News

Business as usual in Brussels: new EU commissioner does not commit to fossil subsidies deadline

Since the launch of our open letter the hearings of the new European commissioners have taken place.  Wopke Hoekstra – candidate for the post of Commissioner for Climate, Net Zero and Clean Growth – is responsible (with Dan Joergensen) to create a framework for the phase out of fossil fuel subsidies in the EU, as stated in his mission letter. Last week the European Parliament asked him questions on his background and his plans for the next five years. One of these questions focused on the phase out of fossil fuel subsidies: The commission has the legal means to do this but has lacked the determination, so far. For example,

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Brussels sees blockade, climate march, and people’s assembly to demand an end to fossil fuel subsidies

Brussels, 5 October, 2024 Today at 2pm in Brussels, around 400 demonstrators from all over Europe and the Global South organised a climate march that began in Place du Luxembourg, in front of the European Parliament, and ended in Merode, where the demonstrators held a People’s Assembly on Climate Justice. Meanwhile, at 2.30pm, 135 activists, including Greta Thunberg, blocked Boulevard du Jardin Botanique, by Rogier metro station, for two hours. The demonstrators, united under the flag of United for Climate Justice (UCJ), called for an EU-wide end to government support for the fossil fuel economy. 115 people, including Greta Thunberg, were

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European civil society demands immediate end to fossil fuel subsidies in open letter to EU leaders

Brussels, 2 October 2024 – More than 30 leading climate and social justice groups under the United for Climate Justice (UCJ) coalition have issued an urgent open letter to EU leaders, calling for an end to fossil fuel subsidies by 2025. The letter, addressed to the Presidents of the European Commission, Council, and Parliament, and candidate commissioners, comes as frustration mounts over the EU’s failure to make meaningful progress on its climate commitments.  The open letter—co-signed by over 130 academics and prominent organisations including Oxfam, ActionAid International, 350.org, Legambiente and Laudato Si Movement—demands that EU leaders lay out a comprehensive and transparent roadmap to

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Climate movements across Europe protest against Fossil Subsidies on October 5th

Press Release Brussels, 27th August 2024 Climate and social justice movements across Europe are coming together with a demonstration in Brussels, on October 5th. Over 30 groups are joining together as United for Climate Justice (UCJ) to demand an end to fossil fuel subsidies. Ahead of the new legislative cycle and the installation of the new European Commission, UCJ demands that the incoming Commissioners take immediate steps towards ending fossil subsidies. Totalling over 405 billion EUR in 2023 in Europe, and 7 trillion USD worldwide, the subsidies continue to support fossil fuel and undermine other efforts to tackle the climate crisis. Often in the form of implicit subsidies such as tax breaks and

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Numerous demonstrations against fossil subsidies in the run-up to the EU elections

United for Climate Justice joins forces with more and more climate movements In the weeks before the EU elections, various climate and grassroots movements, joined together as United for Climate Justice (UCJ), will have demonstrations and non-violent civil disobedience actions across Europe. E.g. in Germany alone, 8 blockades will take place throughout the country, organized by Letzte Generation. UCJ demands that all European Union (EU) member states immediately end all subsidies to the fossil fuel industry [1], amounting to at least 405 billion euros. European Parliament’s resolution needs to be executed On 21 November 2023, members of the European Parliament adopted a

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