Open letter to ministers regarding the EU Budget

Dear Minister,

The co-signatories of this letter represent a broad group of businesses, civil society, local authorities, think tanks and other organisations who are working together to support the EU’s commitment to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Climate Agreement objectives. We are writing to urge you to ensure that the next MFF is aligned with Europe’s climate and energy objectives, and is consistent with and contributes to the Paris Climate Agreement and Sustainable Development Goals across all programmes.

The recently published IPCC 1.5°C report shows that we have the scientific understanding, the technological capacity and the money to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. The only barrier is one of political will, which you and your colleagues can change.  

Therefore, we ask you to:

• Increase the climate action target to at least 40% of the whole EU Budget, with specific ex-ante binding targets per programme.
• Climate proof the entire EU budget, and exclude spending on projects that are not in line with the Paris Climate Agreement, such as unabated fossil fuels infrastructure and environmentally harmful subsidies. Extend the exclusion criteria on fossil fuels in the Cohesion Fund programme proposal to all fossil fuel investment and apply these across all programmes.
• Include Energy Efficiency First as a mandatory assessment tool in all planning and preparation of programmes and projects, similar to the provisions in the Regulation on the Governance of the Energy Union.
• Improve the performance and result orientation of climate action. Take into account the recommendations by the European Court of Auditors on the climate tracking methodology, differentiate between mitigation and adaptation measures, and avoid overestimation.
• Align financial flows and fiscal incentives to a low carbon pathway as committed to under the Paris Climate Agreement. Align the National Energy and Climate Plans with financing strategies under the EU Budget, and incentivise climate action through higher budget allocation and better financial conditions.
• Provide support for a low carbon transition in high-carbon regions.

We look forward to engaging with you on this very important matter.

Yours sincerely,

ACT Alliance

AE3R – Ploiesti-Prahova Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Agency

Akcja Konin

Alofa Tuvalu

Amis de la Terre France

AVERE – The European Association for Electromobility

Buildings for the Future

Carbon Market Watch

CEE Bankwatch

CEPA Priatelia Zeme

CEPTA – Center for Sustainable Alternatives

CFEE – Coalition France pour l’Efficacité Energétique

Chance for Buildings

CITENERGO

Citizens Climate Lobby

CLER – Réseau pour la transition énergétique

Climate Action Network Europe (CAN-E)

Climate Alliance

Climate Reality Project

CNCD 11.11.11

CLG – The Prince of Wales’s Corporate Leaders Group

Counterbalance

Covenant of Mayors National Platform Slovakia

Czech Green Building Council

Deneff – Deutsche Unternehmensinitiative EnergieEffizienz

Deutsche Umwelthilfe

Divadlo Astorka Korzo ’90

DNR – Deutscher Naturschutzring

Eco-union

EHPA – European Heat Pump Assocation

Ekoenergy

Energy Cities

EPS – Sdružení EPS ČR/Czech EPS association

EU-ASE – European Alliance to Save Energy

EUREC – The Association of European Renewable Energy Research Centres

Euro Perspectives Foundation

ETUC – European Trade Union Confederation

EuroACE

E3G

Fedarene

FERN

Focus – Focus, društvo za sonaraven razvoj / Focus Association for Sustainable Development

Food and Water Europe

FÖS – Forum Ökologisch-Soziale Marktwirtschaft e.V.

Friends of the Earth Europe

Fundacja Greenmind

Fundacja Miasto Prowincjonalne

Fundacja Nasza Ziemia

Fundacja Zielone Światło

Hnutí DUHA – Friends of the Earth Czech Republic

Fundación Renovables

Fundacja Fundusz Partnerstwa – Partnership Fund

Fundacja Instytut Rozwoju Innowacyjnej Energetyki

Fundacja Otwarty Plan

Fundacja Rozwój Tak – Odkrywki Nie!

Green Budget Europe

Green Building Council Espana

Green Building Council Italia

Green Liberty Latvia

IEW – Fédération Inter-Environnement Wallonie

Islamic Relief Worldwide

Legambiente

InspirAction

Irish Green Building Council

Katedra Ecologie

Magyar Természetvédök Szövetzége – Friends of the Earth Hungary

Milieudefensie

Mouvement Ecologique

Municipality of Ciechanów

Municipality Ostrów Wielkopolski

National Society of Conservationists – Friends of the Earth Hungar

Ögni – Osterreichische Gesellschaft für Nachhaltige Immobilienwirtschaft

Ogólnopolskie Stowarzyszenie Budownictwa Naturalnego

Oil Change International Oil Change International

Państwomiasto Fundacja Projekt: Polska

Polski Klub Ekologiczny Okręg Mazowiecki (Polish Ecological Club Mazovian Branch)

Polskie Stowarzyszenie Budownictwa Ekologicznego | Polish Green Building Council (PLGBC)

Polska Zielona Sieć

Push Sweden

RAC France

REFEDD – REseau Français des Etudiants pour le Développement Durable

ROENEF – The Association for Promoting Energy Efficiency in Buildings

Seas at Risk

Slovak Academy of Sciences – Institute of Forecasting

Slovak Association of Photovoltaic Industry and RES (SAPI)

Society for Sustainable Living

Stowarzyszenie do spraw Rozliczania Energii

Stowarzyszenie Ab Ovo

Stowarzyszenie BoMiasto

Stowarzyszenie Eko Unia

Stowarzyszenie Zielony Imielin

Towarzystwo dla Natury i Człowieka

Towarzystwo na rzecz Ziemi

Towarzystwa Przyjaciół Rzek Iny i Gowienicy

Transport & Environment

Więcej niż Energia

ZERO – Associação Sistema Terrestre Sustentável

Zero Waste Europe