Energy markets are not cash machines for milking low-income households

Fossil fuel companies across Europe raked in huge profits last quarter, including Italian energy giant Eni, whose net profits quadrupled while low-income Italians struggled to pay their energy bills. The EU must make the polluters pay and not the most vulnerable in our society. Italy is a country where people spend proportionately more of their …

Designing a sound EU carbon market for buildings and transport

We can draw vital lessons from the functioning of the EU’s current Emissions Trading System to expand it to the building and transport sectors in a way that serves the climate and advances social justice. In its current shape, the EU’s Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) is far from perfect. It falls short on overall …

A carbon market for buildings must be constructed on solid foundations

The EU must fix its current Emissions Trading System (ETS) before it embarks on the second phase focusing on buildings, writes Elisa Martellucci. This eventual ETS2 must be built, with close stakeholder involvement, on fair and equitable foundations. Anna is a young trainee at the European Commission. She arrived in Brussels and looked for an …

What role for national energy and climate plans in the COVID-19 recovery?

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 …

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 …