The European Green Deal and technological determinism

Abstract

In 2019, the Von der Leyen Commission made a grand entrance announcing an ambitious political agenda, the European Green Deal (EGD), combining its sustainability agenda and meeting environmental challenges with the pursuit of economic growth. In this paper, the author discusses the role of technology in the EGD through the lens of technological determinism. It is argued that, in many ways, the EGD overestimates the importance of technology, especially new technology. Unlike typical technological determinist views, the EGD recognises the importance of human agency. However, the success of human and social agency as drivers change in this project depends on preferences of actors involved in this green transition, including technological preferences. The author argues that the source of these biases lies with the economic policy foundations of the EGD which lead to prioritising economic interest over environmental needs. The article suggests that greater reliance on environmental regulation may restore the appropriate balance between economy and environment, and between the belief in the power of new technology and people's responsibility for the environmental and other consequences of technology production and use, and thus improve the prospects of the EGD in its environmental and sustainability aspirations.