EU and Member State climate legislation remains off track with the international commitments to stop climate change and limit temperature increase to 1.5°C as agreed in the Paris Agreement. The Effort Sharing Regulation (ESR) needs to be substantially strengthened and nationally binding targets increased to ensure a robust overall policy

POLICY BRIEFING The Romanian government’s proposal for CE Oltenia’s restructuring is a test for the European Commission’s commitment to aligning state aid with the European Green Deal. Approving CE Oltenia’s current restructuring plan would lock Romania into fossil fuels for decades and hinder a meaningful just transition plan for the

Exposes Portuguese Presidency failure to negotiate a progressive deal 27th May 2021, Brussels – A leaked version of the Energy Council’s proposed revision to the EU’s key energy infrastructure regulation – seen by NGOs – would lock in political and financial support for fossil gas for at least the next

POSITION PAPER Introduction EU and Member State climate action remain off track with the international commitments to stop climate change and keep temperature increase to 1.5°C as agreed in the Paris Agreement. The EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) requires a thorough revision and a substantial increase in ambition in order

MEDIA ADVISORY  What is happening? On 27 May, Heads of the EU institutions will virtually meet with the recently onboarded Prime Minister of Japan, Yoshihide Suga, as their first comprehensive encounter, following up to the May 2020 leaders’ videoconference meeting. This high-level meeting needs to be seen in the context

PRESS RELEASE Civil society organisations welcome the announced halt to plans for the new Kolubara B coal power plant in Serbia as a first step towards concrete action to start tackling air pollution, as well as decarbonising. They underline the need to support coal phaseout by integrated, timely and realistic

LETTER TO: Energy Minister from CEE and island countries (Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Greece, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Romania and Slovakia) SUBJECT: Concerning fossil gas in the revised TEN-E Regulation   We write to express our concerns regarding proposal for the reintroduction of fossil gas in the revised trans-European infrastructure energy

MEDIA BRIEFING The European Council, the meeting of all EU Heads of State and Government, will come together on 24-25 May, to discuss how the EU can implement its recently adopted target of cutting net emissions by at least -55% in 2030, compared to 1990 levels. The new 2030 target

European leaders must be ready to do more to respect climate science and protect our future, writes Wendel Trio. Wendel Trio is the director of Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe. Next week climate action will be on the agenda again as EU leaders meet for a summit in Brussels. They

In today’s plenary vote, the European Parliament has agreed on their position to amend the European Commission’s proposal for the revision of the Aarhus Regulation to comply with international law and enable NGOs and citizens to challenge environmental acts that harm the planet and people. In 2017, the UN’s Aarhus

Ahead of the European Council’s discussion on 25 May about the new climate and energy legislation (so called Fit for 55 Package), European businesses, investor groups, local and regional authorities and NGOs published a joint letter to list their expectations. They called upon EU decision makers to ensure that the

Ahead of the European Council’s discussion on 25 May about the new climate and energy legislation (so called Fit for 55 Package), European businesses, investor groups, local and regional authorities and NGOs published a joint letter to list their expectations. They called upon EU decision makers to ensure that the

PRESS RELEASE Brussels, 19 May 2021 – Members of the European Parliament voted today on a European Strategy for Hydrogen (INI  report). They agreed that low carbon hydrogen should have a transitional role which is not in line with putting the EU on track with the Paris Agreement objective of

The role of energy savings in fighting climate change is fundamental and widely acknowledged in the political debate. This is also supported by different scenarios which require a significant reduction of energy demand in order to achieve substantial emission reductions, when exploring ways to reach climate neutrality. However, there is

Comprehensive revision and implementation of Member States’ National Energy and Climate Plans (NECP) will play a key role in achieving higher climate and energy ambition in the EU by 2030. While NECPs still need to be updated in order to be aligned with and implement the EU’s higher climate and

POLICY BRIEFING Renewables are a key part in the transition towards a net zero carbon economy. Combined with energy savings, the various renewable energy sources provide a cost-effective and readily available solution to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in a relatively short timescale. Besides their greenhouse gas emission abatement potential, sustainable

The European Commission’s updated Industrial Strategy published last week was largely disappointing due to how little attention it gives to getting the industry on track to meet key EU environmental and climate objectives. This despite the considerable transformation needed in many important sectors if those targets are to be met,

Introduction EU and Member State climate action remain off track with the international Paris Agreement commitments to prevent dangerous climate change and limit temperature increase to 1.5°C. Nonetheless, recent decisions on EU climate targets – climate neutrality by 2050 and reducing net emissions by at least -55% by 2030 –

The EU’s post-2022 Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) will play a crucial role in tackling the climate crisis. While the trilogues are ongoing between the EU legislators, Member States have already started developing their national CAP Strategic Plans. CAN Europe members assessed five Member States’ draft Strategic Plans. The report reveals

MEDIA ADVISORY What is happening? On 8 May, EU27 leaders will meet with the Prime Minister Modi of India, in a leader’s meeting which due to COVID19 has been shifted to a virtual format. This follows the 2020 summit and the “EU-India Strategic Partnership: A Roadmap to 2025” adopted back

PRESS RELEASE In anticipation of the Porto Social Summit on May 7th, CAN Europe is launching the Just Transformation Vision – underpinned by a set of ten key principles guiding just transitions towards a climate-safe, sustainable, equitable and inclusive society.  Our vision for a societal just transformation levels the importance

The European Commission updated its one-year old Industrial Strategy with a declared aim of accelerating the climate and digital transition. The plan of action presented today leaves the door open to unproven decarbonising technologies that could allow industry to remain on its polluting path whereas there is urgency to cut

Taking action to avert catastrophic climate change is a moral imperative. To not do so would be an act of injustice against those citizens, communities and workers who are most impacted by climate change and industrial pollution. Without immediate and bold action, those most vulnerable will suffer, existing inequalities will

LETTER  To: Executive Vice President Frans Timmermans Director General Mauro Petriccione HoU Tom Van Ierland, advisor Stefan Vergote Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson Director General Ditte Juul Jorgensen HoU Catharina Sikow-Magny, HoU Alejandro Ulzurrun   We write to you in the middle of a climate crisis with unprecedented scale and impact

PRESS RELEASE The initially delayed operation of a new 496-MW power plant unit in Turow (Poland) is supposed to start today. The unit will benefit from EU money via Polish capacity mechanisms, which are often used as backdoor subsidies for unviable economic investments.  Turow coal mine, sharing the border with

Member States are currently developing their plans on how to spend the EU’s long-term budget 2021-2027, together with its recovery instrument (Next Generation EU). CAN Europe members assessed 16 Member States’ draft spending plans to see whether they live up to the Green Deal promises and put over 50 “good,

POLICY BRIEFING The Modernisation Fund is recognised in the European Green Deal Investment Plan as one of the key funding instruments, potentially providing around €25 billion to support Member States in their transition to a climate-neutral society. The Fund will start supporting projects as of 2021. There are many loopholes

PRESS RELEASE Brussels, 22 April 2021. The European Union has not committed to any additional emissions reductions at the Climate Leaders Summit organised by the Biden Administration on top of what the European Council had already agreed last year with a 55% reduction by 2030. The EU needs to go

In the Climate Law trilogues, EU lawmakers rushed an agreement on the Law and failed to deliver on what could have been an ambitious climate governance framework, including a strong 2030 emissions reductions target, and expanding the climate neutrality objective to all Member States individually.

The EU is in breach of the international Aarhus Convention, that grants the public rights regarding access to information, public participation and access to justice in environmental matters. To stop its violation of international law, the EU needs to revise the Aarhus Regulation before the next Meeting of the Parties

Participatory and effective consultations will be key for agreeing ambitious and impactful thematic and geographic programmes under the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument that are socially just, and rights-based, and truly address the global biodiversity and climate crises. This statement undersigned by 10 NGOs sets out recommendations for more

MEDIA ADVISORY What is happening? US President, Joe Biden, invited 40 World Leaders to the Leaders Summit on Climate on 22-23 April 2021. This is a critically important initiative as the first step by the US government to focus on climate action in their efforts to show that the US

MEDIA ADVISORY What is happening? As part of its coal phase-out, Germany promised multi-billion Euro payouts to lignite operators for closing their plants. On 2 March 2021, the Commission announced that it would open a formal investigation procedure into those promised compensations based on doubts about their compatibility with EU

This paper lays out the recommendations of WWF, TRAFFIC, Climate Action Network Europe, Conservation International, International Fund for Animal Welfare and Wetlands International for the environment, biodiversity and climate regional initiatives in the EU Sub-Saharan Africa regional multiannual indicative plan for the period 2021 – 2027 with the objective to

Executive Vice-President Timmermans Commissioner Simson Director-General Juul-Jorgensen   Keep the Renewable Energy Directive for renewables – “low-carbon” fuels and non-renewable energies should not be included in any provision of the Renewable Energy Directive. Climate change is the defining challenge of this century. And renewable energy is one of the main

On March 25, the European Parliament adopted country enlargement reports assessing the progress towards the EU accession made by Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia and Serbia. These reports are a response to the annual EU Commission reports on the candidate and potential candidate countries on the path to EU accession. In

Member States are currently developing their EU funds spending plans to demonstrate to the European Commission how they are going to use the unprecedented amounts of EU budget and recovery funds. A campaign by Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe, identifies climate and environmental friendly and harmful practices that 13 Member

Developed countries meeting at the UK-hosted Climate and Development Ministerial meeting on March 31st should announce to prepare new pledges for rising climate finance levels for the period 2021-2025, to exceed the $100bn floor.  “Financial support speaks louder than words and European governments must at least double their previous cycle

Photos of the NGO action in front of the Court can be found here.  Recording of the press conference can be found here.  The European Court of Justice announced its judgement in the landmark “People’s Climate Case” initiated by 10 families and the indigenous Saami youth organisation whose fundamental rights

Just five years on from the historic UN Paris Climate Agreement, half of Europe’s 324 coal power plants have either already closed or pledged to shut down before 2030. The halfway milestone was reached this Monday, when the West Burton coal power plant’s retirement by 2022 was announced by the

This letter was sent to President of the European Commission von der Leyen, Executive Vice-President Timmermans, Commissioner Simson, Commissioner Sinkevičus , Minister Matos Fernandes, MEP Guteland and other Members of the European Parliament, and Members of Coreper II. Forest restoration must not offset climate inaction in the agriculture, energy, housing,

Dear President von der Leyen, Vice-President Timmermans and Dombrovskis, Commissioner McGuinness, We are alarmed by a new proposal allowing fossil fuels into the EU taxonomy. This new proposal drafted by the European Commission suggests that fossil gas does no harm to the environment, and therefore could be included as Sustainable

The European Commission committed to revise the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), a cornerstone of the EU energy policy, as part of the Renovation Wave – the flagship initiative of the European Green Deal aiming at increasing the rate and depth of building renovation across the EU. The EPBD,

This letter and attached briefing outlines key recommendations from African and European CSOs on the proposed EU African Green Energy Initiative, financed through support from the EU budget and under the forthcoming EU Africa Partnership Strategy. The recommendations include: Ensure and respect African ownership, multi-stakeholder partnerships and civil society participation

Ahead of tomorrow’s Environment Council’s exchange of views on draft Recovery and Resilience Plans, Europe’s biggest civil society networks sent a joint letter to Ministers to urge them to change course, and to amend draft Recovery and Resilience Plans in order to accelerate EU’s transition towards climate neutrality and ecological

Ahead of the Environment Council on 18 March 2021 where Ministers are expected to exchange views on draft Recovery and Resilience Plans, Europe’s biggest civil society networks sent a joint letter to Ministers to urge them to change course, and to amend draft Recovery and Resilience Plans in order to

In January 2021, the European Commission published a list of candidate projects for the 5th list of Projects of Common Interest, or PCIs. PCIs are cross-border energy infrastructure projects which receive the highest political support at EU level: faster permitting procedures, streamlined environmental impact assessments and eligibility for a dedicated

On 15 December 2020, the European Commission published its proposal for reforming the EU’s rules for selecting EU energy infrastructure projects for funding and fast-tracking. Unfortunately, despite removing the category of fossil gas projects, the Commission’s proposal does not go far enough in removing the fossil gas industry from its

The 31 signatories of this letter, representing a diverse range of stakeholders, are writing to call on the European Commission to deliver an ambitious EU Strategy for a Sustainable Built Environment (SSBE) as part of its implementation of the EU Circular Economy Action Plan. In the EU, buildings and the

Yesterday EPP MEPs chose to support industry greenhouse gas emissions, in stark contradiction with the EU’s Green Deal and climate ambition. In its plenary vote, the Parliament failed to support the “polluter pays principle” by phasing out the EU Emissions Trading System’s free allocations for those sectors where a future

To: Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, Frans Timmermans, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission, Thierry Breton, European Commissioner for Internal Market, Kadri Simson, European Commissioner for Energy Cc: Ditte-Juul Joergensen, Kerstin Jorna, Director Generals DG Energy and DG Grow Brussels, 9 March 2021 European Commission to

In an open letter Europe Beyond Coal (EBC) together with other organisations call on the Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš and Czech Ministers to commit to a 2030 coal phase out date. 24 February 2021 The undersigned organisations call on Prime Minister Andrej Babiš and Czech Ministers to commit to

The fourth round of the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT) modernisation process kicks off today, March 2. But the ECT cannot be reformed. First of all, changes have to be made unanimously, which makes significant improvements very unlikely. Secondly, all reform proposals, including the EU’s, lack the ambition required to align

Description The project will identify and communicate on how nine EU Member States should contribute to limiting global temperature increase to 1.5°C, following the safest pathways identified in the IPCC’s Special Report on warming of 1.5°C. For each of the nine Member States, the project will distil a country-specific emission

The United Nations have launched a Synthesis Report analysing the impact of the level of ambition from all climate plans submitted by December 2020. This is yet another stark warning that countries must immediately ramp up their climate ambition if they are serious about the Paris Agreement they committed to

The European Commission presented its updated climate change adaptation strategy today. Besides much-needed mitigation efforts, the EU must step up its game on adaptation, as impacts of climate change are already hitting communities and the most vulnerable hardest. “2020 was Europe’s warmest year on record at 1.6°C above the pre-industrial

The Energy Charter Treaty (ECT) is a huge obstacle for the clean energy transition. We therefore demand from European governments, parliaments and EU institutions: “Pull out of the Energy Charter Treaty and stop its expansion to other countries! The treaty allows coal, oil and gas corporations to obstruct the transition to

Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe, Germanwatch, Notre Affaire à Tous and 2Celsius applied to the European Court of Human Rights to intervene in the Portuguese youth’s climate case to support the claim of the plaintiffs impacted by climate change. In this landmark climate case, 6 Portuguese children and young adults

The forthcoming update of the EU Industrial Strategy provides a welcome opportunity to re-frame and prioritise actions from the 2020 strategy. With Member States drafting national recovery and resilience plans, the European Commission has a chance to clearly articulate what it means to “build back better” –setting out a plan

To live up to the Paris Agreement, the EU needs to rapidly step up international action on adaptation and address the adaptation finance gap. As the impacts of climate change hit the poorest communities the hardest, tackling inequalities must be at the centre of these efforts. In a letter to

In this joint letter, NGOs, trade union representatives as well as academics and researchers call on the EU to rethink and realign the EU’s fiscal framework with the challenges ahead: Tackling all the current crises – heath, social, economic as well as climate – requires a profound shift in focus

The European Union is supposed to put forward this Monday 15 February its position for the definition of the “economic activity in the energy sector”, one of the most important parts of the modernisation of the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT). The early proposed definition would expand dangerous investment protection to

Little is known about how Member States intend to use funds from the EU’s EUR 672 billion Recovery and Resilience Facility, raising concerns about the bloc’s ability to rebound from the economic downturn as it moves towards meeting Europe’s long-term climate and energy goals, finds new research by Bankwatch for

Member States are going to invest an unprecedented amount of EU public funds and resources through the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), which amounts to EUR 672 billion. This is a key opportunity to stop dangerous climate change and reverse nature destruction, while creating much needed green jobs across the

The Environment Committee of the European Parliament took its position on the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), a financial instrument meant to put a price on carbon-intensive imports from outside the European Union. The EU’s co-legislator insisted that such a mechanism should replace existing free allocations in the EU Emissions

RWE has filed an arbitration claim against the Netherlands, seeking compensation for the Dutch decision to phase-out electricity production from coal by 2030. The firm invokes the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT), an international investment agreement signed in 1994. [1] The ECT protects foreign investments in energy supply and allows investors

In the historic climate case, l’Affaire du Siècle, launched by French NGOs in 2018, the Paris Administrative Court has found that the French State is not taking sufficient climate action to tackle the climate crisis. The Court ordered the French government to take additional measures to increase its emissions reductions.

The Industrial Emissions Directive (IED) currently excludes limits on carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs), making it unfit to support the EU’s moves to address climate change, according to legal, environmental and health experts. As the directive determines the allowable emissions levels of over 50,000 industrial facilities –

Civil society organisations welcome the progress made by the European Investment Bank to fight climate change since 2019, especially its commitments to both align all its operations with the Paris Agreement and to step up its climate and sustainable lending in order to become the ‘EU Climate Bank’. CSO letter

The Czech government is expected to agree a date for the closure of all of its coal plants on Monday 1 February, with none of the options currently on the table in line with climate science or economic reality. Ministers are already split on the issue, and will be acutely

EU Foreign Affairs ministers agreed today that climate action should be much more central in the EU’s foreign policy, calling for renewed attention to high ambition alliances while increasing the provision of climate finance. Together with all countries, the EU needs to urgently step up its game on climate ambition,

Europe must prioritise the most efficient, sustainable and cost-effective pathways to decarbonise the economy and create jobs. In this respect, all future EU policies and legislations concerning the EU gas market and infrastructures should be aimed at designing an energy system that goes beyond fossil gas to reach increased energy

During the meeting of COREPER II on 20 January, the EU Ambassadors will discuss Council Conclusions on Climate and Energy Diplomacy ahead of Foreign Affairs Council on 25 January 2021. We appreciate efforts to develop a comprehensive set of conclusions on Climate and Energy Diplomacy. The ambition of the European

Renewable electricity generation has doubled since 2005, having a positive impact on both air and water pollution, with an overall mitigation effect on climate change, Europe Environment Agency study shows. But even meeting the EU’s not ambitious enough 55% climate target requires its power sector to switch to renewables faster.

The report “Feasibility of Coal in the Age of Renewable Energy: Hunutlu Thermal Power Plant Case” by WWF Turkey and SEFiA (Sustainable Economy and Financial Research Association) in collaboration with Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe reveals why coal investments no longer bring profits, through the example of the Hunutlu coal-fired

This document sets out our contribution to the Public Consultation for the Revision of the Guidelines on State aid for Environmental protection and Energy 2014-2020 (EEAG). CAN Europe Contribution EEAG revision January 2021

The Polish government is on the hunt for securing yet another stream of subsidies to its coal industry, two weeks after EU leaders agreed on an enhanced climate target by 2030. But the European Commission can stop this, write Elif Gündüzyeli and Joanna Flisowska. This op-ed was originally published by

CAN Europe submitted its feedback to the public consultation of the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity (ENTSO-E) and Gas (ENTSOG) on their Ten Year Network Development Plans (TYNDP) 2020 for electricity and for gas. The TYNDPs are the masterplan for Europe’s energy infrastructure. They suggest and evaluate

This document sets out our feedback to the European Commission’s draft Delegated Act on the EU Sustainable Taxonomy, for economic activities having a substantial contribution to climate mitigation and climate adaptation while doing no significant harm (DNSH) to climate and environmental objectives. Given the EU Taxonomy’s applicability in EU regulation

EU Environment ministers today endorsed the earlier leaders’ agreement to up the bloc’s climate target to at least 55% net emission cuts by 2030. Next year will be crunch time to align the EU’s climate and energy legislation with the new goal, and even go beyond as more efforts will

With this submission, CAN Europe responds to the consultation on the storylines for the Ten Year Network Development Plan (TYNDP) 2022. This masterplan of European energy infrastructure planning is prepared every two years by the European transmission system operators for electricity and for gas, ENTSO-E and ENTSOG. CAN Europe submission

Much business was left unfinished at the last Ministerial Council(2) of the Energy Community, the international treaty aiming to integrate the energy markets of the EU and its neighbours. This was due to political circumstances that led to limited participation of the member countries, the so-called contracting parties(3). Yet, the

Through the revised Trans-European Networks for Energy (TEN-E) legislation, the European Commission proposes to pursue subsidising fossil gas related infrastructure late into the 2020s, despite the science-based need to move away from all fossil fuels in the next ten to fifteen years. The TEN-E regulation should foster a climate-proof energy

BLOG POST Coal regions can become champions of the renewable energy sector. They have the energy infrastructure, the land, the people. Authors: Elif Gündüzyeli and Jörg Mühlenhoff Published in energypost.eu Coal mining regions have exploitable energy infrastructure as well as land available to implement renewable energy projects. Coal extraction is

EU leaders meeting in Brussels today agreed on the European Commission proposal of a 2030 climate target of 55%, up from the outdated 40% target. This agreement comes timely before the 5th anniversary of the Paris Agreement this Saturday, but falls short of the scale of emission reductions needed for

As the Coal Platform for the Western Balkans and Ukraine kicks off with an inaugural meeting on Dec. 10-11, 18 NGOs active in the Western Balkans and Ukraine call for effective rules to be put in place from the start in order to ensure an inclusive transition away from all

In the EU it has been accepted as the norm that the coal era is coming to an end. Only six countries are yet to commit to a coal phaseout before 2030, while some southeast European countries – Greece and Slovakia – have committed to doing so even much earlier.

The UN Environment Emissions Gap Report 2020 published today shows that all countries must urgently increase their 2030 climate targets and sharply accelerate emission cuts, as with current policies we are heading towards catastrophic climate change. The report finds that, despite a brief decline in carbon dioxide emissions caused by

The current health crisis has taught us an important lesson: building resilience is the most efficient solution to protect us from global threats – even when they might appear distant. What is evident for health crisis is also valid for climate and energy. The sooner we prepare, the smaller the

On 9 December select Leaders of the African Union and European Union meet to progress negotiations on the new EU Africa Partnership Strategy. Ahead of the meeting, which predes a Summit in 2021, Climate Action Network Europe sent the letters below on the subjects of civil society participation, and on

The current status of the TEN E revision is not in line with the Commission’s proposal for a 55% climate target for 2030, and much less with the science-based target of 65%. It is necessary to end subsidising unneeded fossil gas projects today, to reach those targets and avoid converting

At a press conference organised by Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe together with members from Central and Eastern Europe today, climate and environment NGOs have urged the prime ministers from the region to back the much-needed increase of the EU’s 2030 climate target at the upcoming European Council, on 10-11

According to the Climate Change Performance Index 2021 (CCPI), published today, the EU won six ranks from last year, but the index paints a mixed picture of progress on climate action within the EU. The CCPI, which is published by Germanwatch, NewClimate Institute and Climate Action Network (CAN) International, evaluates

MEDIA ADVISORY On 8-9 December, the Commission, Parliament and Council will take a final decision on the 240 billion euro Regional Development and Cohesion Funds, and the 17.5 billion euro Just Transition Fund. Legislators are expected to horse trade a deal that will allow the financing of fossil gas. EU