European trends show no future for coal in Southeast Europe
This Op-Ed was published on Energetika.net on 19.5.2015 (behind paywall)
19/05/2015
This Op-Ed was published on Energetika.net on 19.5.2015 (behind paywall)
In contrast, in Europe employment in renewable energy sector has declined On 19 May, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) released the 2015 edition of its Renewable Energy Jobs Review. The report shows that the number of people employed by the renewable energy industry increased by 18% and more than
In July 2015, the third International Conference on Financing for Development (FFD) will be held in Addis Ababa in Ethiopia. The conference will set the tone for international ambition on key issues around sustainable development, including climate action. It is also a first test of the international ambition to advance
The aim of this paper is to highlight both the importance and the potential of the Finance for sustainable Development (FFsD) process in advancing global efforts to tackle climate change. At present, FFsD does not specifically address climate change among or through the issues and mechanisms that are being discussed
The current discussion around the Energy Union represents a golden opportunity to set up and implement a true EU heating and cooling policy in line with long term climate and energy goals, and based on energy efficiency and the switch from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources.
EU accession for Western Balkans countries must go hand in hand with environmental and climate action.
Last month the President of Poland signed the new Renewable Energy Act, which will, among others, grant support for renewable power production in microinstallations. Owners of the smallest RES installations up to 10kW will benefit from fixed feed-in tariffs (FiTs).
The US contribution to the Paris climate agreement, filed within the agreed deadline today, should provide impetus for global efforts to tackle climate change, according to Climate Action Network Europe. CAN Europe stresses that tackling climate crisis requires more ambition. The new report from the NewClimate Institute shows beyond doubt
Europe’s leaders botched the opportunity of delivering a clear and forward looking vision on the EU’s energy future, argues Wendel Trio.
CAN Europe made a submission on the European Commission’s Consultation on the EU-ETS reform post 2020.
CAN Europe sent this letter that went to the Environment Ministers on the market Stability Reserve
CAN Europe submission to the public consultation on the Options for Implementation of Proposals on the Future of the Energy Community. We call for the Energy Community to include a functioning enforcement mechanism. We demand that the EU’s environmental and social standards are applied across the Energy Community countries.
European leaders adopted today conclusions on the creation of an “Energy Union with a forward-looking climate policy”. According to Climate Action Network Europe and its more than 120 members, the agreed conclusions should have provided a much clearer strategy for reducing energy demand and the deployment of renewables, required for
This Wednesday, the EU heads of state and government will be discussing the Energy Union. Wendel Trio, Director of Europe’s huge Climate Action Network has lobbied several governments throughout Europe on getting off of fossil fuels. He discusses its importance below.
Coalition of Energy Savings calls on Member States to get serious on implementing the Energy Efficiency Directive As EU leaders discuss how to move the Energy Union forward, a new study shows that Member States still have a long way to implement existing energy efficiency legislation. According to the analysis
Last Friday, 6th March, Chairs of the European Parliament Delegations for six* EU accession countries and the Vice-President of the European Parliament sent a letter to Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič and commissioner Miguel Arias Cañete, urging them to ensure that the reform of the Energy Community Treaty align its members with
Today the EU’s environment ministers signed off the EU’s commitment towards the Paris agreement on climate change. According to Climate Action Network Europe and its over 120 members, the EU’s announcement is a missed opportunity to set a high benchmark for all the pledges to the global deal.
On Friday, 6th March, the EU’s environment ministers will discuss and most likely decide upon the EU’s commitment towards the Paris agreement on climate change. On behalf of over 120 members, Climate Action Network Europe highlights the causes of concern regarding attempts to dilute the EU’s pledge.
The European Commission’s proposals for the EU’s contribution to the Paris Climate Summit announced today advocate for a strong, legally binding outcome of the international climate negotiations. On behalf of over 120 organizations, Climate Action Network Europe welcomes the push for the legal form, but calls for more clarity on
Today the European Parliament’s environment committee took the first steps to reform the EU’s Emissions Trading System. Following intense pressure from forward looking investors and civil society, policymakers agreed to curb the total amount of pollution permits in the system that would otherwise flood the market by 2020. This is
On May 5th 2016 the Council and the European Parliament have come to a compromise on the Market Stability Reserve (MSR). CAN Europe called for strong improvements and some of them were incorporated.
Europe is currently discussing how it should reform its ETS for the post 2020 period. In July 2015, the European Commission released its proposal on the reform.
Let’s get the facts straight ahead of the European Parliament’s Environment Committee vote on the creation of a market stability reserve mechanism in the European Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS), writes Wendel Trio.
The gavel went down two hours earlier than the scheduled finishing time of the first UNFCCC meeting of 2015. It is difficult to tell whether this is good or bad, when we consider just how much work countries will have to do between now and the end of the year.
Inclusion of LULUCF in the EU 2030 climate target undermines its environmental integrity.
39 non-governmental organizations urge the finance ministers attending today’s G20 meeting in Istanbul to take immediate steps to eliminate subsidies for fossil fuels, and use these funds for climate action. According to Climate Action Network Europe, one of the signatories of the letter sent to the G20 finance ministers, the
Letter to Turkish G20 President on Fossil Fuel SubsidiesG20 finance ministers urged to end subsidies for fossil fuels Letter to Turkish G20 President on Fossil Fuel Subsidies 02 2015.pdf
Today the EU decision makers are meeting in Latvia, the holder of the EU presidency, to kick off the debate on how to create the Energy Union. The strengths and vulnerabilities of the host of the meeting should serve as a guideline to its high-level participants. Latvia is a straightforward
The coal mining industry did not have a good start into the New Year. Europe’s largest coal producer, the Polish company Kompania Weglowa, has been pushed to the brink of bankruptcy. It is now a showcase of the end of hard coal mining on the continent. New scientific evidence confirms
Climate finance has been bumped down the pecking order of climate ambition during UN Climate Summit in Lima.
On 10 December, WWF, CAN Europe, Greenpeace, Carbon Market Watch and Sandbag will file a request for an internal review with the European Commission, contesting the legality of its recent decision to continue granting free carbon emission allowances to industries under the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS). The allowances, for
More action required before the next climate summit in Paris At the end of the UN Climate Summit in Lima, Wendel Trio, Director of Climate Action Network Europe1 stated: “The limited progress that was achieved in Peru, in particular on the provision of financial support to poor countries to adapt to
WWF, CAN Europe, Greenpeace, Carbon Market Watch and Sandbag filed a request for an internal review with the European Commission, contesting the legality of its recent decision to continue granting free carbon emission allowances to industries under the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS).
Emissions reduction and climate finance, both before and after 2020 – these two hot topics in the international climate negotiations will absorb the EU high level representatives, who arrived to the negotiating table in Lima, Peru yesterday.
Global CO2 emissions rise at lower rates, giving some reason to hope for limiting climate change Canada and Australia worst performers of all industrialised countries Global emissions have reached a new peak, but recent developments indicate a new readiness for action on climate protection. This is the message of the
During the UNFCCC Climate Summit in Lima yesterday, the European Union won the shameful second place Fossil of the Day Award. The dubious award was handed down to the EU after it called for a 10 year commitment period in the post-2020 international climate agreement.
Top ten EU Member States have poured at least €78 billion euro into fossil fuel production since 1999, according to new research. New pdf research shows that the ten richest EU member states have poured at least 78bn billion euro into propping up the polluting fossil fuel industry.1 The report,
EU countries spending billions of public funds on dirty fossil fuels. Top ten EU Member States have poured at least €78 billion euro into fossil fuel production since 1999, according to new research.
Yesterday in Berlin, the Green Climate Fund (GCF) “Pledging Conference” concluded with USD 9.3 billion being pledged in support of climate action in developing countries. The table below shows the countries that we know have pledged, including today’s (21/11/2014) pledge from Canada bringing the overall total to USD 9.438 billion.
A number of NGOs prepared this briefing for Members of the European Parliament to flag some of the most pressing issues related to climate and energy in the EU accession countries of Southeast Europe.
The November 2014 climate finance pledging conference is the time to fill the finance gap
The latest summary report from the IPCC launched by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon last weekend tells some familiar stories. Dangerous climate change is already happening, here and now, and without action, it will get much worse. But the good news is that we still have time to deal with
The European Commission’s proposal for a Market Stability Reserve published on 22 January 2014 aims to create more price stability in the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) from 2021 onwards. Under the proposal, EU ETS allowances would automatically be put into the Market Stability Reserve when there is a
On the 28th of October, the European Environmental Agency (EEA) published its new ‘Trends and Projections’ report for 2014. This report is meant to track Europe’s progress towards achieving its 2020 climate and energy targets each year. It includes analysis for the current 2020 greenhouse gas and for the renewables
Need to know how much coal contributes to climate change? Curious about how many people die per year from coal pollution? Need stats on how many coal plants are planned around the world? Endcoal.org is a new website launched today by a suite of environmental, social justice and health advocates
This morning European leaders meeting at the European Council in Brussels agreed on a proposal for a new set of climate and energy targets for 2030. CAN Europe [1] is disappointed by their failure to adequately increase the levels of ambition for action on greenhouse gas emission reductions, renewable energy
During the upcoming European Summit of 23-24 October, European Union leaders should agree on a post-2020 climate and energy policy framework. As NGOs, we firmly believe that a set of three coherent, mutually supportive, ambitious and binding targets of at least 55% greenhouse gas emission reductions1, 40% energy savings and
This evening in Brussels, Miguel Arias Cañete, Commissioner-designate for Climate Action and Energy, faced tough questions from Members of the European Parliament, about his commitment to climate action and the low-carbon transformation of our energy system.
After the largest global people’s climate march in history, it would have been hard for most people to have overlooked the UN climate summit that took place in New York on Tuesday this week. What were the outcomes of this summit and will it be enough to set us on
CAN INTERNATIONAL AND GCCA REACTION The UNSG’s Climate Summit today contributed to the growing sense that the fossil fuel era is ending and delivered some momentum towards an international climate agreement to be signed in Paris next year, according to civil society groups organized in two major networks.
European Citizens summit attendees call upon leaders to increase climate action at New York Climate Summit. On the morning of the UN Climate Summit in New York [1], hundreds of people attending the European Citizens Summit [2] in Brussels have sent messages calling for their governments to ramp up action
European Citizens summit attendees call upon leaders to increase climate action at New York Climate Summit. On the morning of the UN Climate Summit in New York, hundreds of people attending the European Citizens Summit in Brussels sent messages calling for their governments to ramp up action on climate change.
A group of leading NGOs active in the Balkan region [1] are calling for urgent reform of the Energy Community Treaty, as its Ministerial Council prepares to meet in Kiev on September 23rd [2]. The groups are calling for both the expansion of the environmental and climate component of the
Debate held as major new report on the climate economy is launched and one week before the UN New York Climate Summit begins Today Members of the European Parliament engaged in a debate on the urgency of climate change calling for increased European action. The debate was held just ahead
Investment support and solidarity mechanisms under the EU’s 2030 climate and energy framework The solidarity and investment mechanisms, operating as part of the EU’s 2020 climate and energy package, do not adequately support energy sector decarbonisation in low income Member States, reveals a new analysis developed jointly by CAN Europe,
The Green 10, the alliance of leading environmental NGOs at EU level, supported by over 20 million EU citizens and active in all 28 Member States, wrote an open letter to President Jean-Claude Juncker to express grave concerns over the direction the EU seems to be taking with the announcement
Ahead of the ministerial meeting in the Western Balkans on the EU energy reform, Dragana Mileusnic calls for the adoption and the implementation of the new energy rules as soon as possible. A clear and speedy EU message will benefit not only the people but it will also ensure security
Will the European Commission slow progress on EU energy savings? Today the European Commission is expected to publish a proposal for a 2030 energy savings target, completing the initial climate and energy proposal released in January of 2014[1]. The proposal comes after much speculation that a target as low as
The “Europe’s Dirty 30” report exposes the top 30 CO2-polluting power plants in the EU, with Germany and the UK ranking joint first, with nine of the dirtiest coal plants each. dirty_30_report_finale.pdf
This report by CAN Europe, HEAL, WWF, EEB and Klima Allianz Germany exposes the top 30 CO2-polluting power plants in the EU, with Germany and the UK ranking joint first, with nine of the dirtiest coal plants each. If the EU is serious about meeting its climate targets and protecting the
CO2 emissions from coal power plants in the EU are undermining climate efforts, reveals the Europe’s Dirty 30 report, released today by CAN Europe, WWF, the European Environmental Bureau, the Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) and Climate Alliance Germany.
CAN Europe, Oxfam, WWF, E3G, Greenpeace and EEB sent a letter to the Commission calling for the adoption of a 40% energy savings target for 2030 that is legally binding on all EU member states.
CAN Europe, in its latest working document “Towards a functioning low-carbon investment framework in Europe: the need to modernise increasingly prevalent traditional capacity remuneration mechanisms”, has analysed existing and potential CRMs, looking at their potential impacts on the functioning of the energy market and future investments. This briefing aims to
This report aims to enrich the debate by increasing the understanding of this complex topic among Environmental NGOs. The report analyses existing and potential capacity remuneration mechanisms (CRMs), a policy instrument capable of altering the energy market by creating additional revenue streams for capacity. Although some member states in Europe
From mitigating climate change, to keeping energy costs in check and improving energy security, energy efficiency provides a solution to some of the main challenges that have been facing European countries and our neighbours. This has been repeatedly recognised by the Commission and European Council. One would expect this broad
As the UNFCCC negotiations in Bonn wrapped up on Saturday, civil society organisations were left feeling both hopeful and cautious; nothing new there.
This document represents the agreed position on the Reform of the Energy Community. We call for the Energy Community to include a functioning enforcement mechanism. We demand that the EU’s environmental and social standards are applied across the Energy Community countries.
On June 26-27, European Political leaders are meeting in Belgium to agree on a concrete Action Plan to tackle Energy Security, an issue of increased concern since the crisis in Ukraine emerged last March.
In a report released this week [1] at a high level meeting of the Energy Community [2], CAN Europe and other NGOs [3] called for more transparency, a level playing field for energy investments and decent environmental standards in Southeast Europe. The report represents the agreed position of the NGOs
CAN Europe, Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth Europe, E3G and WWF jointly published a briefing on the Energy Efficiency Directive Progress Review.
While the G7 leaders met in Brussels last week, another quietly significant deadline came to pass. It was a significant moment for both European energy security discussions and the process of tackling the global threat posed by climate change.
Over 70 MEPs from 25 EU countries across almost all political groups have indicated their readiness to take a leadership role in the climate debate in the European Parliament.
With less than two weeks to go until EU citizens elect a new European Parliament, 277 MEP candidates have declared their support for urgent action on climate and energy through signing CAN Europe’s Climate Pledge. Candidates from all of the big five European political groups have pledged their support for
The escalating crisis in Ukraine has propelled European energy security to the top of agenda. EU leaders have called a comprehensive plan for reducing energy dependency. CAN Europe calls for Europe’s plan to improve energy security to be backed by three concrete actions:
The Energy Efficiency Directive (EED) sets a 1.5% annual energy savings target for each Member State, which will be measured among final consumers until 2020. Member States can put this requirement on their national energy suppliers and/or the distributors by creating an energy efficiency obligation scheme. However, they can also
EU extends life of Europe’s biggest polluter while IPCC calls for coal phase out The European Commission (EC)’s February decision to allow Polish state owned energy company PGE to continue operating two outdated production units at Belchatow, Europe’s largest coal power plant and biggest CO2 emitter, is being challenged by
The take away point at today’s IPCC press conference is this: it doesn’t cost the world to save the planet. The Summary for Policy Makers (SPM) for the IPCC’s fifth assessment report (AR5) for Working Group (WG) III is concerned with mitigation, or how we best address the climate crisis.The
Download CAN Europe response to the Commission consultation on the retail markets Communication
Climate heroes and villains revealed Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe today launched a new set of 28 scorecards that rank national political parties and MEPs on their climate and energy performance in the European Parliamentary term 2009-14. It cuts through political rhetoric and enables European citizens to see the climate
How have political parties and MEPs performed on climate and energy? CAN Europe has developed a simple overview of how MEPs, from the current parliamentary term 2009-2014, have voted on ten issues related to climate change and energy. This analysis has been compiled into scorecards that rate national political parties and
Solutions exist but world leaders must act now to avert the worst effects EU leaders have been handed a warning by the world’s leading climate scientists that our society is vastly underprepared to deal with the risks posed by unavoidable climate change impacts.
EU must get its climate priorities in order before UN climate leaders summit in September CAN Europe [1] is shocked that EU Heads of State failed today to recognise the urgency of the climate crisis, just ahead of the release of a new IPCC scientific report warning that climate impacts
This briefing aims to provide clarity to the ongoing debate on Europe’s industrial competitiveness and the effect of climate polices. There is very little factual evidence substantiating that the risk of carbon leakage is real.
This briefing aims to provide initial views on the approach regarding energy savings, proposed by the European Commission (EC) in its 2030 framework communication and accompanying documents. More specifically, it elaborates why it is important to demonstrate real commitment for the continuation of EU energy savings policies and ensure that
This document analyses the European Commission’s Communication Energy Prices and Costs in Europe, and it identifies the main conclusions.
This briefing aims to provide guidance on the European Commission’s 2030 framework communication (White Paper) and accompanying documents. More specifically, it identifies the benefits of moving to an energy system with larger shares of renewable energies, as outlined in the Impact assessment of the 2030 white paper. It also provides
EU: 40% is not enough to keep temperature rise below 2°C Briefing on 40 and 2C.pdf
As part of the consultation process, CAN Europe had already participated in the first round of consultation that took part in October 2012. CAN Europe’s response can be found on our website. The responses to this consultation are based on two public CAN Europe position papers on support schemes, with
CAN Europe made a submissions to the European Commission’s Consultation on an Energy Community for the Future.
As part of a wider European modernization effort of competition rules, the European Commission is reviewing their (binding) guidelines on state-aid for environmental protection. The new guidelines will be published and enter into operation by mid 2014, after the last round of public consultation (opened on December 18th for 8
European NGOs WWF and CAN Europe today cautiously welcomed the European Parliament Environment Committee’s support for the proposal to temporarily curb the oversupply of emission allowances in the EU emissions trading scheme (ETS), a process known as “backloading”. However both regret that the Parliament included measures to weaken this support
On January 22nd the European Commission (EC) released their White Paper on the 2030 climate and energy framework, in which they discuss amongst many other things, energy markets.
The following letter was sent to President Barroso by the Investors Group on Climate Change (IIGCC) on the 2030 framework for climate and energy.
The freezing mist in warsaw mirrored the dampened results of COP 19. As usual, the few outcomes that did happen came during final after-hours wrangling. Here’s a brief look at what was – and was not – achieved at the COP.
CAN Europe calls upon the European Union (EU) to recognise that its commitment to making a fair contribution to the effort to avoid dangerous climate change means that it should reduce its domestic greenhouse gas emissions by at least 95% by 2050 below 1990 levels. Only the upper end of
On November 26-27, the European Commission for Development Cooperation (DEVCO) held its annual European Development Days, an international forum aimed to address international affairs and development. A panel discussion on climate change and poverty eradication set the scene for what lies ahead in tackling climate change as a means to
CAN Europe and WWF welcomed today’s final approval by EU ministers for the “backloading” measure that will temporarily withdraw 900 million pollution permits from the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS). After almost a year and a half of wrangling, the temporary “quick fix” for the glut of permits on the
Today in Strasbourg, the European Parliament confirmed the position it adopted on 3rd July to amend the EU ETS (Emissions Trading System) Directive to allow the backloading proposal to move forward. Changing the ETS Directive enables delaying auctions of 900 million pollution permits in order to temporarily correct the massive
CAN Europe has just launched an exciting new publication, This is Climate Change in Europe. It brings together dozens of sources ranging from the IPCC, national adaptation plans, UN studies, official NATO documents and many more to provide, for the first time, a summary of current and pending climate impacts
With a minimal agreement on the pathway to defining an ambitious binding climate agreement in Paris in 2015, the climate conference in Warsaw pushed most of the work that needs to be done way ahead. While the EU fought for a robust timetable for putting emission reduction commitments for the
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