{
  "id": 14210276,
  "title": "‘No regret’: The EEA’s six steps to make Europe more competitive without sacrificing sustainability",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/13/no-regret-the-eeas-six-steps-to-make-europe-more-competitive-without",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-10-13T13:20:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Euronews",
    "slug": "euronews",
    "url": "https://www.euronews.com/2026/10/13/no-regret-the-eeas-six-steps-to-make-europe-more-competitive-without-sacrificing-sustainab"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In a new report, the European Environment Agency (EEA) has unveiled six \"no-regret\" steps that Europe can take to bolster its long-term competitiveness while preserving the environment. The report, titled 'Competitive by nature: Europe’s long-term competitiveness through the lens of sustainability', was released on October 13th.\n\nFirstly, the EEA suggests investing in climate adaptation and resilience. Europe is experiencing more extreme weather events due to climate change, with floods, heatwaves, droughts, and wildfires becoming increasingly severe. To counter this, the EEA recommends adopting nature-based solutions such as restoring wetlands and floodplains or increasing green spaces in cities. These measures can help absorb floodwater and cool urban areas.\n\nSecondly, the report advocates for using resources more efficiently. Europe imports a significant portion of its raw materials and energy, making it vulnerable to supply disruptions. The EEA points out that the technology behind renewable energy sources, like wind turbines, solar panels, and batteries, relies on critical minerals. Building a robust grid to support clean energy also requires investment. Additionally, the EEA highlights that circularity, or the practice of repairing, reusing, and recycling products, can reduce the demand for raw materials and energy, as well as limit exposure to volatile commodity and energy markets.\n\nThirdly, the report calls for leveraging next-generation technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI). AI can help Europe manage its resources more effectively by tracking materials through supply chains, managing variable renewable energy on power grids, and monitoring environmental damage in real-time. Developing these capabilities domestically can also lessen Europe's dependence on foreign technology. The EU is already using AI to strengthen accountability through its Digital Product Passport, which provides information on the origin of a product's materials, its environmental performance, and how it can be recycled.\n\nFourthly, the EEA emphasizes the importance of investing in skills and education. Developing new technologies is crucial for a low-carbon economy, but there are significant workforce shortages and training gaps. To address this, the agency urges investment in skills, education, and lifelong learning that will create a resilient workforce prepared for rapid change. Ensuring these skills are distributed across various demographics can also promote social cohesion and fairness.\n\nFifthly, the report stresses the need to build public trust in the green transition. Climate policy has become politically divisive in several EU countries, with intense debates over costs, farming rules, and bureaucracy. The EEA argues that clear, predictable regulations and effective institutions are essential for building public trust and support for the transition. Companies are more likely to invest in clean technologies when they can rely on stable rules, and the public is more likely to support the transition if they believe the rules are applied fairly.\n\nLastly, the EEA encourages leading sustainable standard-setting within the EU's single market. The EU has the power to shape global environmental and social standards, particularly through international institutions. By cooperating with other nations through democratic international forums like the UN's Conference of the Parties (COP), the EU can create common rules, diversify trade relationships, and make supply chains more resilient. However, the system faces challenges, as nearly 200 nations pledged to transition away from fossil fuels at COP28 in 2023 but are unlikely to reach an agreement on fossil fuels at COP31 in Turkey. Meanwhile, fossil fuel-reliant nations are pushing to delay the next major report from the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) until after the global climate summit. The EU must also balance simplifying its green rules in the name of competitiveness with maintaining sustainability.",
  "summary": "From resource efficiency to education, these six sustainable steps could make Europe more competitive in the long term.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}