Systems Transformation Hub

Following today’s vote in the European Parliament, the Systems Transformation Hub congratulates Ursula von der Leyen on her second term as President of the European Commission. 🎊 "This reappointment provides an encouraging and hopeful sign to advance the EU’s green and social agendas as represented in the European Green Deal," said the leaders of the Hub, which include Sandrine Dixson-Declève of The Club of Rome, Kirsten Dunlop of Climate-KIC, Eva Gladek of Metabolic, Janez Potocnik of Systemiq Ltd., and Stientje van Veldhoven of World Resources Institute Europe. In a time of political instability both within and beyond Europe’s borders, von der Leyen’s confirmation provides a signal of stability and continuity for EU Member States, governments, industry, investors, and citizens. Her reappointment underscores the importance of the European Green Deal (EGD) as her flagship initiative during her previous term and the continued North Star for Europe. Current alarming climate and biodiversity data highlight the urgency for sustained environmental action and systemic change to ensure Europe’s society and economy operate within planetary boundaries. However, the leaders of the Systems Transformation Hub express concerns about potential backsliding on environmental standards and climate legislation, as some EU leaders question their importance, as discussed in late June by the EU Council during the Strategic Agenda deliberations (https://lnkd.in/dJiKRP5k). Simplification and optimisation of the EGD is necessary in order to enable the speed and scale of implementation and investment needed but this should not be confused with a reduction in ambition. A strong EGD is Europe’s greatest hope for future competitiveness and socio-economic development. "We remind EU leaders and institutions that the Green Deal, and its broad environmental and social agenda, is critical for a sustainable future. Its overarching goal is to lead the way to become climate-neutral by 2050 through a just transition that enables all citizens and communities to thrive, from families to farmers and SMEs”, said the Hub leaders. The EGD’s package of policies, adopted under President von der Leyen's previous mandate, builds resilience to future shocks and stresses across the EU’s economy and governance systems. “Implementation is not easy and requires foresight and a systemic approach to be outlined under von der Leyen’s leadership by the new Commission. We stand ready to support the new European Commission and Member States in this important task through applied systems thinking and integrated policy design," the Hub leaders stated. 👉 Read more about von der Leyen’s reelection: https://lnkd.in/gjRgdmih  👉 Find out more about our hub here: https://lnkd.in/dN8WeH5x #EU #SystemsTransformation Image credit: CC-BY-4.0: © @European Union 2019 – Source: EP

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗛𝘂𝗯 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝗼𝗿𝘀! On Tuesday, we celebrated the official inauguration of our new office in the CEPS building in Brussels and launched our brand-new website 👉 https://lnkd.in/dJrFbFbm The event reiterated our call for partners to join our efforts in integrating systems and transformational thinking into EU policy-making. 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀: ➜ Sandrine Dixson-Declève (The Club of Rome) “The European Green Deal is a bright spot, though tough to implement. Policies should focus on people’s well-being; if not, they lead to protests like we saw earlier in the year. We need support from citizens and companies”. Sandrine highlighted  ‘A Deal is a Deal’ initiative, with 500 signatories, stresses maintaining the European Green Deal: https://bit.ly/3zCzA1G ➜ Florika Fink-Hooijer (𝗗𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿-𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗘𝗻𝘃𝗶𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 European Commission) noted how changing institutional landscapes will transform trust and policy execution. “The Nature Restoration Law and circular economy foundations are set but need holistic implementation. She also emphasised to focus more on water: “Water is so essential, and we either have too much or there are droughts. We need to address water issues holistically at all levels – regional, country and EU-wide. It touches on stability and competitiveness." ➜ Eva Gladek (Metabolic) highlighted the challenge of political realities and the lack of large-scale implementation. “There’s no false dichotomy between clean air, clean water, and a functioning economy.” ➜ Janez Potocnik (Systemiq Ltd.) “Extracting and processing of materials causes 60% of climate change impact, land use included, 40% of health-related pollution impacts and 90% of water stress and land related biodiversity loss. Our most resource-intensive systems for housing, food, mobility, and energy are driving this, necessitating attention and a systematic approach.” ➜ Stientje van Veldhoven (World Resources Institute Europe) “We face too many siloed approaches. Biofuels, though once seen as a low-carbon solution, take away land from food production, exporting land and carbon footprints elsewhere. One hectare of solar panels equals 300 hectares of biofuels. We need to reduce demand and stress points.” ➜ Adélaïde Charlier (𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘀𝘁) called for including youth in political decisions. “As climate activists, gaining political trust is hard. We work tirelessly to include youth in climate and nature policies, fearing exclusion. Include young people; we are planting the seeds for a new future.” ➜ Kirsten Dunlop (Climate-KIC) closed the event, reminding us of the EU’s unique role in climate and planetary policies, made a central appeal to the audience: “We strive to be an open club and welcome views on systems transformation. This is an open invitation for collaboration.”

A DEAL IS A DEAL | Over 250 policymakers, researchers, business and NGO leaders have signed a call to action for all parties of the newly elected European Parliament to prioritise implementation of the #EuropeanGreenDeal. The Club of Rome has coordinated a call to action with two of the Systems Transformation Hub partners –Climate-KIC and Metabolic –as a reminder that the European Green Deal is Europe's North Star for an ambitious and equitable transition pathway - even more relevant today than at its time of adoption. Read more: https://lnkd.in/dFRtEhZ3 The Systems Transformation Hub is a pioneering venture designed to drive systemic solutions for Europe. It aims to provide strategic and systematic guidance, supporting the European institutions and Member States in policy analysis, development, policy learning and agile decision making support.

On #WorldEnvironmentDay, with the #EUelections2024 starting tomorrow, the #EuropeanGreenDeal remains our best hope for addressing systemic challenges.   In our first policy brief, we explore the stances of the four biggest European political groups on the European Green Deal (EGD). Surprisingly, there is more unity than division on the need to tackle climate change. However, differences arise in implementation and voting behaviour. Our analysis shows: ✅ Unity on EGD: European parties agree that the EGD is essential for Europe's prosperity but differ on the path forward. ✅ Common Goals: Improving competitiveness, enhancing security, decreasing the cost of living, and boosting citizen well-being are key priorities for all parties and form the basis for a strong and durable EGD coalition. ✅ Debunking myths: Support for #climateaction and #natureprotection remains strong and stable amongst citizens across all EU members states, but some political actors are trying to create false trade-offs between social, economic and environmental goals. ✅ EGD Systems Success: A successful EGD requires a systems approach breaking through siloed policymaking, removing contradicting market incentives, and implementing demand side reduction measures, which are missing from all analysed party manifestos. ✅ Visionary Programme: Europe needs a renewed vision anchored in the EGD to address the polycrisis and ensure resilience. This should focus on a broader notion of security and economic stability, considering social and environmental tipping points. Read and download the full policy brief below 👇 and stay tuned for our upcoming series on systemic policy approaches and solutions, as we support European Institutions to build systems thinking into their policymaking. The policy brief is brought to you by: Sandrine Dixson-Declève (The Club of Rome Earth4All), Kirsten Dunlop (Climate-KIC), Eva Gladek (Metabolic), Janez Potocnik (Systemiq Ltd.), and Stientje van Veldhoven (World Resources Institute Europe), supported by Zadekia Krondorfer and Milan Petit.