Brussels – The European Commission announced on Wednesday new rules to ensure a “fair and inclusive” transition to climate neutrality in the EU.

The proposal of the European Executive, which is part of the “Green Deal for Europe”, contains specific guidelines to “assist Member States in developing and implementing policy packages to ensure a fair transition to climate neutrality, taking into account in a comprehensive manner the relevant social and employment aspects of the transition”.

According to the text presented by the Commission, the proposal pays particular attention to the needs of people and households that are highly dependent on fossil fuels and thus most likely to be affected by the green transition, and calls on member states to make the best use of public and private funding and to work in close cooperation with the social partners.

“If the right measures and policies are put in place, the green transition could create one million additional jobs by 2030 in the EU and some two million jobs by 2050,” it says. The Commission encourages Member States to use measures and actions tailored to their specific situation.

These include measures to support quality employment and facilitate transitions between jobs, to promote equal access to quality education and training, to support equitable social protection systems, to promote affordable access to essential services, to coordinate public action through an economy-wide approach, actively involving social partners, civil society, regional and local authorities, and to make best use of public and private funding.

The Green Pact for Europe, launched in 2019, sets out the EU’s strategy to become the first climate-neutral continent and to transform the Union into a ”sustainable, fairer and more prosperous society that respects the limits of our planet”. The need for a fair transition is an integral part of the green pact, which stressed that “no one and no region should be left behind.”

In July 2021, the Commission adopted the “Adjustment to Target 55” package, which aims to achieve the EU’s binding 2030 climate target of reducing net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% on the way to climate neutrality by 2050.