EU Environment and Climate

Happy Independence Day, Finland! Today we celebrate Finland’s people, culture and natural heritage - from its iconic boreal forests to its pristine network of lakes and national parks. Did you know? 💧 Finland has 187,888 lakes 🌲 75% of the country is covered by forest 🏞️ Finland now has 41 national parks, with the last one, Salla, added in 2022 From the vast boreal wilderness to the peaceful lakesides, Finland’s nature is a true treasure - and protecting it is key to a greener future. 💙💚 Hyvää Itsenäisyyspäivää!

Dear friends, colleagues, Our 2025 Carbon Market Report, published on Wednesday, shows how the EU ETS drives decarbonisation. Power and industry emissions are ~50% lower than 2005 and the ETS is on track for the 2030 -62% target. In 2024, power emissions fell ~11% as renewables rose and gas displaced coal; hard-coal ETS emissions hit a historic low. Maritime compliance reached 99% in its first covered year. Emissions from energy-intensive sectors under ETS fell by less than 1% in 2024, partly due to a rebound in industrial production after the energy crisis. Driving and supporting industrial decarbonisation and competitiveness is now top of our climate agenda, through the Clean Industrial Deal and the Innovation Fund that is resourced by ETS revenues. I appreciated the chance to discuss this at a Nordic Steel event yesterday. Yesterday we announced the opening of 3 new funding opportunities under the Innovation Fund with a total budget of €5.2 billion in ETS revenues. The 2025 Net-Zero Technologies call with a budget of €2.9 billion, the 3rd auction for hydrogen production under the European Hydrogen Bank with €1.3 billion, and the first-ever auction for decarbonisation of industrial process heat under the Industrial Decarbonisation Bank with a €1 billion budget. We welcome Germany’s and Spain’s topping up of the auctions with € 1,3 billion and € 465 million respectively. The Commission announced its support for 235 cross-border energy projects, which will strengthen energy connectivity across the EU and provide for greener and more secure energy. The EU took another step to end imports of Russian fossil fuels under REPowerEU, advancing a safer, diversified supply. Homegrown clean energy is essential for climate, security and independence — and supports Ukraine. In other news, we adopted rules to implement the EU-wide voluntary certification framework for carbon removals and carbon farming (CRCF), boosted by the Bioeconomy Strategy (EU Buyers’ Club, Carbon Farming Database, methodology for Carbon Storage in Buildings). And how do we finance climate resilience? The Reflection Group on Mobilising Climate Resilience Financing delivered its final report, calling for economy-wide action by public, private and community actors. In the EU, climate-related extremes caused an estimated €208 billion in losses in 2021–2024. Our new EU Agenda for Cities has a strong focus on climate. It will support almost 10,000 cities of all sizes, by streamlining access to data, technical assistance and finance. At the Politico Sustainability Summit earlier this week, Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra said that reports of the death our green agenda have been greatly exaggerated. That is also the case globally, according to the Oxford Climate Policy Monitor 2025. It shows increases in ambition, stringency and implementation of climate policies in most jurisdictions it covered. There is only one notable exception: the USA. At federal level. Enjoy the weekend, Kurt

The #LIFEProgramme Platform Meeting on AgriFood took place on December 4 and 5th December, hosted by the Alma Mater Studiorum – Università di Bologna and IMAGE LIFE EU PROJECT. Over two days, participants delved into how LIFE supported initiatives are contributing to the EU’s vision for agriculture and food. The agenda covered key themes: ➡️ climate-resilient climate-friendly agrifood systems ➡️ fostering competitiveness through agri-tech innovations  ➡️ protection and soil restoration  ➡️ resource efficiency, circularity and fair value chains  ➡️ food security and social wellbeing in rural areas The forum was valuable opportunity to exchange best practices, identify opportunities among projects and strengthening collaboration across the sector. Learn more about the event here: #EUAgriFood #EUAgriVision #LIFEPMAgriFood

We celebrate today's #WorldSoilDay with the world's FIRST EVER soil monitoring law entering into force on 16 December!🌱 Soil degradation is an issue in every EU country, with 60-70% of soils in an unhealthy state. Healthy soils are essential for: 🌿agricultural productivity 🌿pest resistance 🌿nutritional food quality and safety 🌿critical to the long-term viability 🌿profitability of the EU’s farming sector. The Soil Monitoring Law looks at all aspects of soil degradation, from erosion and compaction to contamination and soil sealing. It applies to all soils, including forests, agricultural land and urban areas.  ➡ 🇪🇺 EU Member States will be required to monitor and assess soil health, with the new law offering considerable flexibility so Member States can tailor this requirement to their local conditions. More: https://lnkd.in/esqyDRhy #EUSoils #Soils

The Innovation Fund 2025 Calls for Proposals are now open! The EU is making up to €5.2 billion available from EU Emissions Trading System revenues to accelerate Europe’s clean industrial transition through innovative technologies 💡 These calls will help boost European industrial competitiveness and resilience, helping us reach our climate neutrality goals. Here are the following funding opportunities: Net-Zero Technologies Call (#IF25NZT) Budget: €2.9 billion What’s funded: Highly innovative technologies with a strong potential to cut emissions 🏭⚡ 🔹 5 topics with several budget increases 🔹 New bonus point for small-medium enterprises ⏰ Deadline to apply is 23 April 2026, 17:00 CET Hydrogen Auction (#IF25Hydrogen) Budget: €1.3 billion What’s funded: Production of RFNBO hydrogen and electrolytic low-carbon hydrogen 🔹 3 topics 🔹 New topic for maritime & aviation off takers🚢 ✈️ ⏰ Deadline to apply is 19 February 2026, 17:00 CET Industrial Heat Decarbonisation Auction (#IF25Heat) - 🆕 Budget: €1 billion What’s funded: electrified and direct-renewable heat production 🏭🔥 🔹 3 topics 🔹 Open to projects of various sizes and across all industrial sectors 🔹 First Industrial Decarbonisation Bank auction ⏰ Deadline to apply is 19 February 2026, 17:00 CET 🔗 Learn more: https://lnkd.in/deR6jvGU Don’t miss the chance to learn best practices for preparing your application at our Info Days! 📝 🔸 10 December (AM) – Register here for the IF25 Heat Auction ➡️ https://lnkd.in/d2-xn4h4 🔸 10 December (PM) – Register here for the IF25 Hydrogen Auction ➡️ https://lnkd.in/d4HSRcYR 🔸 16 December – Register here for the IF25 NZT Call ➡️ https://lnkd.in/dV6r-rsk

Environment & climate wrapped 👏 This year’s been a whirlwind for you and #ForOurPlanet - let’s take a look at the highlights! #SpotifyWrapped #EUGreenDeal

The December issue of our newsletter is out! 📨 This month: 🌎 The EU at COP30 🎯 The EU Bioeconomy Strategy 💡 Events you don't want to miss ... and much more! Read it now 👇

💧More than 1/3 of EU population is affected by water scarcity.    Europe is facing increasing water scarcity, water quality degradation, and climate-related threats to both human well-being and economic competitiveness.   We can preserve our water recourses if we work with nature. Actions to restore the water cycle are not only good for the planet and for the people but for the economy too.    💦➡ Join our 1st Water Resilience Forum bringing together policymakers, scientists, industry leaders, and civil society to chart the path towards a water-resilient EU by 2050!   Monday | 8 Dec | 10-17:30 (CET) More: https://lnkd.in/ejKXZx75   This forum follows the adoption of the EU Water Resilience Strategy designed to improve the way we manage water while making our businesses more competitive & innovative.    All to become a more #WaterWiseEU!   (c) 🎞 Gatis Šļūka

The latest Carbon Market Report shows that the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) is delivering real results: emissions from the power sector and other covered sectors are dropping, and the system is expanding into maritime transport, bringing more sectors into the carbon-pricing framework. Some key takeaways:   ⚡️ Emissions from power and industry continue to fall, thanks to more renewables and low-carbon electricity.   ⛴️ For the first time, maritime transport is covered under the ETS — ensuring emissions from shipping are also subject to pricing and accountability. This shows how carbon markets can stay flexible and effective as we transition more sectors toward decarbonisation. Our carbon market remains a core tool for reducing emissions in a fair and effective way that boosts investment and innovation in clean energy and sustainable transport. 🌍 Read the full report 👇  https://lnkd.in/d8ZXYHCS #EUETS

What did #COP30 achieve? 🌍 From stronger national climate pledges to renewed momentum on adaptation, fossil fuel transition, and people-centred climate action - COP30 in Belém marked an important step forward. The EU and its Member States played a central role, backing higher climate ambition, driving the shift away from fossil fuels, and supporting a just transition that leaves no one behind. Swipe through the slides for the key outcomes, and read more in our full summary 👇 🔗 https://lnkd.in/eqfmuw9h #EUatCOP30