With 2030 climate targets up for renewal, a new set of European commissioners in place, and the post-Brexit relationship to negotiate, this year was always going to be a big one for Europe’s energy transition. Here's an outline of the most important trends of 2020, starting with the emergence of a green hope from the disaster of the coronavirus pandemic. The Green Deal turned into a green recovery The prospect of a European Green Deal emerged in the manifesto of sorts presented by the then European Commission President-elect Ursula von der Leyen. The former German defense minister, a longstanding presence in Chancellor Merkel’s cabinet, was nominated without ever campaigning. With no agreement among European leaders on the candidates that did step forward, von der Leyen’s vision for Europe came a year after the campaigning was over. The Green Deal had top billing.