (demand) for FPS, which yielded several findings, most notably three cases where higher potential supply of FPS within the ADP coincided with positive preferences in the same ADP: high-quality wood, strictly protected forests, and forest tourism involving non-owners. In all these cases, mobilising additional FPS would benefit communities within the ADP (meeting allocative efficiency), and their high potential supply makes this feasible as well (meeting resource use efficiency).

Plant diseases caused by fungi remain a major challenge for global agriculture, undermining both food security and ecosystem resilience. The increasing concern about the use of chemical pesticides, the onset of resistance, and environmental pollution are accelerating the search for effective and more sustainable plant protection alternatives. In this context, basic substances have emerged as prominent solutions for integrated pest management because they are naturally derived and have consistently been shown to present a low risk to human health and the environment. In the meantime, advances in green nanotechnology are enhancing their functional potential through improved stability, bioavailability, and targeted delivery. By reducing application rates and decreasing residues, environmentally friendly nanoformulations, which may be produced using biopolymers, plant extracts, or mineral precursors, would have greater durability. These innovations are in line with the Farm to Fork Strategy under the European Green Deal and the United Nations' 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, enabling the transition to more sustainable food systems. Addressing challenges related to safety evaluations of nanoformulations and production scalability will contribute to public acceptance. This review synthesizes current scientific advances in the formulation and application of natural compound-based nanoformulations alongside evolving policy frameworks and identifies pathways to integrate harmonized risk-assessment approaches into future governance. It aims to promote the adoption of nano-based natural substances as key elements of next-generation sustainable crop protection strategies.

The growing demand for clean renewable energy deployment, driven by the European Green Deal, presents challenges, particularly due to land pressure in the rural regions. Agri-PV systems offer a potential dual land use to meet renewable objectives while reducing impact on agriculture. This study proposes a GIS-based methodology to evaluate the agronomic impact of Agri-PV on grassland, applying a high-resolution spatial analysis across 139 pedo-climatic regions in Wallonia, Belgium. Simulations use the Gras-Sim crop model embedded in the open-source tool PASE to estimate biomass production under four agrivoltaic configurations (canopy, vertical, and two south-oriented systems at different heights) and the control. For each design, multiple ground cover ratios (0.2 to 0.5) are tested over a 10-year period. Results indicate that vertical and canopy systems, especially in low root depth soils, can maintain grass yield compared to control regions without panels due to reduced evapotranspiration, sustaining the crop during drought periods. Conversely, low height configurations with high GCR showed a reduced biomass. The approach, combining different designs and territorial soil and climate conditions, provides first insights into grassland performance and the critical parameters affecting the crop dynamics.

Coal continues to play a significant role in Poland’s electricity generation system, making the sustainable management of environmental impacts from hard coal mining a critical challenge during the ongoing energy transition. In line with the European Green Deal and circular economy principles, reducing and managing mining-related waste emissions is an important component of sustainable development in regions undergoing a gradual phase-out of fossil fuel extraction. This study analyzes rock mass and dust emissions associated with underground hard coal mining in Poland over the period 2017–2025 using the most recent statistical data, including estimates for 2025 based on the first three quarters of the year. The scale, structure, and trends of emissions are examined to assess their implications for environmental sustainability, resource efficiency, and long-term land use. Particular attention is paid to the relationship between declining coal production and the relatively slower reduction in waste rock emissions, which indicates increasing contamination of extracted material and poses challenges for sustainable mining practices. The results show that while total coal output has decreased substantially, reductions in rock mass emissions have been less dynamic, highlighting the need for improved waste management strategies from a sustainability perspective. The study demonstrates that increasing the utilization of mining waste, through underground use and circular economy applications, can reduce environmental pressure, support compliance with sustainability policies, and mitigate long-term impacts on post-mining regions. Although the analysis focuses on Poland, the findings provide transferable insights for other countries seeking to balance energy security, mining sector restructuring, and sustainable development objectives during the transition away from fossil fuels.

ABSTRACT Since 2019, the European Green Deal (EGD) has sought to harmonise efforts across several sectors towards a long-term goal of carbon neutrality. In response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the 2022 REPowerEU Plan positioned decarbonisation as a key means to reduce dependence on imports of Russian fossil fuels. Central to achieving this goal is reforming the permitting processes for renewable energy projects, particularly regarding environmental rules and principles. We trace how the EU has addressed the challenge of balancing renewables and biodiversity concerns by identifying and explaining the effects of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 on policy integration. Drawing on the processual approach to policy integration, our study identifies three phases of integration of biodiversity concerns into EU renewable energy policy. The most recent phase disrupted ongoing efforts towards policy integration initiated by the EGD and shifted the balance towards accelerated renewable energy deployment over biodiversity concerns. Employing insights from the EU crisis literature and focusing on the effects of the crisis on actor-level factors of policy integration (capacity, core beliefs, commitment), we unpack how the crisis contributed to reducing policy integration of biodiversity into renewable policy.

Grapevine Trunk Diseases (GTDs) are caused by phytopathogenic fungi that compromise grapevine productivity and wine quality. Most GTDs preventive treatments are chemical-based and environmentally harmful. One goal of the European Green Deal is to develop sustainable agriculture which does not harm the environment and reduces pesticide use and an alternative to those treatments may be the use of elicitors such as oligosaccharides from fungi. Many studies confirm that oligosaccharides activate the defence response. The experiment was carried out in vineyards of Tempranillo and Airén cvs. Asymptomatic and symptomatic vines were treated with mannans. Leaves and grapes were taken and pigments and phenols content, polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities and gene expression of several defence enzymes were determined. The mannan addition to symptomatic vines was more positive for the leaves than for the grapes, palliating the damage caused by the disease, especially in the cv. Tempranillo. On the one hand, in the leaves, mannans caused an increase in phenols and PPO activity and expression; on the other hand, in grapes, although phenols increased, the other parameters did not. Mannans increased the expression levels of chalcone synthase (CHS1, CHS3), phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL), SOD, and PPO in asymptomatic leaves of both cultivars. In symptomatic leaves, CHS3 and PAL expression decreased in both cultivars, while CHS1 and PPO increased only in Tempranillo. In grapes, the expression of the genes varied due to the development of the disease. The mannan treatment seemed to reduce the oxidative stress caused by GTDs, but, above all, mannans would act as a biostimulant activaing the defence system of asymptomatic vines that would help them respond more successfully to a possible pathogenic fungi infection, that although this response depended on the cultivar.

Environmental damage has been a topic of great importance to the European Union since the European Green Deal was approved in 2020, with the goal of Europe becoming the first continent with net-zero emissions by 2050. Economic complexity is a concept that has gained relevance because it explains the productive structure of countries. There is literature that links economic complexity with environmental degradation. There is a gap of knowledge regarding how the productive structure of the European Union member states affects the environment. The paper aims to quantify the effect of economic complexity on the environment at the European Union through a nonlinear function. To achieve this, a panel data model with fixed effects was used, as well as a nonlinear functional model to quantify the effect of the Economic Complexity Index on CO2 emissions. The results show that the relationship between the Economic Complexity Index and CO2 emissions is U-shaped, and the same holds whether fossil fuels or the energy intensity index are used as measures of environmental degradation.

Abstract In alignment with the vision for the future of the European Union (EU) put forth by the European Green Deal in 2020, and EU efforts to tackle global deforestation and forest degradation, the EU Deforestation-Free Products Regulation (EUDR) was adopted in June 2023. The EUDR is designed specifically as a unilateral, yet transnational, intervention to limit access to the EU market or the exports from the EU of seven key forest-risk commodities whenever they are linked with deforestation, forest degradation, or illegality. Drawing on decolonial and critical food systems scholarship, this article critically examines the EU’s position in combating global deforestation and forest degradation by positioning the EUDR in historically shaped and unequally constructed agri-food chains. Whereas the EU’s plan to decrease deforestation and forest degradation linked with its substantive consumption of products from the global south is an innovative step from the point of view of transnational governance of environmental degradation, we find that the historical amnesia, the emphasis on global trade, and the push for ‘green value chains’ fail to address the root causes of deforestation. Moreover, we contend that the EU legislator overlooked the potential of using transnational governance to rethink agri-food systems, including by promoting re-regionalization in the name of food sovereignty and the right to food.

The European Union (EU) Green Deal (EGD) aims to significantly transform and modernize the EU economy, while at the same time envisioning significant changes in agricultural production, especially in livestock farming. Generally, EU Member States implement specific measures that contribute to the achievement of various EGD objectives. Most often, these are part of the national strategies of the EU Common Agricultural Policy. At the same time, it is important to identify the available scientific information on measures that contribute to the achievement of the EGD goals and their various impacts. Usually, each individual measure or practice is aimed at achieving one of the ESD goals, for example, reducing GHG emissions, but in practice, these create multiple side effects that can promote or hinder the achievement of other sustainability goals. This study focuses on the livestock sector and outlines key areas where intervention must occur: feeding, housing, grassland/pasture management, manure management, breeding and genetics—these factors interact and contribute to the achievement of EGD targets. At the same time, this research takes a holistic view of the EGD demands on livestock. In this study, the authors use pictograms and a color-coding system that broadens the scope of impact communication. It translates complex, scientific data into a format that is accessible and easily understood by a wider audience. The results of this study reveal that systematic research is needed to examine livestock farming measures that could change agricultural policies in the long term—from supporting existing measures to creating appropriate sustainable farming systems.

The article examines the role of consulting support in the strategic development of agricultural enterprises in Ukraine, emphasizing the enhancement of investment attractiveness and alignment with European integration processes. In the context of the European Green Deal and increasing environmental and social requirements, Ukrainian agribusiness faces the need to modernize technologies, adopt sustainable practices, and comply with EU market standards. The study highlights the importance of integrating innovation, such as precision farming, artificial intelligence, IoT technologies, automation, and vertical farming, to improve productivity, optimize resource use, and reduce environmental impact. Energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy sources, including wind and bioenergy, are analyzed as critical factors for ensuring enterprise resilience and sustainable growth. The research underscores the significance of corporate environmental responsibility, encompassing monitoring of emissions and waste, internal environmental audits, personnel training, and the development of ecological standards. Social inclusion is considered a key component of sustainable rural development, promoting employment, equal access to resources, digitalization, and capacity-building for rural populations, particularly women and youth. The article emphasizes the necessity of state, international, and private support mechanisms, including grants, preferential crediting, local investment funds, and agro-technology parks, to enhance the investment appeal of Ukrainian agricultural enterprises. Marketing approaches, including the 4P and 5P models, are proposed to improve enterprise positioning as investment projects, strengthen stakeholder communication, and attract capital. The study concludes that consulting support is crucial for strategic planning, risk assessment, and implementation of measures that align economic efficiency with sustainability goals, ensuring competitiveness, resilience, and integration of Ukraine’s agribusiness into European and global value chains. The results provide a comprehensive framework for policy makers, managers, and investors to facilitate the transition to environmentally responsible, technologically advanced, and socially inclusive agricultural systems in Ukraine.

Abstract The European Union’s (EU) climate strategy, anchored in the European Green Deal, the Fit-for-55 package, and updated National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs), requires a rapid transformation of the energy system to meet the legally binding target of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and a 55% reduction by 2030 relative to 1990 levels. Yet, how national plans align with EU-wide ambition, alongside the implications for investment, infrastructure, and power-system operation, remain insufficiently assessed. We address this gap by linking an EU-specific implementation of a prominent integrated assessment model with Member State-level disaggregation (GCAM-Europe) with a higher-resolution European electricity system model (EXPANSE). This modelling framework captures national heterogeneity, sectoral detail, and spatiotemporal variability in electricity demand, renewable supply, and storage, enabling the assessment of grid investments and infrastructure. We analyse four scenarios representing EU-wide (Fit-for-55) or national (NECP) targets, implemented through explicit policies (POLICY) or cost-optimal carbon caps (COST_OPTIMAL). Results show all scenarios achieve the −55% fossil CO2 reduction by 2030, with the electricity sector driving the largest chunk. Renewable energy nearly doubles, with POLICY scenarios accelerating electrification and heat pump deployment, while COST_OPTIMAL scenarios leaning more on biofuels. Efficiency targets are partially met, with POLICY scenarios distributing savings more evenly across Member States compared to concentrated reductions (COST_OPTIMAL). By 2035, power system transformation diverges strongly: COST_OPTIMAL scenarios expand about 1,250 GW of new capacity, concentrated in few resource-rich regions, while POLICY scenarios reach around 1,750GW with broader spatial distribution, requiring higher investments in renewables and grids. Average wholesale electricity prices are higher and more heterogeneous under POLICY scenarios, reflecting carbon costs, transmission bottlenecks, and reliance on fossil backup. Results highlight trade-offs between economic efficiency and equitable burden-sharing, underscoring the importance of coordinated EU governance, infrastructure planning, and complementary policies to balance cost-effectiveness with political feasibility and social acceptance.

The article explores the global experience of building the organizational and legal foundations for greening the economy against the backdrop of intensifying climate change and environmental degradation. It stresses that the exhaustion of the traditional fossil-fuel–based growth model necessitates the adoption of new development trajectories in which economic progress is inseparable from ecological sustainability. The green economy is defined not only as a technological transition but also as a structural transformation of institutions, policies, and business practices, where economic growth is aligned with the principles of environmental safety and social equity.The study identifies a dual set of instruments driving this transformation. Economic tools include eco-taxes, subsidies, and feed-in tariffs designed to encourage investment in renewable energy and circular production. Legal mechanisms encompass binding environmental standards, licensing procedures, and corporate liability frameworks, which ensure enforceability and accountability. In the European Union, a holistic approach is demonstrated through strategic initiatives such as the European Green Deal and “Fit for 55,” reinforced by market mechanisms like the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) and the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). These are complemented by the jurisprudence of the Court of Justice of the EU, which secures uniform enforcement across member states.North America illustrates a different trajectory, combining federal legislation (Clean Air Act, Canadian Environmental Protection Act), powerful regulatory agencies (EPA), and voluntary private standards (Energy Star, ISO 14000). Asia, by contrast, exemplifies state-led strategies: China through five-year plans and green finance policies, Japan via its Green Growth Strategy 2050 and circular economy laws, and South Korea through the Green New Deal, which merges ecological and digital innovation.At the global level, international legal frameworks such as the UNFCCC, the Kyoto Protocol, the Paris Agreement, and the Sustainable Development Goals provide the overarching context, embedding principles like “polluter pays” and the precautionary approach into the international order. The findings indicate that greening the economy is effective only when economic incentives are firmly anchored in legal and institutional guarantees. For Ukraine, this implies not only harmonization with EU climate standards and strengthening environmental institutions but also active engagement in international mechanisms, which can unlock access to green finance and elevate competitiveness in the global transition toward climate neutrality.

Purpose This paper aims to explore Dialogic Accounting and Accountability (DAA) processes in setting up and collectively managing two New European Bauhaus (NEB) projects, with direct connections to the social and environmental goals of the European Green Deal (EGD). Design/methodology/approach This study uses an autoethnographic approach, which includes three years of participant observations and field notes, 16 semi-structured interviews with project stakeholders and production and analysis of documents and reports. Findings The projects must be understood holistically as tackling the three pillars of NEB: sustainability, esthetics and inclusion. DAA processes can enhance the success of grassroots-led NEB projects when accountability is understood not as a process ending with formal project reporting, but as an ongoing, participatory dynamic that continues beyond the official conclusion of the project. Practical implications According to the present findings, DAA helps align community needs with the transformative goals of European projects, thereby strengthening accountability mechanisms. NEB projects can support the direct application of DAA principles for their multilayered accountability structure, which emphasizes the mutual accountability between citizens and institutions. Social implications This study provides elements to corroborate the social dimension of the EGD. It also promotes an inclusive approach to community accountability that incorporates diverse perspectives and values in collectively managing projects. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is one of the first attempts to autoethnographically analyze, from an accountability perspective, community NEB projects over a lengthy period. It provides a detailed account of a relatively recent initiative that has been primarily studied in other fields.