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Brussels, 31 October 2024 – Ahead of the Commissioner Hearings, CAN Europe calls on incoming Commissioners-designate to prioritise urgent and ambitious climate action. With the EU way off track to meet its 2030 climate goals, the proposed College of Commissioners must now signal that Europe is serious about a fossil-free future. CAN Europe has been closely analysing the preparation of the hearings. We expect the Commissioners-designate to take this opportunity to officially confirm their commitment to the continuity and strengthening of the European Green Deal, to confirm that there is no space for regression and that every euro of public funds points towards a fossil-free, socially just, and climate-neutral Union. ‘The Commissioner Hearings will be the litmus test for the scale of the EU’s ambition on climate action for the years to come’ says Chiara Martinelli, Director at CAN Europe. ‘We need Commissioners-designate to commit now to EU climate targets that match the urgency of the climate crisis. Failing to signal an increased ambition for 2030 and 2040 means failing to live up to the vision of the European Green Deal. We expect a clear message on this from Commissioner-Designate Hoekstra, but also across the college, as a sign of collective vision and coherence on the priorities ahead of us’. EU climate policies naturally have a global ripple effect and have the ability to influence international climate negotiations and trade agreements. The words spoken in Brussels next week during the Commissioner Hearings will resonate around the world, especially given the proximity to COP29. ‘With climate vulnerable communities around the world watching, the hearings should not be an echo chamber of empty rhetoric – we want to hear real plans of real action’ says Sven Harmeling, Head of Climate at CAN Europe. ‘The EU has a window in the next few years to pursue effective policies that harness the many co-benefits that ambitious climate action brings for people and the planet, including through a cleaner economy and industry with attached clear social and environmental conditionalities. To embrace this, EU leaders must forge new political paths to higher ambition, resist backsliding and sharply counter climate denial’.
Get Your House in OrderWhilst striving for future higher ambition, the EU must also get its house in order today. Now over three months after the deadline, only 14 of 27 National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs) have been submitted by Member States. Of those submitted, the level of ambition is still insufficient not only to meet the Paris Agreement commitments, but also to reach the EU 2030 climate and energy objectives – which would be in breach of the European Climate Law. With more than three-quarters of the EU’s greenhouse gas emissions stemming from our energy consumption, it is of utmost importance that we stop burning fossil fuels – at pace – if we are serious about limiting global temperature rise to 1.5°C. ‘The EU’s energy transition is gaining momentum, but not quick enough. Commissioner- designate Jørgensen cannot let it falter by committing to unproven and false solutions such as low-carbon hydrogen and nuclear’ says Cornelia Maarfield, Head of Energy at CAN Europe. ‘In these hearings, Jørgensen must commit to setting dedicated 2040 energy targets to fully wean off fossil fuels, prioritise energy savings, accelerate renewables deployment and improve the energy performance of our homes, ensuring a transition that is fast, fair and future-proof.’
Finally, the CAN Europe network calls on the next European Commission to commit to ending private lobbying meetings with the fossil fuel industry and also to exclude them from climate negotiations. ‘Inviting fossil fuel lobbyists to climate talks is like hiring a burglar to design your home security system,’ says Chiara Martinelli. ‘Next week we’d like to hear more during the hearings about the Commission cutting ties to the fossil fuel industry and putting civil society, workers, households, and vulnerable communities centre stage in future policy dialogues—to ensure a just transition for all’. |
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For more information and media requests: Tomas Spragg Nilsson, Senior Communications Officer, CAN Europe |
