Seven years after negotiations began on the EU–Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), political leaders appear finally ready to sign the deal at a ceremony in Brussels in October 2016. Much has changed since then. For Europe, CETA started as a low-profile agreement with broad, if mostly disinterested, political support. It is now the …
Governments must keep ambitious targets for recycling – open letter from civil society
Eleven civil society organisations, including NGOs, think tanks and progressive business groups, have written a joint open letter to all 28 EU Environment Ministers, calling on them to adopt ambitious and binding recycling targets. The European Council is currently debating changes to EU waste laws, which were proposed in December 2015 by the European Commission …
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Joint Interpretative Declaration on CETA – Unpacking the “clarifications” on investment protection
A passage-by-passage analysis of the Joint Interpretative Declaration. The investment protection chapter included in the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) enshrines expansive and ill-defined provisions that can be used by corporations to launch arbitration disputes. It does not prevent investor attacks against regulations protecting the public interest and the environment, and is therefore a …
Energy efficiency first: more reasons to back a higher target for 2030
This short briefing spells out why the cheapest, cleanest, safest energy is the energy we don’t actually need. Every 1% improvement in energy efficiency means savings equivalent to 12 million cars. There are also significant savings and reduced energy use.
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The truth about gas
Conventional gas, unconventional gas, shale gas, coal bed methane, fracking, pipelines, liquefied natural gas… understanding what gas is about is far from an easy task. This fact sheet helps do just that.
The best laid plans: Why the Investment Plan for Europe does not drive the sustainable energy transition
The European Fund for Strategic Investments was established in 2015 to power-charge post-crisis Europe and provide a much-needed impulse for de-carbonising its economies. Yet, during its first year, the fund leveraged EUR 1.5 billion for fossil fuel infrastructure, and 68% of transport investment is destined for carbon-intensive projects. This report shows why the Investment Plan …
