Climate change, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, pandemics, and rising living costs are among the most important challenges facing the world today, according to a new wide-ranging citizen survey covering 22 countries around the world. The polling revealed a high level of agreement regarding the most significant challenges facing the world today—and a common desire for bold…
The Commission has allocated €76 million to Austria to fight climate change. Austria will receive in total €136 million (in current prices) under the JTF to help make sure that the transition to climate neutrality does not leave anyone behind in the Austrian local economy and society. Executive Vice-President for the European Green Deal, Frans Timmermans, said: “The adoption of the Austrian Just Transition…
The European Investment Bank (EIB) has been accused of failing to curtail investments in climate-damaging highways despite acknowledging how cars and lorries pump huge amounts of carbon into the atmosphere. Frank Vanaerschot, Director of the group “Counter Balance”, said: “If this plan is adopted, the EIB will be encouraging more cars onto roads while decrying that…
Spain has been urged to “follow the example” set by Croatia in honouring its commitment to international treaties. The demand comes amid a long-running legal battle between Spain and renewable developers who are fighting Madrid over retroactive cuts to feed-in tariffs for renewable projects. Spain is accused of resisting payment of the compensation or attempting…
Businesses, investor groups, local and regional authorities, trade unions and civil society groups come together to demand urgent and bold climate action from the European Union. A huge range of influential signatories, including big businesses like Amazon, EDF, Ikea, Microsoft, Unilever (signed as part of CLG Europe) plus mayors from Amsterdam, Athens, Lisbon, Paris, Warsaw (signed…
A new report says that industrial rubber plantations in West and Central Africa have been linked to an area of tropical deforestation 16 times the size of Brussels since 2000. This, it is claimed, establishes it as the leading European driver of deforestation in the region – despite being left out of proposed rules to…
MEPs from the Greens/EFA Group along with a progressive majority have successfully voted down a “considerably weakened position” on the EU Emissions Trading System, following efforts of the EPP Group and industry lobbies. The ETS file will now go back to the Environment Committee. As a consequence, the votes on the Social Climate Fund and…
The EU has missed its self-imposed target of spending at least 20% of its 2014-2020 budget on climate action, according to a special report published on Monday by the European Court of Auditors (ECA). The European Commission had announced that the EU had met the 20% target, reporting that it had spent €216 billion on…
The European Parliament’s environment committee (ENVI) has voted on the reports for the reform of the Emission Trading Scheme and the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, two of the most important files in the Fit-for-55 package. The ETS covers more than 11.000 industrial installations in the EU, and with this reform it will expand its scope…
Lobby watchdog Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO) says it has obtained recent meeting documents from the European Commission (EC) that reveal that major fossil fuel companies are influencing the EU’s response to the energy crisis. Minutes allegedly reveal that CEOs of six big energy companies – Shell, BP, Total, ENI, E.ON and Vattenfall – met President…
