June 2023 saw CAN Europe organise a EUKI study tour to Brussels, which focused on providing a select group of Central and Eastern European climate and energy experts with a better understanding of relevant EU policy developments, and to share their national perspectives and reflections with key EU stakeholders. During the trip, the group engaged with the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Climate Action (DG CLIMA) on 2040 climate ambition, the Directorate-General for Energy (DG ENER) and the Recovery and Resilience Task Force about REPowerEU, the International Union of Tenants, the European Trade Union Institute about the benefits of energy savings and renovation of buildings, as well as the European Consumer Organisation, SolarPowerEurope, and Local Governments for Sustainability, about how to speed up renewable energy solutions in Central and Eastern Europe.
In the lead up to COP28, CAN Europe supported four activist labs in Austria, Finland, Lithuania, and Slovakia. These short training programmes enabled CAN Europe members and partners to engage with and train local grassroot groups and activists (such as Fridays for the Future and Extinction Rebellion) in conducting street actions focused on relevant climate issues.
In the second half of the year, the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the EU provided unique engagement opportunities, which included several in-person coordination meetings in Madrid. Direct involvement with members through Presidency events, specifically on the topics of just transition, energy policies, and National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs), as well as participation in the informal NGO alliance, created opportunities to try and influence the Presidency priorities. The collaboration with the Spanish Presidency was particularly impactful in the run up to, and during COP28.
Finally, the second season of CAN Europe’s monthly podcast, Europe Climate Connection, was made possible with outstanding input from our member organisations. Over the course of the year a diverse range of issues were covered including sufficiency of nationally determined contributions, carbon inequality, carbon removals, youth engagement and the solar rooftop revolution.