Climate

Green industrial policy for climate protection & jobs

Industrial Strategy

The decarbonisation of our industry will pave the way to climate neutrality and create jobs. Protecting the climate is a job creator. We must switch from subsidising coal-fired power stations to investing in renewables. The Green Deal can make the European Union the market leader in energy-efficient and resource-saving industrial processes and cutting-edge technologies

Getting out of the red: The Greenhouse Gas Budget

When the European Union decided to propose a European Green Deal to try and reach the climate targets of the Paris Agreement, they had to start with one important thing: reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The Commission laid out their plans and proposed their own targets. Unfortunately, the targets that have been set are not being backed up with policies.

Offshore energy must be integral part of the Green Deal

Offshore Renewable Energy Strategy

By promoting offshore wind power alongside tidal and wave energy, renewable energies will contribute up to 40% of the energy supply in 2030.

Long-term budget stronger on climate, biodiversity & rule of law

MFF/Own resources

Negotiators for the European Parliament, Council and Commission agreed on a text for the EU's seven year budget, the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) for 2021-2027. The Parliament succeeded in gaining an additional €16 billion in top-ups for EU programmes such as EU4health, Horizon, Erasmus and Rights and Values, on top of the €1,074bn MFF and €750bn Recovery Fund EUCO agreement from July.

Update: Von Der Leyen promises to fix the CAP despite her refusal to withdraw it

On Friday October 24, Bas Eickhout, together with more than 40 other Members of the European Parliament - supported by over 3000 citizens - sent a letter to Commission President Ursula von der Leyen asking her to withdraw the CAP proposal, since it no longer aligns with the Commission's priorities on climate and biodiversity. Last week we received a reply by President Von der Leyen.

How Trees Can Stop Climate Change

Trees are literally the lungs of the earth. They act as a ‘carbon sink’ absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and turning it into oxygen. After oceans, our forests are the world’s largest carbon sinks.

A Greens/EFA take on the plenary session

19-23 October

Greens/EFA priorities for the plenary week included the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), Digital Services Act, Artificial Intelligence, deforestation, gender equality in EU’s foreign and security policy, the state of the Energy Union, the Energy Charter Treaty, serious security threats through the sale of EU passports and visas and the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.

Energy Charter Treaty

Quote from Anna Cavazzini MEP

The Energy Charter Treaty is incompatible with the Paris Agreement and the European Green Deal. We call for a fundamental reform of the Treaty. In the negotiations for its modernisation, the European Commission must work to align the Treaty with the climate objectives of the Paris Agreement and the Green Deal – this means: we must end the protection of fossil fuel investments and remove the highly controversial Investor-State-Dispute-Settlement provisions. If these targets are not achievable, the EU must withdraw from the Energy Charter Treaty.

#EUCO

Quote from Ska Keller

Greens/EFA Co-President Ska Keller comments on ongoing EUCO:

Commission only scratches the surface

Methane Strategy

Today, the European Commission has just presented its new Methane Strategy, which does not live up to promise of greater climate protection under the European Green Deal. The Commission itself writes that methane emissions must be reduced by 35% to achieve 55% fewer greenhouse gas e...

Renovation Wave Strategy Communication

Info mail

The European Parliament adopted the Cuffe report* on “maximising the energy efficiency potential of the EU building stock” by large majority. The report calls for energy efficiency policies to be far more ambitious in order to ensure effectively fighting energy poverty, stepping up climate action, and foster sustainable recovery.

Greens/EFA plenary session debriefing

4-9 October

Greens/EFA priorities for the plenary week included the climate law, rule of law and fundamental rights mechanism, rule of law and fundamental rights in Bulgaria, multiannual financial framework (MFF) and the rule of law, reinforcing the youth guarantee, forest strategy, approval of McGuinness and Dombrovskis, fight against money laundering following the FinCEN files.