2024 EU Overshoot Day: Appeal to EU leaders to prioritise a fair and inclusive green transition in the next political mandate

The document argues that the EU's ecological footprint is unsustainable, noting that the region uses between 70% and 97% of the world's 'safe operating space' despite having less than 6% of the global population. The authors call for the acceleration of the European Green Deal, increased public investment in climate and social goals, and strengthened civil society participation to avoid ecological collapse and economic instability.

• The European Union's resource consumption is disproportionately high compared to its population, with the EU representing less than 6% of the world's population but utilizing between 70% and 97% of the global 'safe operating space'. The document states that three planets would be required if the entire global population lived according to European standards.
• The authors identify a 'triple planetary crisis' consisting of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution, noting that Europe is projected to experience temperature increases that are double those of other continents.
• The letter urges EU leaders to commit to three specific actions: accelerating the Green Deal through legally binding targets based on science, radically increasing public climate, environment, and social investments while holding big polluters accountable, and strengthening EU governance and civil society participation.
• The document cites several existing benefits of the green transition in the EU, including a record 44% share of renewables in electricity production in 2023, the availability of electric cars that are cheaper than petrol or diesel equivalents in 19 Member States, and the creation of 5.1 million green jobs in 2020.

APA

Martin, L. (2024). 2024 EU Overshoot Day: Appeal to EU leaders to prioritise a fair and inclusive green transition in the next political mandate. Reclaim Finance. https://reclaimfinance.org/site/en/2024/05/03/eu-overshoot-day-open-letter-to-eu-leaders/

Chicago

Martin, Léo. 2024 EU Overshoot Day: Appeal to EU leaders to prioritise a fair and inclusive green transition in the next political mandate. Reclaim Finance, 2024. https://reclaimfinance.org/site/en/2024/05/03/eu-overshoot-day-open-letter-to-eu-leaders/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Martin |first1=Léo |title=2024 EU Overshoot Day: Appeal to EU leaders to prioritise a fair and inclusive green transition in the next political mandate |publisher=Reclaim Finance |date=3 May 2024 |url=https://reclaimfinance.org/site/en/2024/05/03/eu-overshoot-day-open-letter-to-eu-leaders/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{martin20242024, author = {Martin, Léo}, title = {{2024 EU Overshoot Day: Appeal to EU leaders to prioritise a fair and inclusive green transition in the next political mandate}}, publisher = {Reclaim Finance}, year = {2024}, month = may, url = {https://reclaimfinance.org/site/en/2024/05/03/eu-overshoot-day-open-letter-to-eu-leaders/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }