In the shadow of the pandemic: Protecting the environment must be put back on the agenda

The COVID-19 pandemic has kept us on our toes since the spring of 2020. Despite this, the pressing issue of climate change must not be forgotten.

COVID-19 and discussions about how to most effectively tackle the pandemic are currently dominating talks in society and among the general public. This is important and necessary, however, in this challenging situation, we must not completely lose sight of other existential issues.

Our environment continues to suffer from climate change. As things stand, it’s looking like the national and European climate targets for 2030 will hardly be met. Widespread use of resource-saving technologies will play a central role in achieving targets.

In this regard, COVID-19 economic recovery packages, such as those in Austria and Germany which promote environmentally friendly investments by companies, are very welcome. The goal is a growth stimulus that both boosts the economy that has been considerably weakened by the pandemic and simultaneously makes ecologically sustainable and environmentally-friendly growth the standard to go by. This must continue to be our ambition in the future.