Competitiveness is not a new concept, but in the last year it has become frequently mentioned in Brussels. This change of priorities is a logical result of the overstretching of green goals in recent years and the clear understanding that Europe is losing the global race. The paper analyses the EU policy for the promotion of competitiveness and the achievement of accelerated growth through sustainable development. It reveals the main principles of the EU green policy and its implications for business and municipalities. The framework of the EU environmental policy is disclosed through a review of documents, mainly of the EC, as well as a survey of several case studies that highlight the key achievements of the EU policy on sustainability. The authors discuss the greening of the economy in an age of political and economic disruption delving into the dilemma climate neutrality versus competitiveness. The results clearly indicate that re-discovering the EU’s competitiveness does not contradict sustainable investment opportunities. Engaging the potential of the AI for innovations, introducing lower taxes, more flexible regulations on business and the labour market and more reasonable social programs can become an effective mechanism to maintain a cleaner and resilient world. The authors give recommendations to the businesses, state administration and EU institutions on how to optimize “green policies”, develop new business models and rapidly implement sustainable development goals.