News & Press
By Kaisa Amaral on 4 Mar 2020
Climate Law improves oversight over EU Member States’ climate policy planning
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…
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By Agnese Ruggiero on 4 Jul 2019
Do Europe’s powerful and clean live up to the expectations to lead on climate?
Following the publication of the European Commission’s recommendations on EU countries’ draft energy and climate plans, LIFE PlanUp has analysed the plans of Finland, Sweden, Portugal, Germany and France. While the plans include ambitious goals, they lack concrete policies and measures to deliver on the promises. On 18 June 2019, the European Commission released its…
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European Commission finds a lack of details, concrete measures in draft national energy and climate plans
BRUSSELS 18 June 2019. Today, the European Commission published its analysis and country-specific recommendations for the EU Member States on their draft National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs). Largely confirming findings by LIFE PlanUp, the Commission urges governments to strengthen their plans in order to bridge the gap between the EU climate targets and what the Member…
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Europe’s future will need better climate plans – report
BRUSSELS, 8 May 2019. A new analysis of five draft EU energy and climate plans reveals a lack of climate commitment by governments in terms of ambition, concrete sectoral measures and public participation. Tomorrow, EU leaders are meeting in Sibiu, Romania to discuss the Future of Europe, amid youth climate protests across Europe, rising…
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Launch of LIFE project ‘PlanUp’ points new spotlight on EU National Energy & Climate Plans
31 Jan 2019: As a consortium of 12 civil society, local authority and research partners across Europe, we proudly announce the official launch of the EU LIFE project ‘PlanUp – for strong and inclusive energy and climate plans’. Through a multi-stakeholder engagement platform, the project’s scope examines and promotes effective local, regional and national decarbonisation…
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COP24 overshadowed by market failure as countries fail to agree on basic accounting principles and the future of the CDM
COP24 closed this evening in Katowice, Poland, more than 24 hours later than initially planned. Despite smooth progress at first, negotiations ended in confusion as it proved impossible to find an agreement within the article 6 negotiations, which work to set up two new carbon markets for the post-2020 period. The text presented to all…
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Carbon Market Watch at COP22 in Marrakech
Just after the Paris Agreement enters into force, the world will reconvene in Marrakesh to put the interpretive meat on the bones of the Paris Agreement, including on the role of carbon markets, notably Cooperative Approaches and the Sustainable Development Mechanism (SDM) in Article 6. In elaborating the rules of Article 6, Carbon…
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UN registered Barro Blanco Hydroelectric Dam temporarily suspended over non-compliance with Environmental Impact Assessment
PANAMA CITY, Panama and GENEVA, Switzerland In a landmark decision, Panama’s National Environmental Authority (ANAM) temporarily suspended the construction of the Barro Blanco hydroelectric dam yesterday over non-compliance with its Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). The dam was approved by the UN Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) despite risks of flooding to the territory of the indigenous Ngäbe Bugle communities.
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UN approved hydroelectric dam Barro Blanco suspended over community rights violations
Following community protests by the indigenous Ngobe communities, Panama’s environment agency ANAM supended the Barro Blanco hydroelectric yesterday. The decision was taken because of breaches of the national environmental impact assessment requirements, including shortcomings in the agreement with the locally affected indigenous communities.
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Deadly protests against Guatemala hydro dam leave questions over UN Board’s project approval
In June, the UN Board of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) approved the contentious hydroelectric project Santa Ritadespite serious concerns over human rights violations. On 15 August 2014, a repressive security operation against the Q’eqchies communities of Cobán, Chisec and Raxruha by more than 1500 national police officers led to the forceful eviction of some 160 families resulting in three deaths, 50 injured, and a negative mark on the mechanism’s future. Carbon Market Watch is now calling for a formal investigation of the repressive actions and for the CDM’s Board to implement a grievance mechanism for affected communities.
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