The next five years are a critical period for our climate efforts in the EU. With over two-thirds of EU citizens recognising climate change as a priority issue, and 2023 marking the hottest year in recorded history, it is undeniable that EU politicians and decision-makers must take on the responsibility of developing a clear vision and implementing bold action to tackle the climate emergency. The next European Parliament must deliver a clear pathway to a fossil fuel phase-out, including fossil gas, as part of their vision for a tangible sustainable energy transition in the European Union.
Yet many of the European parties’ 2024 manifestos ignore this urgent reality and fail to propose the necessary ambitious measures.
This analysis looks into the vision and measures that the manifestos of the main European parties [1] propose for a fossil free energy system in the EU. It considers their positions on 4 of the main dimensions needed to secure a gas phase-out: a firm commitment to phasing out gas, clarity on a proposed gas phase-out date, support for a ban on fossil fuel subsidies, and a position on false solutions (hydrogen and carbon capture and storage). Our analysis shows there are three different directions that parties are taking: looking ahead to a fossil free future, looking away from the necessary policy measures, or looking backwards to an era of fossil fuel dependency.
Read the full analysis here.
[1] The 3 main European liberal factions – the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) Party, the European Democratic Party (EDP), and France’s Renaissance – have put forward together the “Renew Europe Now” priorities for the 2024 elections. This is here considered as the main reference document representing their common position. Additional references to the separate manifestos are made only occasionally.
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