Actions speak louder than words, what values will the new European Commission President really uphold?
This joint article by the organisations listed below was first published in EurActiv.
Today climate protests hit the streets of every European country, uniting millions of students, workers and adults - as part of the largest ever Global Climate Strike. The strikes come ahead of a big week for environmental action, with a major climate summit at the UN and further strikes strikes throughout the week.
Friends of the Earth Europe, with its partners in the Green 10, has today expressed its deep concern regarding the introduction of a "One in, one out" principle for new legislation, as planned by European Commission President-elect Ursula von der Leyen.
The proposed principle calls for any new initiative that creates a burden on businesses to be compensated by relieving an equivalent existing burden in the same policy area.
Nominees and portfolios for the next European Commission were put forward today in Brussels by the European Commission President-elect Ursula von der Leyen.
Given the context of the climate crisis, Friends of the Earth Europe is challenging the Commission to deliver urgent and massive transformation, and is questioning some of the priorities of the proposed new structure.
Jagoda Munić, director of Friends of the Earth Europe said:
by Jagoda Munić, director of Friends of the Earth Europe
“I want you to act as if our house is on fire”, climate activist Greta Thunberg told politicians at the World Economic Forum in January this year, seeking to motivate them to urgently put a stop to runaway climate change.
by Colin Roche, fossil free campaigner - originally published in Foresight
Environmental groups challenge European Commission to take legal action against Bulgarian government over depletion of key wildlife site Kresna Gorge
Lawyers and environmental groups have today challenged the European Commission to take legal action against the Bulgarian government over a shocking depletion of wildlife in a key EU-protected nature site, Kresna Gorge.
A new campaign has been launched today to stop the collapse of nature and to save rural livelihoods in the EU by phasing out pesticides.
Civil society organisations from across the EU have submitted a proposal to the European Commission for a European Citizens' Initiative (ECI) calling for new legislation to phase out pesticides, restore biodiversity and support farmers to transform our food and farming system. [1]
The world’s biggest public bank, the European Investment Bank (EIB), has proposed to ditch funding fossil fuel projects.
The EIB published on Friday 26 July its draft energy lending policy, which proposes a major switch in its lending policy, in reaction to climate crisis. If this policy draft is accepted by EU finance ministers in September, this would be a significant step forward in the campaign for a fossil free Europe.
As temperature gages hit 40°C across Europe this week, terrifying heatwaves are becoming the new normal. But we are not all equal in the face of extreme weather, writes climate justice campaigner Clemence Hutin.
Last summer, a shocking heatwave seemed to dry up and set alight our continent before our eyes. This year we see this terrifying pattern repeating.