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Will a Green Economy Emerge in Europe Post-Coronavirus?

Lisa Bryant

   PARIS - France emerged from lockdown this week pretty much the way it
   entered -- with blue skies and chilly winds in the capital, where
   Parisians savored newly found freedoms.

   That is where the similarities end. While its curve is flattening,
   France's coronavirus caseload has climbed to nearly 180,000, and masks
   are now part of everyday life. The Metro and roads remain half empty.
   And the government faces a monumental task of rebooting an economy
   crippled by two months of confinement.

   What recovery path French and other European Union governments take
   will be key to meeting their climate and other environmental pledges,
   analysts say.

   "This really could be an unprecedented opportunity toward accelerating
   to a sustainable and competitive economy," said sustainable development
   expert Annika Ahtonen of the Brussels-based European Policy Center,
   noting the massive rescue packages countries are readying.

   But she added, "we also know that member states are under enormous
   pressure to rescue businesses with no conditions attached."

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