CAN Europe, Carbon Market Watch and 150 other civil society organisations, academia and businesses have written to the European Commission to express extreme concern regarding the option currently being supported by some policymakers to open the EU 2040 climate target and Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement, to international credits.
Introducing international credits within the EU climate targets would weaken EU’s level of domestic ambition, which already lags behind its fair share as highlighted by the European Scientific Advisory Board on Climate Change (ESABCC), undermining EU global climate leadership and credibility. It would also open a Pandora’s box of relying on other countries and market actors for due diligence and risking serious reputational damage if the credits allowed turn out to be of poor quality, in addition to far-reaching financial implications.
It is by far not the easy or cheap solution to achieve climate targets, which it appears to be in the eyes of some proponents. The EU should continue with the practice of achieving its binding climate targets domestically, as enshrined in the EU Climate Law, for the 2030 target and the climate neutrality goal. It is overdue now for the EU to adopt an ambitious 2040 target.
Read the letter in full: Open letter against international credits integration into the EU 2040 climate target and NDC
Sign the letter: Sign On: Open Letter Urging Against International Credits Integration into the EU 2040 Climate Target and NDC
Signatories (as of 25 June 2025):
- AbibiNsroma Foundation
- ActionAid International
- Action Solidarité Tiers Monde (ASTM)
- AG Globale Verantwortung
- AirClim
- Alliance Sud
- Aotearoa New Zealand Campaign on Military Spending
- APREN
- Arnaud Schwartz, EESC member
- Austrian Alliance for Climate Justice
- Bellona
- Biofuelwatch
- Bronislaw Szerszynski, Emeritus Professor of Sociology
- Brot für die Welt
- Canadian Unitarians for Social Justice
- Canopea
- CANOPEE
- Carbon Balance Initiative
- Carbon Market Watch
- CARE International
- Center for Climate Change
- Center for International Environmental Law
- Centre for Transport and Energy
- Charlotte Wilson, Teach the Future Campaign Organiser
- CIDSE
- Citizens’ Climate Europe
- Citizens for Public Justice (CPJ)
- CLARA — Climate Land Ambition and Rights Alliance
- Clima de Política
- Clean Air Action Group
- Climate Action Network (CAN) Canada
- Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe
- Climate Action Network (CAN) International
- Climate Action Network (CAN) Southeast Asia
- Climate Action Network (CAN) Southern Africa Region
- Climate Action Network (CAN) Zambia
- Climate Alliance
- Climate Analytics
- Climate Generation
- Clo Carbon Cymru
- Compensate Foundation
- CNCD-11.11.11
- Co-ordination Office of the Austrian Bishops’ Conference for International Development and Mission (KOO)
- Coalition Climat – Klimaat Coalitie
- Cool Heating Coalition
- Creatura Think & Do Tank ry
- Debt Observatory in Globalisation (ODG)
- Deutscher Naturschutzring e.V.
- Doreen Stabinsky, Professor
- ECEEE – European Council for an Energy Efficient Economy
- Ecologistas en Accion
- ECOS – Environmental Coalition on Standards
- EiiF – European Industrial Insulation Foundation
- EKOenergy ecolabel
- Environmental Investigation Agency
- Environmental Justice Foundation
- Environmental Justice Network Ireland
- Esperanta Naturamikaro
- Etienne Schneider, Scientist
- European Environmental Bureau
- European Heat Pump Association (EHPA)
- European Renewable Energies Federation (EREF)
- FairFin
- Fastenaktion Switzerland
- Federazione Italiana Amici della Natura
- Fingo – Finnish development NGOs
- Finnish Association for Nature Conservation
- Forests of the World
- Francesca Riccardi, Legal Officer
- Friends of the Earth Europe
- Friends of the Earth Germany (BUND e.V.)
- Friends of the Earth Spain
- Fundación Ecología y Desarrollo (ECODES)
- Fundacja RTON
- GLOBAL 2000
- Green Finance Observatory
- Global Justice Ecology Project
- Green Transition Denmark/ Rådet for Grøn Omstilling
- Greenpeace
- Grootouders voor het Klimaat
- Hawkmoth
- Health Care Without Harm Europe
- HelpAge International
- Humundi
- Iceland Nature Conservartion Association
- Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy
- International Network for Sustainable Energy (INFORSE) – Europe
- Islamic Relief Worldwide
- Jelle Bijma, Chair Reverce Science Advisory Board
- Jens Friis Lund, Professor
- Jesuit European Social Centre (JESC)
- Kate Dooley, Senior Research Fellow, University of Melbourne
- Kirstine Lund Christiansen PhD
- Klimaatzaak – Affaire Climat
- Kohtuus ry
- Laudato Si’ Movement
- Leefmilieu
- LEGAMBIENTE
- Les Amis de la Terre – Belgique asbl
- Les Amis de la Terre France
- LIFE Education Sustainability Equality
- Martin Cames, Senior Researcher
- Milieudefensie – Friends of the Earth Netherlands
- Miqtë e Natyrës së Kosovës / Naturefriends Kosovo
- Mouvement écologique (Luxembourg)
- Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Youth
- Nature and Youth Sweden
- Naturefriends France
- Naturefriends Greece
- Naturefriends International
- Natuurvrienden-Bergstijgers
- NewClimate Institute
- NF California
- Nils Markusson, Senior Lecturer, Lancaster University
- OceanCare
- Oil Change International
- Opportunity Green
- Oxfam
- Paul Price, Adjunct Professor
- Peace Movement Aotearoa
- Protect Our Winters Austria
- Protect Our Winters Europe
- Protect Our Winters Finland
- Quercus – Associação Nacional de Conservação da Natureza
- Rainforest Foundation Norway
- Rosalie Arendt, Assistant Professor for Climate Neutrality
- Réseau Action Climat
- Sandbag Climate Campaign ASBL
- Stefano Verde, Associate Professor
- Südwind
- Swedwatch
- Swedish Society for Nature Conservation
- The Australian Foundation for Wilderness
- The Australian Rainforest Conservation Society
- The Climate Reality Project Europe
- Transport & Environment (T&E)
- Trócaire
- Umanotera
- University of Vienna
- Urgenda Foundation
- VedvarendeEnergi (SustainableEnergy)
- Vicky Temperton, Professor of Ecology at Leuphana University Luneburg
- Voluntary Organisation for Innovative Community-led Empowerment (Voice Uganda)
- WECF International
- Wim Carton, Associate Professor of Sustainability Science
- WISE Nederland
- World Animal Protection
- World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)
- Youth for Crime Awareness, Resilience & Environment (Youth CARE Initiative)
- ZERO – Associação Sistema Terrestre Sustentável
- Zero Waste Alliance Ireland
- 350.org
