The national energy and climate plans can help chart Europe’s way out of the COVID-19 pandemic and into carbon-free societies. This is not the time to weaken them but to make them stronger, while better involving all relevant stakeholders in their development and implementation. The national energy and climate plans (NECPs) are a key pillar…
COVID recovery needs environmental strings attached Dear members, colleagues and friends, Recent months have been testing times for so many, as the global pandemic continues to pull on the very fabric of our societies. While many countries around the world continue to battle the health crisis, others are already looking at how their economies can start to recover from the impact. What should a COVID recovery…
Under the Paris Agreement coal phase out commitments are a necessity if we are to meet the goal of staying below 1.5C warming. In recent years the world has witnessed increased divestment from coal and several OECD countries have already committed to dates by which they will no longer use coal for electricity generation. For…
EU Green Deal at the heart of post-corona Europe Dear friends, Our leaders are hoping to clinch a deal in the coming weeks on the EU’s financial recovery package and the multi-annual budget. In September, we expect the European Commission to announce its proposal for an improved 2030 climate target. The science says that Europe…
This article is a summary of an interview published on the European Commission website 15 June 2020 Stopping the climate crisis will require us to substantially cut carbon emissions across all sectors of the economy, as well as to rapidly transition to a zero-carbon energy mix. To this end, European Union member states need to…
Blank cheque bailouts to polluters are not the way out of the pandemic Dear friends, This week we heard encouraging messages from the Petersberg Climate Dialogue, an annual global meeting of environment and climate ministers. In their video statements (how else?), leaders from across the world vowed to deliver a green recovery. Their message was…
Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. — George Santayana In recent weeks the City of New York reported a 50% increase in the number of cyclists traveling in and around the city to avoid using modes of transportation with higher risk of virus spread. Almost overnight the culture of face-to-face…
* Update: Since COP26 was canceled, please read accordingly * Briefing by Ed King Global Strategic Communications Council (GSCC) COP26 + COVID19 – Media factsheet As the global COVID-19 pandemic continues to worsen, major sporting, cultural and political events are either being postponed or cancelled. The UN’s climate body has announced it will not hold…
BRUSSELS 4 March 2020. The EU national energy and climate plans (NECPs) will become a key tool to monitor countries’ progress towards climate neutrality by 2050. PlanUp urges the Commission to strengthen the process and ensure effective coordination with the Member States to exploit the full potential of the NECPs. Today, the European Commission unveiled…
The failure to agree on rules for international carbon markets at COP 25 has been a victory for some and a disaster for others. Looking at it pragmatically, it was very much a “disaster averted” outcome since the rules on the table would have legitimised the use of markets riddled with loopholes. Far from ideal,…
Kaisa Amaral, Communications Director
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