CO² Emissions

Flash - Plenary session 18-22 January 2021

Greens/EFA priorities for the session

During this week plenary session, the European Parliament will debate and/or vote on Portuguese Council Presidency, vaccine strategy, new President of the US and the current situation, access to decent and affordable housing for all, EU gender strategy, TEN-T regulation, technical support instrument, more fish in the seas ...

Negotiations on a European Climate Law crucial

EUCO

The Greens/EFA group welcomes the agreement of European Union leaders to raise their climate target to at least 55% net emissions reduction by 2030, but significantly more effort is needed to reach the Paris climate goals. The Greens/EFA group strongly criticise the overnight push to promote gas as a transitional technology. Now it comes down to the negotiations on European climate legislation. Saturday, December 12 marks the fifth anniversary of the Paris climate agreement.

The end of fossil fuels

There are many obvious and urgent climate policies like implementing a greenhouse gas budget, reforestation, halting destructive trade agreements, putting the money where it should be. But why don’t we just stop all fossil fuels?

6 ways to make EU industry climate neutral

An opinion by MEPs Henrike Hahn, Damien Carême and Michael Bloss

We need a greener European industry, to keep our air fresh, our planet cool and to get a competitive, resilient and sustainable economy.

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.

Plenary Flash 23-26 November 2020

Greens/EFA priorities

During this week plenary session, the European Parliament will debate and vote on tackling homelessness rates in the EU, planned obsolescence, LGBTI equality strategy, new industrial strategy, abortion rights in Poland, pharmaceutical strategy, MFF/Recovery Plan, ...

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.