On 7 May, Executive Vice-President Frans Timmermans participated in the 12th Petersberg Climate Dialogue, an informal high-level political meeting of over 30 ministers from around the world focusing on the international climate negotiations and the implementation of climate action.
On 17 May, the European Commission proposed a new approach for a sustainable blue economy in the EU for the industries and sectors related to oceans, seas and coasts. Tackling the climate and biodiversity crises requires healthy seas and a sustainable use of their resources to create alternatives to fossil fuels and traditional food production.
On 12 May, the European Commission adopted the EU Action Plan: “Towards Zero Pollution for Air, Water and Soil” – a key deliverable of the European Green Deal. It sets out an integrated vision for 2050: a world where pollution is reduced to levels that are no longer harmful to human health and natural ecosystems, as well as the steps to get there.
On 8 May, leaders from the EU and India met for the virtual EU-India Leaders’ Meeting, which resulted in a sustainable and comprehensive Connectivity Partnership and a strengthened Strategic Partnership between the two partners.
The European Commission published on 12 May the total number of allowances in circulation on the European carbon market. It amounts to 1 578 772 426 allowances. At the same time last year the amount was 1 385 496 166 allowances.
The Commission has received 18 recovery and resilience plans, from Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Spain, France, Croatia, Italy, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Hungary, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, and Slovakia. The Commission will assess the plans within the next two months based on the eleven criteria set out in the Regulation and will also assess whether the plans dedicate at least 37% of expenditure to investments and reforms that support climate objectives.
The 2021 prize will reward effective, innovative and creative initiatives carried out by civil society organisations and/or individuals on the territory of the EU which aim to promote a just transition towards a low-carbon and climate-resilient economy.
The European Commission has adopted an ambitious and comprehensive package of measures to help improve the flow of money towards sustainable activities across the European Union. By enabling investors to re-orient investments towards more sustainable technologies and businesses, today's measures will be instrumental in making Europe climate neutral by 2050.
The digital platform of the Conference on the Future of Europe invites EU citizens to contribute their ideas to help shape their own and Europe’s future. Climate change is one of the several key topics for debate on the platform.
The European Commission has opened a new chapter in the life of the European Covenant of Mayors for climate and energy, seeking to raise ambition on the path towards climate neutrality in line with the European Green Deal, and put a greater focus on action.
Following the evaluation of the first stage of the application process, 70 projects are invited to continue on the second stage and submit full applications for the first Innovation Fund call for large-scale projects, while all applicants have been informed about the results.
Both organisations call on the world’s leading economies to pave the way for net-zero greenhouse gas emissions within a generation, with the energy sector playing a crucial role.
Greenhouse gas emissions from operators covered by the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) fell by 13.3% in 2020 compared to 2019 levels. This reduction resulted from an 11.2% decrease in emissions from stationary installations and a 64.1% decrease in emissions from aviation.
The Commission welcomes provisional agreement between the co-legislators on the European Climate Law. As one of the key elements of the European Green Deal, the European Climate Law enshrines the EU's commitment to reaching climate neutrality by 2050 and the intermediate target of reducing net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030, compared to 1990 levels.
