CEE Bankwatch Network, Counter Balance, Friends of the Earth Europe, 350.org
The European Investment Bank (EIB) voted today to hand out one of Europe’s largest ever loans to one of the EU’s largest fossil fuel projects, the contentious Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP).
The European Commission today announced new subsidies for fossil fuels, with nearly €200 million for gas projects, as part of a larger package of energy investments for 2018.
***Update 18 April: The Milan court hearing scheduled today on the Nigerian Ikebiri community's case against oil giant ENI/NAOC has been postponed as, both parties sought the court's permission to suspend the case to allow them to explore further the possibility of an out-of-court settlement that could end the conflict. We expect that the company will now offer adequate compensation and clean up according to the community's legitimate grievance. The court has agreed to set the next hearing for October 23, 2018.***
Today, at a board meeting in Luxembourg the European Investment Bank (EIB) has decided, for now, to postpone loaning €1.5 billion to the controversial Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP).
At a high level conference today on financing Europe's shift to clean energy, EU energy chiefs once again showed blindness to the danger to the climate of Europe's gas addiction.
Europe needs to urgently quit gas if it is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to internationally agreed levels, new science shows.
After over six years of campaigning against fracking by Friends of the Earth Scotland and local communities, the Scottish government announced on 3 October to effectively ban unconventional oil and gas extraction - in short: fracking – in the whole country.
On 24 October, the Scottish Parliament voted in support of the government’s proposal.
#ProtectOurFutures!
This was the slogan for the Days of Action of Friends of the Earth England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The network was quite busy last weekend: about local 130 groups took action and rumour has it that it was great! Here are a couple of stories from a very inspiring day.
To mark Friends of the Earth International Days of Action to mobilise against dirty energy and for climate justice last weekend, Young Friends of the Earth Ireland hosted a screening of multi-award winning film Gasland on Friday 13th October. Gasland explores the impacts of natural gas drilling, or fracking, on the environment and communities in North America, highlighting the link between fossil fuel exploration and climate justice.
October 14 was a creative day for Amigos de la Tierra/Friends of the Earth Spain. For the Days of Action, the local groups decided to paint murals collectively. And because it is nicer to paint to music, many of these actions were accompanied by live concerts and other activities to denounce the lack of climate action coming from the government as well as their connivance with the fossil fuel industry.