News & publications

Two-faced EU governments are gutting Europe’s key climate law, say 6 NGOs

Statement on behalf of Climate Action Network Europe, Carbon Market Watch, European Environmental Bureau, Sandbag, Transport & Environment, and WWF European Policy Office. EU governments must step back from irreparably weakening Europe’s biggest climate law, six of Europe’s leading environmental NGOs have said, after talks between member states and the

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CAN Europe letter ahead of the Energy Council on 18 December

For Energy Council on 18 December Brussels, 13 December 2017 Dear Minister, Ahead of Energy Council on Monday 18 December, Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe would like to call on you to adopt an ambitious position on the Market Design Initiative, the Renewable Energy Directive, and the Governance of the

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EU governments at a crossroads – clean or dirty energy?

On 18 December, EU Energy Ministers are expected to reach an agreement on four legislative files under the Clean Energy Package, namely those regarding renewable energy, governance and the internal market for electricity. Worryingly, the draft documents for the meeting show that they are stubbornly insisting on an outdated, blatantly

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Room for hope at Macron’s One Planet Summit

French President Emmanuel Macron will today welcome over 50 leaders from around the world, two years after the adoption of the Paris Agreement. Leaders and international financial institutions must seize this opportunity to ramp up their ambition and end support for fossil fuels, writes Maeve McLynn.

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New EU platform can help Europe get beyond coal

Today an EU Platform for Coal Regions in Transition is being launched by European Commission Vice-President Šefčovič. The Platform aims to support Member States and regions as they shift away from coal towards renewable energy, in order to “leave no region behind”.

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One Planet Summit needs to boost EU climate action

The One Planet Summit, organized by French President Emmanuel Macron and taking place in Paris, France on 12 December will gather over 50 heads of state to celebrate the second year anniversary of the Paris Agreement and trigger new ambitious climate action [1].

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MEPs call for reducing EU emissions to net zero by 2050 the latest

Today the European Parliament’s Industry and Environment Committees adopted their position on the future Governance Regulation, which will create a framework for the zero-carbon transition in the EU. MEPs voted in favour of increasing the EU’s long term target to net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 the latest [1]

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Estonia makes surprise push for coal subsidies

The Estonian EU Presidency has opened the door to allowing massive coal subsidies in the new EU power market rules, proposing changes eliminating the carbon intensity threshold for existing coal plants at the 11th hour of negotiations.(1) The changes could allow the use of public money for plants to stay

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Crunch time as EU decides on clean energy laws

The European Parliament and Energy Ministers are currently finalising their respective positions on the Clean Energy Package – eight legislative proposals that will guide energy policy all across Europe for the next decade. They must step up and strengthen the proposals if Europe is serious about tackling climate change and

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Finding climate ambition outside of Europe

Yesterday at the Bonn climate summit, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit of Dominica underlined the aftermath of Hurricane Maria and the support needed to rebuild a fully climate-resilient nation. Maeve McLynn describes how rich nations can help.

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COP23 delivers a plan for increasing climate ambition

EU gets homework to scale up action at home The COP23 UN climate summit slowly comes to an end in Bonn, Germany today, with countries expected to adopt a roadmap for the Talanoa Dialogue – a process which should ultimately result in scaling up countries’ 2030 climate pledges following the

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EU urged to scale up climate target by Netherlands

At the UN Climate Summit in Bonn today the Dutch Climate Minister Erik Wiebes urged the EU to up its 2030 climate target from the current ‘at least’ 40% to 55%, bringing it closer to what is required to keep the Paris Agreement goals within reach and adding momentum to

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Joint NGO statement on the ETS revision

Being serious about the Paris Agreement:Stop the ETS funding coal, Start a meaningful carbon price This Agreement […] aims to […] making finance flows consistent with a pathway towards low greenhouse gas emissions and climate-resilient development. Paris Agreement, Article 2(1)c We, the undersigned, urgently appeal to Representatives of European Parliament,

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Challenge to EU leaders: Time to move Europe Beyond Coal

Health, environment and climate groups are calling on the European Union to hasten the move away from coal and other fossil fuels and towards clean renewable energy. As ‘Europe Beyond Coal’ launches, Brussels-based groups have set the EU five challenges to help Europe become coal-free by 2030.

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EU governments show lack of commitment to Paris Agreement

Today EU Environment Ministers have reached an agreement on the Effort Sharing Regulation (ESR), which is meant to be one of the EU’s key tools to implement the Paris Agreement. Diluted to the point of being almost meaningless, the new law as agreed by the ministers would fail to provide

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ESR emissions cuts

EU governments face a litmus test for Paris Agreement commitment

On 13th October, EU Environment Ministers are expected to agree on their position on one of the EU’s cornerstone measures for the implementation of the Paris Agreement, the Effort Sharing Regulation (ESR). The negotiations of this policy show that EU Member States play a two-faced game on climate: they claim

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MEPs call for higher EU climate target

Today the European Parliament adopted a resolution ahead of this year’s UN Climate Summit COP23. It calls on the EU to review and increase its 2030 climate target, following the next UN Climate Summit in 2018, when world leaders will gather to assess progress in the implementation of the Paris

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Letter to Environment Ministers on ESR, COP23 and LULUCF

Dear Minister, Adopting the Paris Agreement in 2015 marked a critical turning point toward a zero-carbon future, uniting the world in a global effort to tackle climate change. During the next Environment Council meeting on 13 October you will have the opportunity to decide on the Council’s position on two

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EU Member States stance on their climate targets shows hypocrisy

Yesterday EU Member States’ ambassadors discussed a draft position on the future of one of the EU’s cornerstone measures for the implementation of the Paris Agreement, the Effort Sharing Regulation (ESR), which sets national targets to reduce emissions from transport, waste, agriculture, buildings and small industry. The text, which received

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Letter to Energy Ministers on ambitious Energy Union Governance

This letter was sent ahead of the High-level Conference on Energy ‘Europe’s Future Electricity Market’ Dear Minister, Next week you will travel to Tallinn, Estonia to discuss amongst several other issues, the proposedRegulation for Energy Union Governance. The proposed centralisation of climate and energy policy planning and reporting obligations is

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CAN Europe’s answers to Frequently asked Questions about Governance

This FAQ addresses some of the questions and comments that might arise when discussing governance and CAN Europe’s position on it. The Governance Regulation brings together planning and reporting obligations EU Member States (MS) have on climate and energy issues under one supposedly coherent framework. This centralisation is the opportunity

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Report: EU Research Policies for Peace, People and Planet

CAN Europe has joined civil society groups from a wide range of fields to express their views on the next EU research framework. This report is the first attempt to discuss how to mainstream the sustainable development goals into Research and provides the view of civil society stakeholders which are

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Coal Phase-out: Inter-ministerial Climate Action Group

Western Balkans leaders committed to work on the energy transition at a Ministerial meeting that took place in Austria in early June. They established an inter-ministerial Climate Action Group, aimed at regional coordination of the national energy and climate plans. The group will be meeting twice per year and its

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ETS trilogue process relaunched under new rapporteur

What’s the situation?On Tuesday, 27 June, representatives of the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission met for their second trilogue meeting to discuss diverging positions on the reform of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS). There has been little progress as discussions mainly focused on addressing outcomes of technical

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EU governments propose to dilute EU energy efficiency law

EU Energy Ministers meeting in Luxembourg today have adopted their position on the revision of the Energy Efficiency Directive (EED) for after 2020. By agreeing to dilute its cornerstone measure: the annual energy savings obligation, they propose to significantly weaken the policy and thus also profoundly undermine the EU’s commitments

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EU budget for climate action: Time to wake the sleeping beauty

The European Commission will publish its ‘Reflection paper on the future of EU finances’ on 28 June. Against a background of renewed commitments from European leaders towards climate action, the EU budget must be reformed to comply with the requirements of the Paris Agreement, writes Markus Trilling.

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Council risks weakening of EU energy efficiency policy

On 26 June, EU Energy Ministers are expected to reach an agreement on the revision of the bloc’s main energy saving law for after 2020. Worryingly, they are considering throwing the policy into disarray by significantly watering down its cornerstone measure: the annual energy savings obligation. This would profoundly undermine

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MEPs welcome ambitious governance report

In reaction to the discussion on the Governance Regulation taking place in the European Parliament’s Industry and Environment Commitees today, Caroline Westblom, EU Climate and Energy Policy Coordinator at CAN Europe said:

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EU commitment to Paris Agreement needs substance

EU heads of state and government meeting in Brussels on 22-23 June are expected to express their support to the full implementation of the Paris Agreement. Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe welcomes the dedication shown by the EU, but urges leaders to translate their words into action by calling for

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Parliament fails to align EU climate policy with the bloc’s Paris pledge

The European Parliament voted today on the revision of the “Climate Action Regulation implementing the Paris Agreement” (Effort Sharing Regulation, or ESR), which covers emissions from transport, waste, buildings and agriculture for the coming decade. The Parliament failed to translate its recent numerous statements reaffirming the EU’s commitment to the

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Historic breakthrough as EU and China unite on climate

Clarification added on 02/06/2017, 8:00PM CET: The EU and China agreed to step up cooperation on climate change today, but the statement is to be published at a later moment. In a statement to be released today at a joint high-profile summit in Brussels, the EU and China reaffirm their

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International Climate

It looks like the US is leaving the Paris Agreement! When writing this President Trump has just confirmed that he will announce his decision weather or not to stay in the Paris Agreement tonight at 21.00 CET. Unnamed sources from the White House have consistently indicated that Trump would be

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‘Governance’, ‘Effort Sharing’ and ‘Juncker Investment Plan’: European Parliament starts introducing “the shift of financial flows” as required by the Paris Climate Agreement

In 3 legislative files currently negotiated in Brussels the European Parliament progressed on financing matters: reporting on Fossil Fuel Subsidies phase-out; the linking the EU budget comes to national climate ambitions; a climate impact assessment tool for EU investments; and a 40% climate earmarking target for the Juncker Investment Plan.

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ETS: Waiting for the Trilogues

What’s the situation? On Tuesday, May 30, the European Parliament, the Council and the European Commission postponed their second trilogue meeting on the reform of the EU Emission Trading System (ETS). This means that after four months of standstill on the file, no substantial progress can be expected for another

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Media advisory ahead of the EU-China Summit

On 1-2 June, the EU and China will hold a high-profile summit, with climate at the forefront of the agenda. The two partners are expected to reaffirm their unequivocal commitment to the implementation of the Paris Agreement and to spearhead cooperation on the clean energy transition.

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