The former leader of the ‘Green’ group of MEPs in the European Parliament has been taken on as an advisor on how to meet the EU’s climate targets by the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen.
Phillipe Lamberts, a business executive by profession, was an MEP for Belgium from 2009 to 2024. He was the leader of the parliament’s Green-European Free Alliance (EFA) from 2014.
He is also a member of ECOLO, the main French-speaking green party in Belgium.
President von der Leyen already has a sizeable team of advisors, many of whom cover the area of the European Green Deal.
Lamberts’ advisory role will be primarily focused on delivering the EU’s climate targets to 2030, part of an overarching plan to reach climate neutrality by 2050.
His main task will be to “support the transition to a climate-neutral economy”, a statement from the commission said.
“With over 15 years of experience in the European Parliament, of which ten at the co-presidency of the Greens/EFA Group, Lamberts can build on vast experience and a large network in politics, international affairs and the business community,” the commission said.
As part of his task, he will be involved in engaging with economics stakeholders, building bridges between business and civil society, political actors, administrators, as well as vulnerable groups.
He will also be tasked with bringing trends and innovations from society and business into policy making.
The commission said this will be part of an effort to “better explain the transition, implement existing legislation in a simplified way, and to make sure no one is left behind”.
As part of this new role, Lamberts will work closely with the commission president and her cabinet and collaborate with the other relevant member of the commission.
Commenting on Lamberts’ appointment to the advisory role, President von der Leyen said: “The cooperation with the Greens/EFA has been constructive in the current mandate and they played an important role in securing a pro-European majority at my re-election as commission president in July.
“For me, the Greens/EFA is part of the pro-European majority in the European Parliament like the platform that I want to continue working with, for example on topics like reaching our climate targets, the Clean Industrial Deal, cutting red tape, and global engagement.
“Phillipe Lamberts…will serve as a trustworthy bridge builder between all stakeholders required to move forward on our path to climate neutrality,” President von der Leyen said.