The ‘European Green Deal’ – a paradigm shift? Transformations in the European Union’s sustainability meta-discourse

In December 2019, the European Commission released its strategy for Union (EU), Green Deal (EGD), which perceives ‘commitment to tackling climate and environmental-related challenges’ as ‘this generation’s defining task’. It intends ‘transform [the EU’s] economy society put it on a more sustainable path’, has been hailed potential durably change societies. This contribution examines if EGD offers discursive paradigm shift regarding environmental sustainability. To this end, performs critical discourse analysis meta-discourse embodied in predecessors, Europe 2020 Lisbon Strategy. finds that marks significant break, moving EU’s from negligence of sustainability 2000s, idea an attribute growth can support ‘jobs growth’ agenda during 2010s, centre-stage. By empowering pro-environmental forces, provides unseen overtures towards practical consequence – via example-setting effect global policies. The article concludes by explaining meta-discursive discussing implications EU