The EU's Strategy for Sustainability: A Landmark Turn With the European Green Deal?

While the European Green Deal (EGD) has been widely recognized as a milestone in the EU's sustainability strategy, scholars disagree on the nature of the policy change it represents. Critics highlight its limited social and environmental ambitions, despite its portrayal as a “man on the moon” moment. Using a policy-paradigm lens, this study analyses the European Commission's EGD legislative package during the first 2 years after its adoption, focusing on discourse, policy instruments, and strategies for building political and societal support. The findings reveal the emergence of a new policy narrative integrating environmental sustainability, economic growth, and social inclusion, supported by revised instruments and political efforts to advance a “beyond-growth” agenda. These developments suggest an incremental paradigmatic shift, the full implications of which will only become clear over time.