What’s the situation? Just short of one year since it was first launched, the European External Investment Plan is in full flow among the usual suspects of the EU machine. To recap, the Plan was initiated as part of the EU’s response to patterns such as migration (and its causes),

What’s the situation?

What’s the situation? The European Parliament’s Environment Committee voted on its position on the Effort Sharing Regulation 30 May, and proposed quite substantial improvements to the original draft by the European Commission. Even while the result could have been even better, our network should be proud: we helped to ensure

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

A group of CAN Europe’s partner NGOs wrote to the French Minister of Ecological and Solidary Transition, urging him to improve France’s position on the Effort Sharing Regulation and LULUCF, and to align it with the Paris Agreement.

In reaction to today’s announcement by the US President Donald Trump, Wendel Trio, Director of Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe said:

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.

The European Parliament’s Environment Committee voted today on the revision of the Effort Sharing Regulation (ESR), which covers emissions from transport, waste, buildings and agriculture, for the coming decade.

Along with a coalition of CSOs CAN Europe has set out recommendations to ensure that lessons are learnt from other investment initiatives at the multilateral and European level; both the positive examples of careful, evidence-led work and negative, long-term damaging examples of hastily established funds. 

Dear Member of the ENVI committee, On 30 May you will vote on the so-called “Effort Sharing Regulation (ESR)”. The ESR covers about 60% of the EU’s greenhouse gas emissions. If designed correctly, it can drive innovation in the sectors involved, and lead to great benefits for the society such

This letter is addressed to Environment Ministers and Permanent Representatives of Poland, Romania, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Croatia, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania and Bulgaria Dear Environment Ministers, As the ETS revision process closes to an end, we would like to bring to your attention, the crucial issue of establishing a Just

Dear Rapporteur/Shadow Rapporteur, As the ETS revision process closes to an end, we would like to bring to your attention to important differences between the decision of the European Parliament and the “general approach” agreed between the Environment Ministers in terms of EU ETS Funds. The eligibility criteria for investments

Dear Environment Minister, Ahead of the upcoming trilogue meeting on the revision of EU’s Emission Trading System (ETS), the undersigned, representing 30 networks and organizations representing citizens from across Europe, would like to urge you to ensure that the funding mechanisms dedicated to help lower-income Member States transform their energy

Owner Vattenfall is closing the 188MW Klingenberg lignite plant after sustained pressure from local campaigners.

The draft report on the revision of the Renewable Energy Directive for the period 2021 – 2030 leaked to the press yesterday calls upon the EU to raise its 2030 renewable energy target to at least 35% and re-introduce binding national targets for 2030.

Dear Commissioner Arias Cañete, The EU is in the process of deciding the accounting rules for land use, land use change and forestry (LULUCF) for the post-2020 period. The EU’s decision will have international significance.

Nine European countries have been named and shamed today in a public fossil fuel subsidies awards ceremony in Brussels. From 10 April until 8 May, the public voted on the deadliest, dirtiest and sneakiest subsidies to fossil fuels in Europe.

Since EU governments started negotiating their position on the revision of the bloc’s energy efficiency laws, proposals have been going from bad to worse. Member states have to step their game up, warns Dora Petroula.

A draft report on the Governance of the Energy Union Regulation released today calls upon the EU to embrace the zero-carbon transition and scale up climate action to be more consistent with the Paris Agreement.

Today in Strasburg, the European Parliament lead committees have brought the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI), also known as ‘the Juncker investment plan’, closer to compliance with the Paris Climate Agreement. However, they have once again fallen short of eliminating fossil fuel subsidies, which stand in the way of

CAN Europe has contributed to the Public Consultation on the External Financing Instruments of the European Union. These instruments range from support to developing countries and LDCs to Neighbourhood countries and thematic instruments on issues like peace and human rights. Submissions to the consultation are being used to gather feedback on

CAN Europe has written a joint letter to Italian ENVI Committee MEPs ahead of their vote on the ‘Effort Sharing’ Regulation, or the ‘Climate Action Regulation implementing the Paris Agreement’ on 30 May.  

At its 2017 Annual General Meeting on Monday 8 May, the biggest Dutch bank ING will face calls from European campaigners to end its financial support to companies building or planning new coal mines and coal-fired power plants.

The forthcoming EU budget post-2020 must serve higher climate ambition both in Europe and worldwide, catalyzing the zero-carbon transition of our societies, including the phasing out of fossil fuels towards 100% renewables and fully energy efficient economies.

Health, environment and climate groups have welcomed the decision today by EU Member States of new air pollution standards (LCP BREF) which will force the coal industry to reduce their toxic fumes and save more than 20,000 lives every year (1).

As the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union enter the phase of intense negotiations on the Clean Energy for All Europeans package, it is important to underscore that a higher energy efficiency target will help the EU in reducing its greenhouse gas emissions and thus also in

Dear Commissioner Vella, On 28 April the Commission will seek the approval of the Industrial Emissions Directive (IED) Article 75 Committee for a revised version of the so-called ‘LCP BREF’ industrial standards document. It is essential that no last-minute changes are made to weaken the final draft of this document, which was agreed

The EU must step up and lead the push for the world’s big economies to end fossil fuel subsidies, writes Maeve McLynn.

The G7 Energy Ministers will meet on 9-10 April in Rome. On the agenda, the decarbonization of our economy, including the phase out of fossil fuels and related subsidies will be discussed.The G7 must urgently see the writing on the wall and stop pouring tax payers’ money into fossil fuels,

Eurelectric, the association of European electricity producers announced yesterday that it did not “intend to invest in new-build coal-fired power plants after 2020” and declared its support for achieving the objectives of the Paris Agreement. In reaction, Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe stresses that this statement is merely a starting

  The governance regulation brings together climate and energy policies, climate change mitigation and adaptation and aims at managing the low-carbon transition as a whole. This short briefing presents you five things you need to know about the regulation. Spoiler: the text still needs to be strengthened for it to

Effective air pollution limits could save more than 20,000 lives every year, yet some national governments are threatening to veto EU measures to tackle toxic pollution.

As the Emissions Trading System (ETS) reform enters its crucial trialogue phase, it is up to the European Parliament to fight its corner and ensure that future funding only goes towards projects that contribute to the clean energy transition, writes Joanna Flisowska.

On Tuesday 4 April the European Parliament will adopt its resolution on the mid-term revision of the Multiannual Financial Framework for the period 2014-2020. Members of the European Parliament must take this opportunity to ensure that the current EU budget serves higher climate and energy ambitions and complies with the

The reform of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) for the coming decade enters the final stretch today, with representatives of the European Parliament, the Council of Ministers and the European Commission meeting for the first informal ‘trialogue’ to negotiate an agreement on the redesign of the ETS.

CAN Europe together with Transparency International is representing the developed country CSO network towards the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) which funds environment, climate and sustainability projects all over the world.

It turns out that the call of the European Court of Auditors to increase spending on climate action is finally being heard, as a result of our efforts to demonstrate that the EU budget must serve higher climate ambitions.

Dear heads of state, We, the undersigned, coalitions of civil society organisations and trade unions representing millions of European citizens campaigning for the Financial Transactions Tax (FTT), write to you on the anniversary of the Treaty of Rome as you meet to discuss the future of the European Union.

The European Commission’s legislative proposals included in the ‘Clean Energy for All Europeans’ package published on 30 November 2016 are as a whole not consistent with the objectives of the Paris Agreement to keep temperature rise well below 2°C and pursue efforts to limit it to 1.5°C, which require the

On Saturday, EU Heads of State and Government will gather in Rome to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the EU and discuss its future. Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe urges EU leaders to put climate action at the heart of a new vision that will help revitalise the European project.

In advance of the 60th Anniversary of the Treaty of Rome that founded the European Community, European civil society organisations and trade unions have appealed to EU leaders to show courage and vision in leading the transition to a just, sustainable, democratic and inclusive Europe.

EU decision makers are currently discussing how to reform its Emissions Trading Scheme for the period 2021-2030. Here is what has happened so far:

Today and tomorrow, finance ministers from the world’s 20 largest economies are gathering in the spa town of Baden-Baden, Germany to discuss issues and challenges related to our global financial system. That discussion will include fossil fuel subsidies, a long-standing agenda item of G20 gatherings.

The revision of the Renewable Energy Directive and of the electricity market design represents a great opportunity to foster the further development of renewable energy in the European Union for the decades to come and to make the market ‘fit for renewables’.

The Energy Efficiency Directive (EED) review represents a great opportunity to strengthen the Directive, building on lessons learnt from the implementation so far. The Directive provides a real added value to the European energy efficiency policy framework, as it helps create a level playing field among the Member States. An EED

The Commission proposal for a Regulation on the Governance of the Energy Union contains some positive elements. But in the absence of binding national targets for energy efficiency and renewable energy, the Commission proposal does not provide incentives for Members States to make appropriately ambitious pledges regarding their national contributions

EU foreign affairs ministers agreed today to put climate objectives at heart of EU security and foreign policies. CAN Europe welcomes the initiative and calls on EU diplomats to lead the fight to achieve deeper emission cuts to limit warming to below 1.5°C in line with the Paris Agreement.

Dear Minister of Foreign Affairs, at the upcoming Foreign Affairs Council on 6 March you will discuss the interlinkage between the EU’s climate and energy diplomacy and security policy. Climate Action Network Europe welcomes the initiative as we strongly believe that Europe’s geopolitical interests are closely linked to managing climate

Dear Mr. Ruijters, The energy, telecommunications and transport sectors represent significant parts of the EU economy. All three sectors need modernisation to build a solid basis for a competitive and more energy secure European economy that is equipped to meet future challenges, including sustainability and viability in a climate change

EU Environment Ministers meeting in Brussels today have reached an agreement on the revision of the Emission Trading System (ETS) for the next decade. According to Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe, the outcome, while slightly better than expected, is far too weak to repair the broken scheme or align the

The European Commission’s vision for the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) should set an ambitious benchmark for the EU’s actions to eradicate poverty and inequality, support people and planet centred development, and strengthen the resilience of societies from global and local challenges, including climate change.

Dear Environment  Minister, Ahead of the Environment Council we, the undersigned, representing 32 networks and organizations from 30 countries, would like to urge you to ensure that the low-carbon funding mechanisms dedicated to help lower-income Member States transform their energy systems (article 10c and the Modernization Fund) are robust and

Next week, EU environment ministers are to strike a deal on the reform of the Emissions Trading System (ETS). If governments do not treat the reform with more seriousness, the EU risks setting its carbon market up for another decade of failure, argues Wendel Trio. The current proposals are clearly

CAN Europe contributed today to the mid-term evaluation of the Connecting Europe facility (CEF).

EU Environment Ministers meeting in Brussels next Tuesday, 28th February aim to reach an agreement on the revision of the Emission Trading System (ETS) for the next decade.

Dear Minister, During the Energy Council on 27 February in Brussels, you will present your country’s views on the ‘Clean Energy package for all Europeans’ published by the European Commission at the end of last year.

Dear Environment Minister, Ahead of the informal Environment Council Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe would like to urge you to stand for significant reforms of the Emissions Trading Scheme.

This briefing shows that further public investment in EU gas infrastructure is likely to represent bad value for money, given:

Dear Vice-President Šefčovič, As civil society organisations who have been monitoring developments around the Southern Gas Corridor (SGC) for some time, we, the undersigned, would like to take the opportunity of your participation in the SGC Advisory Council this week in Baku to highlight our concerns regarding the EU’s support to this project.

In terms of ambition, the results of the European Parliament vote on 15.2.2017 is a clear betrayal of the Paris Agreement.

The time is ripe for Brussels and Beijing to step up their relationship as US climate diplomacy dwindles, write Maeve McLynn and Li Shuo

Dear Minister, During the upcoming ECOFIN Council on 21 February, you will have the opportunity to give your input towards the EU’s preparation of the terms of reference for the G20 Finance Ministers meeting on 15 & 16 March.

The European Parliament voted today on its position for the redesign of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme for the coming decade. Instead of scaling up emission cuts beyond what the Parliament’s environment committee has proposed, lawmakers watered down provisions aimed at increasing the level of ambition of the reform.

Dear Sir or Madam, I’m writing to you on behalf of Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe ahead of the plenary vote on the Emission Trading Scheme reform on February 15th 2017.

The reform of the EU’s Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) for the period from 2021-2030 is currently being discussed in the European Parliament and the Council. The following should help you find answers to some of the most frequent and urgent questions in this debate.

On 15 February, the European Parliament will vote on the redesign of the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) for the coming decade. The Parliament’s decision is the most important political milestone on the way to turn the ETS into an effective climate protection tool and incentivise polluting industries to embrace the

The annual State of the Energy Union report published by the European Commission today shows that the transition of the European economy away from fossil fuels is underway, but its pace is far too slow to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement.

Ahead of the seminar with civil society organisations on 30 January 2017, CAN Europe together with CEE Bankwatch Network, Counter Balance, Urgewald and WWF European Policy Office sent a briefing to the European Investment Bank Board of Directors on how to make the EIB finance consistent with the pathway towards

  In September 2016 the European Commission published its proposal for the prolongation of the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) until 2020, to be achieved by amending the existing regulation. In this briefing by CAN Europe, WWF, CEE Bankwatch and CounterBalance, current support to fossil fuel projects by the

In this letter CAN Europe, Transport & Environment, Seas at Risk, Carbon Market Watch and the Aviation Environment Federation urge the European Commission to ensure the aviation and maritime sectors reduce emissions in line with the temperature goals of the Paris Agreement.

This letter, signed by 39 organisations, was sent to the World Bank in relation to the board discussion on a loan to the Turkish company Botas for the construction of the Trans-Anatolian Gas Pipeline (TANAP). In the letter, several social, environemntal and human rights issues with the TANAP are raised, and

“The recent relative fall in energy prices should make it easier for governments to remove tax exemptions and other energy demand subsidies” “Fossil-fuels subsidies are particularly problematic, as they disadvantage clean energy and hamper the transition to a low-carbon economy.” European Commission’s Energy Prices and Costs Report, p17 By: Maeve McLynn, Finance

Key EU Environment Ministers discussing the reform of the EU Emission Trading Scheme (ETS) today expressed their support for measures to scale up emission cuts in the carbon market. Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe welcomes the support for more ambition, but at the same time urges EU decision makers to

The European Parliament’s Environment Committee (ENVI) voted today on the redesign of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme for the coming decade. CAN Europe welcomes the steps the Parliament took to scale up emission cuts, beyond what the European Commission has proposed, but stresses that these are still far too little

The European Investment Bank developed its methodology for calculating greenhouse gas emissions in 2012, and is now considering its further review. In this briefing CAN Europe together with CEE Bankwatch, WWF, Friends of the Earth Europe and Counterbalance review the existing carbon footprint methodology and provide recommendations for its further review. 

The proposed Regulation is unambitious and must be strengthened in several ways to ensure that the LULUCF sectors sufficiently contribute to achieving the European Union’s international commitments under the Paris Agreement.

Today the ECOFIN Council agreed on its position on the future of the European Fund for Strategic Investments, EFSI, also referred to as the Juncker Plan or the Investment Plan for Europe. While it contains some good elements on climate action, the council stills falls short of ensuring EFSI’s investments

In this letter CAN Europe urges Environment Ministers and national climate attachés to ensure an ambitious ETS reform and not to prematurely come to a conclusion on this file.

On 30 November, the European Commission presented its long-awaited package of Energy Union legislative proposals.

The ‘Clean Energy for All Europeans’ package released by the European Commission today is not consistent with the Paris Agreement’s goal to limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C and disregards the fact that the climate crisis poses an urgent existential threat. According to Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe, the package

MEDIA ADVISORY Brussels, 28 November 2016, FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE On 30 November, the European Commission is expected to publish its winter package, a long-awaited, key piece of the Energy Union strategy. According to environmental groups, leaked documents show that the package will likely disregard the Paris Agreement and fall well

PRESS RELEASE / SDG WATCH EUROPE / BRUSSELS / 23 NOVEMBER 2016 SDG Watch Europe, a civil society alliance of more than 90 EU NGOs established to ensure the full implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by the EU and its Member States, has criticised today’s publication of the

As COP22 in Marrakech has come to a close, one can clearly note the same ugly issues raising their heads when it comes to financial support for climate action. Previous blogs in this section have documented throughout the years the diversions of opinion, disagreements of approach and the inherent lack

31 organisations and networks working on a coal free Europe call on Members of the Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety of the European Parliament to vote for a meaningful revision of the EU’s Emission Trading System (EU ETS) that supports the rapid decarbonisation of Europe’s energy systems and transition

At the climate conference in Marrakech which is coming to an end, all countries have reaffirmed their collective commitment to implement all elements of the Paris Agreement. While concrete outcomes of the talks remain modest, some key elements of the implementation of the Paris Agreement moved forward, including that the so

With the historic Paris Agreement having recently entered into force, this year’s Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) 2017 confirms a boost for renewable energy and positive developments in energy efficiency. While these encouraging trends are happening on a global scale, the necessary energy revolution is still happening too slowly. On the

Press Release Germanwatch and Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe Global energy transition has started Emerging economies catch up / European countries lose speed / Japan, Australia and Canada worst performers of all industrialized countries [Marrakech 16 November 2016] With the historic Paris Agreement having recently entered into force, this year’s

In this briefing CAN Europe reviews and compares the amendments tabled in the European Parliament’s ENVI Committee which concern environmental ambition in the EU ETS. 

The result of the US elections has just been announced.In reaction, Ulriikka Aarnio, International Climate Policy Coordinator at Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe said:

Belgrade, Brussels, Podgorica, Pristina, Sarajevo, Skopje, Tirana, Zagreb, 8 November 2016 – Coal continues to dominate the energy systems of the Western Balkan countries aspiring to become EU members, while the uptake of renewable energy has been extremely slow. These are the main conclusions of a new scorecard report launched