Public loans and subsidies vs. clean air and decarbonisation: 

Coordinated by SDG Watch Europe and launched at the UN High Level Political Forum on the SDGs in July 2019, this report shadows the EU’s own assessment of its progress on Agenda 2030 by looking at the negative externalities and spill-over effects of EU policies in developing countries.

Dear Member of the European Parliament,    Congratulations on your successful election.   You will have your first opportunity to vote to defend climate tomorrow Tuesday, when the Parliament is expected to vote on the election of the President of the Commission.  

Today, 10 families from Europe and outside, together with the Saami Youth Association from Sweden appealed to the European Court of Justice on the dismissal of the historic People’s Climate Case – the case challenging the EU’s 2030 climate target for its insufficiency to protect citizens and their fundamental rights.

Dear Minister, On 11 July, you will be meeting in Helsinki to discuss EU climate ambition ahead of the United Nations Secretary General Climate Action Summit in September. This is a unique opportunity for the EU to announce its determination to step up its commitments under the Paris Agreement and

The report released today by Philip Alston, UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, states that climate change could push more than 120 million more people into poverty by 2030 and undo the last 50 years of global fight against extreme poverty. The report underlines that the poorest

Greek consumers could end up footing the bill for new coal plants well beyond 2050 under a proposed government scheme, despite recently agreed EU electricity market rules specifically designed to call time on coal subsidies, write Joanna Flisowska and Nikos Mantzaris.

MEDIA ADVISORY Today, EU ministers meeting at an Energy Council and a General Affairs Council will discuss respectively the priorities for the future energy infrastructure and for the future EU Cohesion Policy funding for climate action in the regions.According to the current state of play of negotiations, EU Member States,

Long-predicted impacts of climate change are wreaking havoc in Europe. An extreme heatwave is expected to affect millions of people in large parts of west-central Europe. In recent months, Eastern Europeans have been hit by heat waves and droughts; citizens in the UK, France, Germany and Italy suffered from floods

EU leaders meeting in Brussels today failed to agree to reduce emissions to net zero by 2050 and to commit to revising the EU’s 2030 climate target, due to a veto from the Polish, Czech, Estonian and Hungarian governments.

On 17 and 18 June, four new EU countries, namely Bulgaria, Hungary, Ireland and Slovakia announced their support for the net zero emissions by 2050 goal, increasing the total number of EU countries in favour to 22. With three new CEE countries on board, the EU is much closer to

Today the European Commission has published its recommendations for improving the draft National Energy and Climate Plans wherein EU Member States have to draw concrete pathways to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and boost energy savings as well as renewable energy all the way until 2030. Member States have until

Strong support from progressive countries key to a successful outcome Brussels, 17th June 2019, for immediate release Feeling the pressure from the public, and in particular from young people, EU governments are getting closer to reaching an agreement on achieving net zero emissions by 2050 and on raising the EU’s

In a letter to European Council President Donald Tusk leaked by the media last week, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres urged EU leaders to adopt a long-term vision for a carbon-neutral economy by 2050 and commit to increasing the EU’s 2030 climate target to 55 percent reductions in emissions.

This briefing shows that since the beginning of 2018, 22 EU Member States in total have signed on numerous statements calling for increasing efforts to tackle the climate crisis. Only six Member States: Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Poland, Romania and Slovakia have decided not to join any of the declarations in

As the world’s largest international climate finance contributor, the EU should lead the way in clear, transparent and coherent accountability standards and reporting requirements.

Today, a new report by Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe and Sandbag reveals Member States are receiving EU energy transition support but not committing to phase-out coal. The draft National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs) of 21 EU Member States which still use coal for electricity generation show that only

New report by Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe and Sandbag reveals Member States are receiving EU energy transition support but not committing to phase-out coal. The draft National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs) of 21 EU Member States which still use coal for electricity generation show that only eight are committed

Coal is bad business, yet public subsidies and Chinese loans keep it alive and keep the Balkans from moving #BeyondCoal.

As a result of the European elections concluded yesterday, the two traditional major parties of the social democrats and conservatives will no longer have a majority in the European Parliament. However, given the large support from voters for parties that have put climate action forward as a priority, there is

Thanks to hundreds of thousands of young people protesting across European cities over the last months against the lack of adequate action to confront the climate emergency, climate change for the first time tops the agenda of the European election campaign. This has put pressure on more conservative politicians to

The European General Court dismissed the People’s Climate Case on procedural grounds stating that the families and youth impacted by climate change do not have a right to go to court to challenge the EU’s 2030 climate target. However, in its decision, the Court recognised that climate change affects all Europeans in

An EU budget aligned to the goals of the Paris Agreement, the fulfilment of climate neutrality and the swift decarbonisation of the European economy is a win-win situation for both net payers and recipients to the EU budget, argue Markus Trilling and Raphaël Hanoteaux.

Ahead of Foreign Affairs Council on 16 May, Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe, Oxfam EU, ACT Alliance EU, Conservation International and Wetlands International write to EU ministers to highlight how the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI) can support developing countries to scale up climate and environmental action and support biodiversity, fostering sustainable

Behind the notion of “externalities”, the often overlooked, real costs of coal power production are paid with human life, social, economic and cultural assets, ecosystem destruction and climate change. With its coal production facilities and three coal-fired power plants, the province of Muğla in Turkey has become an open-air laboratory

As the Future of Europe summit in Sibiu, Romania, comes to an end, it is clear that EU leaders failed to respond to the growing public unrest and commit to make climate change the EU’s top priority. This is despite the momentum created by statements from eight EU Member States

“Money talks” is the 6th anual shaddow progress report by Serbia-based Coalition 27, group of dozen most prominent civil society organisations committed to monitoring and reporting on the country’s progress in preparations for EU membership talks on environmnet and climate change – topics covered by Chapter 27 of the EU

In 2018, carbon emissions across the EU decreased by 2.5% compared to the year before, according to the preliminary data published by Eurostat today.

On the eve of the Future of Europe Summit on 9 May, governments representing eight EU Member States called for putting climate action at the centre of future EU cooperation and for substantially increasing the EU’s efforts to combat climate change.

In an unprecedented Climate Action Call published today, a broad coalition is urging European leaders to take decisive action to respond to the climate emergency. Hundreds of European cities, regions, businesses, youth and faith groups and civil society organisations working on climate, human rights, litigation, mobilization, sports and health call

Today, the UK Parliament voted to declare a “climate emergency” and became the first in Europe to clearly underline the urgency to address climate change. The vote in the House of Commons came as an answer to wide-spread citizen mobilisations in the UK which urged decision makers to step up climate

Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe supports a climate case initiated by 10 families from Europe and outside together with the Saami Youth Association from Sweden. The plaintiffs claim that the EU’s 2030 target is not ambitious enough to protect their lives, livelihoods and fundamental rights from the worsening impacts of climate

Centre and conservative parties of the current European Parliament have failed to treat climate change with the urgency it demands, according to a new ranking published today by Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe. At the same time, national champions in these groups demonstrate that centre and conservative parties can play

The European Investment Bank (EIB), the world’s largest multilateral lender and major provider of climate finance, is holding a public consultation on its energy lending policy which was last revised/adopted in 2013.

A new report by CAN Europe titled “Time to pick up the pace: Insights into the draft National Energy and Climate Plans” highlights key features of 24 draft National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs), the development of which is required by the Governance Regulation adopted last year and designed to

“Time to pick up the pace!” This is the main message of a report released today by CAN Europe which collects the views of national stakeholders on the draft National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs) of 24 EU countries. Overall the draft Plans as they stand do not live up

The report “Defenders, Delayers, Dinosaurs: Ranking of EU political groups and national parties on climate change” assesses the voting behaviour of current MEPs in relation to climate and energy issues.

In the EU-China Summit outcome statement, both countries reaffirmed their commitment to the implementation of the Paris Agreement and recognised the UN Secretary General’s Summit on September 2019 as an important milestone for ramping up climate action. 

The annual State of the Energy Union report published by the European Commission today shows that the clean energy transition is underway, but that further efforts will be needed to ensure its full and swift implementation, including through the preparation of the National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs) due by

On 20 December 2018, the European Commission has launched a public consultation, as a part of its study on the EU’s implementation of the Aarhus Convention in the area of access to justice in environmental matters.

Public money must not be allowed to go up in smoke!

Yesterday the German plaintiffs of the People’s Climate Case, Maike and Michael Recktenwald won the ZEIT WISSEN in the category of ‘Action’ for taking the EU to court over its insufficient 2030 climate target.

A vote today by the Parliament has excluded fossil fuels from the EUR 320 billion European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and Cohesion Funds for 2021-2027, signalling a clear commitment to the EU’s obligations to reduce greenhouse gases under the Paris Agreement and its net-zero emissions Long Term Strategy.

Today the European Parliament voted in plenary for a greater share of support for developing countries in mitigating and adapting to climate change in the EU’s future external investments from 2021 to 2027.

“To make decarbonisation a reality, voting down the eligibility of fossil fuels, including gas, is key.” This is the message sent today by businesses, local authorities and NGOs to the members of the European Parliament as they will decide this week if they will turn back the clock by allowing

“To make decarbonisation a reality, voting down the eligibility of fossil fuels, including gas, is key.” This is the message sent today by businesses, local authorities and NGOs to the members of the European Parliament as they will decide this week if they will turn back the clock by allowing

European Council conclusions on climate change adopted today fail to send a signal that the EU is willing to increase its weak climate targets, despite last week’s unprecedented mobilisation of youth across Europe calling for more action against climate change.

Energy Community countries propped up coal mining and electricity generation with direct and indirect public subsidies totalling at least 2.4 billion euros annually, out of which around half were provided by Western Balkan countries, shows a study (1) released today by the Vienna-based Secretariat of the Energy Community Treaty, the

Today EU ministers exchanged views on the climate aspects of the next EU budget after 2020 at a General Affairs Council. Most Member States agreed to the proposal of the European Commission that 25% of it will have to serve climate action. Few progressive voices call for a more ambitious

“We believe it is high time for European leaders to rise up to the challenge of climate action. We need Europe to transition to a sustainable society and economy as soon as possible.” This is the message from a unique gathering of businesses, investor groups, local and regional authorities, trade

A unique gathering of businesses, investor groups, local and regional authorities, trade unions and civil society groups, standing together as the Coalition for Higher Ambition, calls upon EU leaders to ramp up the EU’s climate action.

Tempus Energy yesterday took the European Commission to Court for approving the Polish electricity capacity market which favours fossil fuel generation at the expense of clean energy technologies.

In today’s vote on its resolution on the EU’s long-term climate strategy, the European Parliament called for achieving net zero emissions as early as possible and by 2050 at the latest and increasing the EU’s 2030 climate target to 55 percent emission cuts compared to 1990 levels.

A week ahead of the EU leaders’ discussion on the EU’s long-term climate vision, on Friday, March 15th thousands of schoolchildren around the world will be striking to demand stronger action on climate change from their governments.

As action in the next 10 years will be most decisive in limiting temperature rise to 1.5°C, the EU will need to increase its 2030 domestic greenhouse emission reduction target under the Paris Agreement (the EU’s NDC-Nationally Determined Contribution) from at least 40% to at least 65% compared to 1990

EU Energy and Environment Ministers meeting in Brussels on 4 and 5 March to discuss the European Commission’s draft long-term strategy “A clean planet for all” added momentum for a climate neutral European economy by 2050.

Today members of the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs and Development Committees brought the EU’s future external investments in closer alignment with Paris Agreement goals. They improved on the European Commission’s proposal by agreeing to increase the climate and environment spending target and to exclude fossil fuels from EU funding going

February 2019   Clean Planet for all: Strategic long-term vision for a climate neutral economy   Dear Energy and Environment Ministers, On 4 March and 5 March respectively you will meet in Brussels to discuss the European Commission’s proposed long term strategy vision for a climate neutral economy – A

As the European Investment Bank (EIB) holds a meeting in Brussels today (25 February) to consult the public on its new energy policy, Wendel Trio reflects on the role the EU’s bank should have in tackling the climate crisis.

In today’s vote on the resolution on the EU’s long-term climate strategy, the European Parliament’s Environment Committee called for increasing the EU’s 2030 climate target to 55 percent emission cuts compared to 1990 levels, and achieving net zero emissions as early as possible and by 2050 at the latest.

Sixteen outdated coal power plants in the Western Balkans are a public health and economic liability for the whole of Europe, with people in the EU bearing the majority of the health impacts and costs, according to the new report by the Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL), Sandbag, Climate Action Network (CAN)

Sixteen outdated coal power plants in the Western Balkans are a public health and economic liability for the whole of Europe, with people in the EU bearing the majority of the health impacts and costs, according to the new report by the Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL), Sandbag, Climate Action Network

EU Economy and Industry Ministers from ten EU Member States, including Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia, Sweden and the UK, meeting in Brussels today to discuss the European Commission’s draft long-term strategy “A clean planet for all” expressed their support for building a climate neutral European

In this letter, NGOs Climate Action Network Europe, Carbon Market Watch, E3G – Third Generation Environmentalism, European Environmental Bureau, Sandbag and WWF European Policy Office call upon EU Economy and Industry Ministers to: Endorse the European Commission’s strategic long-term vision for a climate neutral economy and support an EU long-term climate target

A vote today by the Parliament on the future European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and Cohesion Funds for 2021-2027 opens the possibilities for continued funding of fossil fuels, in spite of the EU’s obligations to reduce greenhouse gases under the Paris Agreement and its net-zero emissions Long Term Strategy.

Today the members of the European Parliament adopted the Common Provisions Regulation, which sets the principles and common rules on how Cohesion Policy funding should be spent from 2021 to 2027. Civil society groups CEE Bankwatch Network and Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe welcome the agreed climate-friendly provisions, including the

Today the European Parliament’s Committee on Regional Development (REGI) adopted the so-called Common Provisions Regulation, which sets the conditions and principles governing the funding for Cohesion Policy from 2021 to 2027. NGO groups CEE Bankwatch Network and Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe welcome the regulation, which exceeds the European Commission’s

On Tuesday, 22 January, Climate Case Ireland’s legal case hearing starts in the national High Court. The legal case, initiated by the Friends of Irish Environment, argues that the Government’s 2017 National Mitigation Plan is in violation of Ireland’s Climate Act 2015, the Constitution and human rights obligations and also

Today the European Parliament took a disappointing stance on climate when voting to approve the establishment of InvestEU, the EU’s financing tool to attract private investments – say NGO groups CEE Bankwatch Network, Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe, WWF European Policy Office, and Counter Balance. The approved investment package keeps

The World Economic Forum’s Global Risk Report 2019 published today shows that the world’s business leaders perceive the failure to tackle climate change as the number two risk that the world faces over the next decade, both in terms of likelihood and impact.

On 22 January 2019 and in February the REGI Committee will vote on the Common Provisions Regulation (CPR) and on the European Regional Development Fund / Cohesion Fund Regulation (ERDF/CF) respectively. These two pieces of legislation will determine the shape and direction of Cohesion Policy post-2020.

In reaction to today’s Environment Council where EU ministers have for the first time discussed the EU’s draft climate long-term strategy put forward by the European Commission on 28 November, Wendel Trio, Director of Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe said:

Today the European Parliament, Commission and Council have taken a step in the right direction by agreeing to end coal subsidies by 2025, paving the way for a European-wide coal phase out. However the biggest polluters still got to buy some time despite the urgency of climate change. With only

The most polluted capital in Europe, and other stories in this month’s roundup of news.

As the COP24 climate summit comes to an end, it is clear that governments have failed to adequately respond to the catastrophic impacts of climate change that were highlighted in the landmark IPCC report on 1.5°C. Based on a now widely operational Paris Agreement the next two years need to

As the COP24 climate summit draws to a close, negotiators are still struggling to agree on a significant commitment to strengthen all countries’ climate pledges by 2020.

Today EU heads of state and government meeting at a European Council had a discussion on the timing, but less on the content of the next long-term EU budget. In the context of COP24 in Katowice, all Member States must rapidly step up and agree on a budget that is

Today at the COP24 climate summit in Katowice, Poland a coalition of countries, including the EU, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom, committed to increase their climate targets by 2020. The commitment is a response to the findings of the landmark IPCC 1.5°C report.

Today Austria won the shameful Fossil of the Day Award from Climate Action Network (CAN) International. Austria was given this dubious award because it is failing as the president of the EU to end subsidies to coal power plants in the current EU electricity market negotiations, while the the bloc

Commenting on the US delegation side event promoting coal at COP24 today, Joanna Flisowska from CAN Europe said:

The Climate Change Performance Index 2019 (CCPI), published today at the climate summit COP24 by Germanwatch, the NewClimate Institute and Climate Action Network (CAN) shows that three years after the adoption of the Paris Agreement, none of the 56 evaluated countries nor the EU are doing enough to achieve the

As the first week of this year’s climate summit COP24 draws to a close, a unique gathering of businesses, investors, local authorities, trade unions and NGOs are calling upon EU Ministers arriving at the COP next week to commit to significantly increase the current EU climate commitments by 2020, in

Updated on 8 December 2018, 1.30am: Just before Zanna was put on the train back to Vienna, the Polish government recognised its mistake and allowed her to enter Poland. At the moment, we dont have information about the other activists who have been denied entry and/or deported. CAN Europe’s Climate Ambition

Germany won the shameful Fossil of the Day Award from Climate Action Network (CAN) International today. Germany received this dubious award because it gave up on its national 2020 climate target, failed to quit coal and to support higher 2030 EU climate target, in spite of the alarming IPCC 1.5°C

EU legislators have once again failed to agree on electricity market rules that would lead to zero-emissions energy systems. Instead, under the Austrian Presidency consent, some Member States are still trying to secure massive subsidies through so-called ‘Capacity mechanisms’ to polluting and uncompetitive coal-fired power plants.

At the end of a year that has seen an increase in climate-related litigation cases globally, plaintiffs, lawyers and campaigners representing six cases made clear at the UN climate talks in Katowice today that governments can no longer escape from their responsibility to protect the citizens from runaway climate change. In

The host of this year’s UN climate summit COP24, Poland won the shameful Fossil of the Day Award from Climate Action Network International today. The dubious award was handed down to Poland for promoting coal interests and turning a blind eye to the need to ramp up climate pledges by

One day after the EU Commission published its Long-Term Climate Strategy aiming at net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and just a few days before the the COP24 UNFCCC climate negotiations, which just started in Katowice, Poland – the ministers of Western Balkan countries which are parties to the

This joint letter from CAN Europe and development NGOs outlines recommendations on EU external action in the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), specifically on Heading VI (Neighbourhood and the World).

EU leaders of Austria, Finland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Spain attending the climate summit COP24 have recognized that further climate action is necessary to reach the 1.5°C temperature goal set out in the Paris Agreement.

More than 25 NGOs working in Turkey released a joint statement urging Turkish decision makers to focus on raising ambition, and reaping the benefits of a low-carbon just transition at COP24.

Through this letter sent to Ministers of Finance we demand that the 10 countries negotiating the world’s first regional Financial Transactions Tax do not abandon the talks at a European finance ministers’ meeting on December 4th. By walking away from the talks, we could lose out on billions that could

Success requires EU leadership On 2 December, government leaders will gather in Katowice, Poland, for the COP24 climate summit, where all countries of the world, including all EU Member States, need to commit to adopting higher 2030 climate targets by 2020; agree on the Paris rulebook, which will govern how

Progress in the Long Term Strategy for 2050 and at the climate conference in Katowice will be for nothing if European ministers allow disputes over the size of the next EU budget to roadblock important moves towards funding a zero-emissions energy transformation, write Raphael Hanoteaux and Markus Trilling.

As part of the proceeding of the People’s Climate Case – the case challenging the EU’s 2030 climate target for its insufficiency to protect the citizens and their fundamental rights-, the European Parliament and the Council of the EU have submitted their first defence to court. The EU Institutions ask

The proposal to upgrade the EU’s long-term target to net zero emissions by 2050 included in the draft Long-Term EU Climate Strategy released by the European Commission today is an important step forward, but it is likely not enough to achieve the Paris Agreement’s goal to limit global temperature rise

Statement from the Board of Climate Action Network Europe, regarding allegations of inappropriate conduct within the management of the Climate Action Network International Secretariat:

The European Commission is expected to publish its proposal for a long-term EU climate strategy on Wednesday, 28 November. This proposal will set the stage for negotiations among European governments about how much the EU should reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and what action it should take to make sure

Just ahead of the world’s foremost summit on climate change, COP24, 16 European leaders have called upon all countries of the world to commit to review the levels of ambition of their Paris Agreement pledges by 2020, in light of the findings of the IPCC Special Report.

The Polish Ministry of Energy presented today its draft national energy policy 2040, whose orientation obviously stands in the way of the Paris Agreement as well as EU’s energy targets by 2030. It also turns a blind eye on the ever decreasing costs of renewable technologies, wind power in particular.