Brussels, 16 September 2026 – President Ursula von der Leyen’s State of the European Union address today sent important signals on climate and acknowledged the vulnerability created by Europe’s dependence on fossil fuels. But the speech stopped short of putting an end to that dependence at the centre of Europe’s economic, energy, resilience and security strategy.
Chiara Martinelli, Director of Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe, said:
“There were important signals in today’s speech. President von der Leyen recognised the scale of climate impacts Europe is facing, made clear that Europe must stay the course on its climate targets, and rightly said that mitigation and adaptation need to strengthen each other. She identified Europe’s dependence on fossil fuels as a strategic vulnerability, with the second fossil fuel crisis in four years adding 90 billion euros to Europe’s energy bill.”
“But recognising the problem cannot be enough. Europe cannot keep responding to climate disasters, volatile energy prices and industrial pressures one crisis at a time. It needs a clear plan to tackle the common threads running through them: our continued dependence on fossil fuels and the injustice of the massive profits of fossil fuel companies while European citizens are bearing the cost of the climate disasters.”
Ahead of the speech, more than 200 European and national civil society organisations and industry associations called on President von der Leyen to make this Europe’s last fossil fuel crisis, urging her to launch an independent, science-based roadmap setting out the fastest and fairest way to end Europe’s fossil fuel dependence.
Chiara Martinelli said:
“Europe does not have to choose between climate action, energy security and competitiveness. In fact, it cannot. Phasing out fossil fuels is how we protect people from volatile energy prices and strengthen Europe’s industrial and geopolitical resilience, while also cutting emissions.”
“President von der Leyen has made that case herself before. But in the most important speech of her political year, she did not put forward the strategic roadmap needed to turn that diagnosis into action. Europe cannot afford to wait for the next fossil fuel crisis. It needs a plan to make this its last.”
For more information and media requests:
Jani Savolainen, jani.savolainen@caneurope.org, +358504667831
Notes to editors: