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Opinion |

Italy needs a green recovery

Ignazio Corrao Rosa D’Amato Eleonora Evi Piernicola Pedicini
Opinion by Ignazio Corrao & Rosa D’Amato & Eleonora Evi & Piernicola Pedicini
Despite some good last-minute changes, the Italian Recovery and Resilience Plan greenlit by the European Commission still seems unable to face the challenges ahead of Italy after COVID-19, write Greens/EFA Italian MEPs, Rosa D’Amato, Ignazio Corrao, Eleonora Evi and Piernicola Pedicini. We need a path that leads towards a more sustainable…
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Opinion |

Short haul flights are a luxury the planet can’t afford

Ciarán Cuffe
Opinion by Ciarán Cuffe
Aviation is exempt from paying fuel tax and receives massive benefits in public funding, despite being the most polluting form of transport. It’s the fastest-growing source of greenhouse gases, in large part caused by unnecessary short-haul flights. It’s time to stop aviation’s preferential treatment and invest in sustainable travel, writ…
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Deforestation in the Amazon/ Ana_Cotta S.O.S Amazônia/ Flickr CC BY 2.0
Deforestation in the Amazon/ Ana_Cotta S.O.S Amazônia/ Flickr CC BY 2.0
Opinion |

Our groceries shouldn’t cost the earth: How EU consumption causes the destruction of the rainforest

Marie Toussaint
Opinion by Marie Toussaint
A new EU law to stop Europe's complicity in global deforestation is in the pipeline. Time is running out. We need a strong law that effectively bans products linked to the destruction of forests and other ecosystems. The rainforest can’t wait any longer, writes Marie Toussaint MEP.
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©claudio-schwarz-purzlbaum
Who is watching you?
Opinion |

Reinforce rights, not racism!

Gwendoline Delbos-Corfield
Opinion by Gwendoline Delbos-Corfield
Gwendoline Delbos-Corfield MEP in conversation with Laurence Meyer, from the Digital Freedom Fund, about the dangers of the increasing use of biometric mass surveillance - both within the EU and outside it, as well as the impact it can have on the lives of people who are already being discriminated against.
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Fridays-for-Future-Berlin-2019-CC-BY-2.0-Jorg-Farys-WWF_web
Fridays-for-Future-Berlin-2019-CC-BY-2.0-Jorg-Farys-WWF_web
Opinion |

The new European Climate Law breaks the EU’s Paris Agreement promises

Michael Bloss
Opinion by Michael Bloss
The compromise climate target in the EU Climate Law will not meet the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement. We can’t endorse a climate law that breaks all our climate promises, writes Micha Bloss MEP, Greens/EFA negotiator on the European Climate Law.
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Chapada dos Guimarães, Brazil / CC0 joao-tzanno
Chapada dos Guimarães, Brazil / CC0 joao-tzanno
Opinion |

Why we need to oppose the EU-Mercosur trade deal to protect sustainable agriculture in Europe

Anna Cavazzini Yannick Jadot
Opinion by Anna Cavazzini & Yannick Jadot
The EU’s proposed trade deal with Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay offers no assurances that imported products will comply with our environmental or food safety standards.
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Demonstration for open borders
Demonstration for open borders
Opinion |

Say it loud, say it clear, refugees are welcome here!

Barcelona was shaken by mass public demonstrations in loud support of refugees and asylum seekers. Júlia Trias, from the Barcelona Councillor's Office for Citizens’ Rights, writes about how the city is developing cutting edge projects to assist those who fall through the gaps.
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Power plant/ CC0 patrick-hendry
Power plant/ CC0 patrick-hendry
Opinion |

Europe – Don’t fall into the (gas) trap!

Ciarán Cuffe Jutta Paulus Marie Toussaint
Opinion by Ciarán Cuffe & Jutta Paulus & Marie Toussaint
European institutions are discussing the future of Europe’s energy. Current rules pre-date the Paris Agreement and the Green Deal, making it impossible to achieve carbon neutrality objectives by 2050. This revision will decide how fossil fuels are financed and consequently, the place given to renewable energy in Europe.
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Opinion |

From Afghan war refugee to refugee rights campaigner

Escaping war-torn Afghanistan, Syed saw little humanity during his dangerous journey to Italy. But then, the kindness of a pizza chef and an Italian teacher inspired him to stay, complete his University degree and fight for refugee rights.
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Forest/ CC0 timotheus-frobel
Forest/ CC0 timotheus-frobel
Opinion |

The EU must protect its forests, not destroy them

Anna Deparnay-Grunenberg Martin Häusling Ville Niinistö Marie Toussaint
Opinion by Anna Deparnay-Grunenberg & Martin Häusling & Ville Niinistö & Marie Toussaint
As the European Union is grappling to respond to the twin crises of climate and biodiversity breakdown, one thing has become clear: we need healthy forests to protect and restore nature and the global climate.