10. Oct. 2011
blog
The environment council has adopted its conclusions on the preparations for the UN climate discussions in Durban in December. The Greens consider that the position of the EU should be clearer and more ambitious if it were willing to ensure agreements on the most pressing issues at the end of the year....
28. Sep. 2011
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In June next year all eyes will be on the UN sustainable development conference in Rio de Janeiro, which will mark 20 years since the original Rio Earth Summit. Unfortunately, many of the goals agreed in 1992 still remain elusive. It is now time to put an end to the `business-as-usual’ approach - which will only further increase the burden of financial and ecological debt - and ensure that a new approach triumphs.
14. Sep. 2011
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If shale gas is presented by certain countries as being a bridge fuel to clean energy, more and more researchers across the globe warn that it may have an even worse climate change impact than coal...
05. Sep. 2011
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Climate change affects all of us, but not in the same manner. The group of people who experience the most severe effects of climate change are mostly in the developing countries, and among them, women are worst off.
07. Jul. 2011
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Green rapporteur Bas Eickhout comments on the vote on his report `Moving beyond the 20% emissions reduction target` that took place last Tuesday. If his call for a 30% target was defeated in plenary with a narrow majority, the Green MEP is convinced that the EU has an awful lot to gain from increasing its own climate ambitions.
04. Jul. 2011
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Tomorrow the Parliament will decide whether to strengthen the EU´s climate effort. Europe has lot to gain from such a move: not only would it helps the EU to regain its climate leadership, it would also foster the development of green technologies, create more jobs and business opportunities and bring major health benefits to European citizens...
22. Jun. 2011
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Reducing energy use in Europe would bring huge benefit to the EU and its citizens and help the Union to achieve its climate targets. However, the recent Commission`s proposal on energy efficiency contains too many loopholes and is not ambitious enough for the EU to reach its 20% energy efficiency target by 2020...
15. Jun. 2011
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With the growth in population, the living environment in European cities and urban transportation have become real challenges but solutions exist. The Greens have decided to encourage the European Parliament, a major actor on the world scene in fighting against climate change, to set a good example.
08. Jun. 2011
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The discussions on the EU Multiannual Financial Framework have started. If several Members States want to reduce of freeze the EU budget the Greens underline the necessity to rethink its structure in such a way that it becomes more transparent, more effective and that it really enables the EU to meet the social, energy and climate targets it has set to itself.
24. May. 2011
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The environment committee called for a 30% greenhouse gas reduction target in 2020. This vote sends a very urgent signal to European governments to support a higher climate target ahead of the European Council meeting on June 24.
10. May. 2011
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Last night the ITRE Committee voted on its position on the report from Green Rapporteur Bas Eickhout `Moving beyond the 20% target`. Despite some positive elements in the text, Yannick Jadot, the Green shadow rapporteur, explains why the Greens/EFA finally decided to vote against the opinion.
03. May. 2011
blog
The new Commission`s biodiversity strategy, which targets a halt in biodiversity loss by 2020, does not really contain any new ideas and might fail like the previous one if no more concrete actions are taken...
19. Apr. 2011
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On 20th April the newest update of the World Nuclear Industry Status Report 2010-2011 was presented to the press by the Greens/EFA. Contrary to what is often believed there is no `nuclear renaissance`....
12. Apr. 2011
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Tomorrow the Commission will present a proposal to revise the Energy Taxation Directive. The Greens welcome the proposal but have expressed concerns both as regards the scope and the rate of tax to be applied
06. Apr. 2011
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On 7 April the European Parliament failed to adopt a resolution on the lessons to be drawn from the Japanese catastrophe. The Greens voted against the text as it did not propose any commitment to a progressive phase out of nuclear energy in Europe nor any support for the development of renewables.
28. Mar. 2011
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The Commission`s `White Paper` on Transport contains positive elements but the Greens/ EFA regret the clear lack of political will to effectively reduce transport`s impact on climate change
18. Mar. 2011
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The situation that Japan has experienced in recent days is catastrophic. The Greens/EFA group calls for immediate action and a complete phase out of nuclear power in the EU
15. Mar. 2011
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The EU fuel Directive will soon come to Parliament for scrutiny. A petition has been organised and requests Parliament to ensure that the EU implementing measures will regulate fuel from tar sands.
09. Mar. 2011
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The Commission presented a Carbon Roadmap for 2050 together with its Energy Efficiency Plan. Both documents are disappointing. Based on the current vision of the Commission, the EU looks set to fail on delivering both long-term climate action consistent with the 2°C objective as well as 2020 energy saving target.
14. Feb. 2011
blog
Early November last year the European Commission proposed a Directive on the management of spent fuel and radioactive waste from nuclear power plants...
