In 2023, the EU achieved an 8% net reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions compared to the previous year[1]. This represents the most significant annual drop in decades, excluding 2020 when emissions fell sharply due to Covid-19 restrictions. Overall, the bloc’s emissions are now 37% below 1990 levels, while its GDP has grown by 68%...
Category: European Union News Brief and Action Alert
The Need to Address Disinformation and Prioritize a Just Transition in the European Union
Context Five years ago, the Green Party achieved its best-ever performance in the European elections. This marked a turning point in EU politics, amplifying environmental and climate issues on the policy agenda. The European Green Deal was approved in 2019 and designed as the EU’s compass to achieve those objectives. In the years following, considerable...
EU’s High Forest Coverage will be an Asset in Achieving Climate Goals through Increased Carbon Sequestration
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...
Recommendations to Strengthen the EU’s NDCs
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...
Renewable Energy Usage-Growing in the EU but Could be Improved Through Improvement of Land and Supply Chain Policies
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...
The EU is Relying on National and Local Adaptation Efforts to Deal with Rising Temperatures
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...
Leading Country Climate NGOs: Generation Climate Europe (GCE)
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...
European Union: The World’s First Large-Scale ETS Carbon Market
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...
EU 2024 Climate Scorecard Award: Wopke Hoekstra
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,...
Right Wing Gains in Upcoming Parliamentary Elections Could Diminish EU Support for Climate Policy
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....