One of the less widely focused climate topics in the EU is the importance of forests. Forests act as natural carbon sinks and help manage air and soil temperatures, enhancing vegetation and wildlife. As such, forest cover has been, and will continue to be, a crucial asset in the EU’s achieving its climate goals.Eurostat data...
The NDC Partnership is a network of over 120 countries, facilitated by UNFCCC, that is dedicated to helping each other strengthen their Paris Agreement Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) Pledges. The Partnership has just released Version 3.0 of the NDC Navigator, an interactive tool that supports the development of updated country NDCs to be submitted in...
For the first time in 2022, the amount of energy generated by wind and solar overtook the amount generated by gas and nuclear power. Image Courtesy of: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2023/01/renewable-energy-electricity-record-europe/According to the European Environmental Agency (EEA), 22.8% of energy consumed in the EU in 2022 was generated from wind and solar power, and renewables overtook the amount...
As climate change continues to spur record-high summer temperatures, it is clear that the EU is underprepared to face the increased disaster and mortality risks that these temperatures bring. The EU’s Copernicus climate monitoring service and the World Meteorological Organization noted that the EU’s July 2023 heatwave caused 41% of Europe to be classified as...
Generation Climate Europe (GCE) is a coalition of youth-led networks at the European level that works to make a difference with climate and environmental issues. The organization’s mission is “uniting European youth networks; GCE creates a platform for youth to advocate for a just and green transition in Europe.” The organization’s work is focused on system...
The EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) was launched in 2005 and was the world’s first international emissions trading system. It operates throughout all EU Member States, Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein, and has been broken into phases that include increasingly more restrictive carbon policies. The EU ETS is currently in phase 4, which spans from 2021...
Climate Scorecard’s 2024 Government Climate Leadership Award is presented to a country official who has done the most to reduce emissions in their country’s government over the past year. Below is a copy of the letter sent to each nominee and why they were chosen to receive this award.EU 2024 Climate Scorecard Award: Wopke Hoekstra,...
On February 6, 2024, the European Commission published a detailed climate impact assessment that proposed a goal of reducing EU net greenhouse gas emissions by 90% by 2040 in order to reach its goal of achieving net zero emissions by 2050, highlighting that climate action continues to play a prominent role in EU political discussions....
In light of Russia’s war on Ukraine and its provocation of an increased need for comprehensive food security policies, the EU has prioritized ensuring both domestic and global food security. EU farmers and producers have been tasked with increasing agricultural production to meet global demands and with assisting in supplying crops that the war has...
On October 1, 2023, the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) entered its transitional phase, marking it as the world’s first carbon border adjustment mechanism. The CBAM aims to put a fair price on the carbon emitted while producing carbon-intensive goods. On January 31, 2024, importers must report the direct and indirect carbon emissions measured...
