As the first week of this year’s climate summit COP24 draws to a close, a unique gathering of businesses, investors, local authorities, trade unions and NGOs are calling upon EU Ministers arriving at the COP next week to commit to significantly increase the current EU climate commitments by 2020, in order to secure a successful outcome of the summit.

Updated on 8 December 2018, 1.30am: Just before Zanna was put on the train back to Vienna, the Polish government recognised its mistake and allowed her to enter Poland. At the moment, we dont have information about the other activists who have been denied entry and/or deported.

CAN Europe’s Climate Ambition Project Coordinator, Zanna Vanrenterghem has been denied entry to Poland to attend the UN climate summit COP24. During the last days, Polish authorities have denied entry and/or deported at least 13 members of civil society groups that were due to attend the COP24 climate talks.

EU legislators have once again failed to agree on electricity market rules that would lead to zero-emissions energy systems. Instead, under the Austrian Presidency consent, some Member States are still trying to secure massive subsidies through so-called ‘Capacity mechanisms’ to polluting and uncompetitive coal-fired power plants.

Germany won the shameful Fossil of the Day Award from Climate Action Network (CAN) International today. Germany received this dubious award because it gave up on its national 2020 climate target, failed to quit coal and to support higher 2030 EU climate target, in spite of the alarming IPCC 1.5°C Report.

At the end of a year that has seen an increase in climate-related litigation cases globally, plaintiffs, lawyers and campaigners representing six cases made clear at the UN climate talks in Katowice today that governments can no longer escape from their responsibility to protect the citizens from runaway climate change. In 2018, people around the world kept turning to the courts as politicians failed to deliver anything close to the necessary level of climate change mitigation – and courts increasingly order governments to deliver the urgent cuts in emissions necessary. Judging by the current rate at which these cases are being filed against governments, this is likely to only be tip of the (melting) iceberg in 2019.

To watch the press conference: https://unfccc-cop24.streamworld.de/webcast/climate-litigation-2018-how-courts-are-enforcing-e

  1. Poland wins Fossil of the Day Award at COP24
  2. The Western Balkans pledge allegiance to EU’s energy and climate plan
  3. Press Conference Invitation - COP 24: How Courts Are Enforcing Emission Cuts
  4. COP24 starts with bold statements on the need to increase climate action

Latest Publications

See All: Climate & Energy Targets