EU strides forward on just transition, but risks stumbling on fossil fuels
The path to a climate neutral Europe became a little easier today, with the European Commission's proposal for a fund to help coal regions reach climate neutrality. The Just Transition Mechanism aims to mobilise up to €100 billion to support workers and their communities to develop sustainable economic activities in regions whose economies are based on carbon-intensive activities, like coal mining. The mechanism requires regional just transition plans to be compatible with EU climate and energy goals. This means EU Member States have no excuse not to sign up for climate neutrality. However, the mechanism is not clear enough on the need for regional plans to include timelines for the phase out of fossil fuels, including a phase-out date for coal of 2030 or earlier. This should be clearly stated in the 2030 National Climate and Energy Plans or 2050 Long-Term National Decarbonisation Strategies. MEPs and EU Member States...