European Climate Foundation

Looking for a career with purpose? Join us in our efforts to tackle the climate crisis and build a better future! We’re #hiring for exciting new roles in our offices across Europe. These include: ➡ Senior Associate, 2050 Pathways Platform https://lnkd.in/e6rfbmjP ➡ Director of Central Europe and Ukraine Programmes https://lnkd.in/eQTYGqcq ➡ Facility Manager https://lnkd.in/epZxyGvm ➡ Grants Officer, Germany https://lnkd.in/eXRMZgJj ➡ Americas Senior Programme Officer - Pooled Fund on International Energy (PIE) https://lnkd.in/eGQhZxaH ➡ Internship, Strategic Foresight https://lnkd.in/ehmWe5xZ Find all of our open positions and apply now: https://lnkd.in/d9mchSyW

As part of our growing organisational development work, this month we organised a unique communications and storytelling training in Istanbul. Following a highly competitive selection process, #TheEarthstronauts brought together people with inspiring stories to tell about communities driving the shift to #FossilFreeEnergy around the Mediterranean in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. With the help and guidance of Dancing Fox, we set out to help participants launch and/or supercharge their ideas and projects. 30 people from 15 countries came together to learn about the power of narrative and how clever ‘culture hacking’ campaigns can help us change the world, one story at a time. The participants worked on turning their projects into compelling ‘pitches’ - learning the skills needed to convince their audiences to buy into their ideas. The ideas were as diverse as the people we brought together, but they shared a common theme of the #EnergyTransition as something that can bring concrete benefits to everyday lives. The Earthstronauts achieved its goals of sparking new ideas, raising confidence and enabling a new network of storytellers: 100% of participants said they would stay in touch with at least one person they met for the first time at this training. Following the event, we'll continue working with the participants and exploring opportunities to turn their ideas into reality.

We're delighted to share our 2023 Annual Report, presenting our network’s key achievements over the past year, new learnings to catalyse collective impact, and our vision for the future. 2023 not only tested our resilience but also underscored the critical importance of our mission, amid heightened political polarisation, a worrying resurgence of populism, and profound geopolitical upheaval. Despite the mounting array of challenges we face, our network showed remarkable dedication, inventiveness, and agility in continuing to drive ambitious #ClimateAction. The achievements and progress outlined in this annual report are, above all, a testament to the hard work of our partners in Europe and around the globe. In this next critical phase, the obstacles we face are as much political as they are technological. The vast majority of Europeans share our deep concerns about climate change. Our mission now must be to ensure that the transition works in their broader interests, and that it is socially just and equitable. Read more ➡ https://lnkd.in/ed8k-GMY

To achieve our climate goals, Europe needs to deploy massive amounts of renewable energy over the next ten years. Yet clean energy projects risk major delays or cancellations from community pushback, a trend that’s entirely preventable if communities are adequately engaged and supported. To ensure that people can access affordable clean energy and build a stake in the clean energy transition, we're partnering with organisations across Europe that advocate for and enable the creation of energy communities which bring citizens, small businesses, and local organisations together to take control over energy production and benefit from lower bills, more independence, and local investment. A new popular model on the rise, it is estimated that more than 2 million citizens are engaged in thousands of community energy projects and initiatives, but there is potential for millions more to get involved in the coming years. Learn more about our efforts to support community energy projects, including work with REScoop.eu on the 2024 European Energy Communities Forum: https://lnkd.in/dTCjcnJ7

The European election results ought to remind us that the European Green Deal and European democracy are preconditions for climate action and any other progressive causes, says Laurence Tubiana in Project Syndicate. While far-right parties won some 20% of the vote, the election results were not a repudiation of ambitious green policies, and it would be a historic mistake for our leaders to interpret them that way. Opinion polls consistently show that Europeans support stronger action on climate change, with a vast majority regarding it as a very serious problem. How should those of us who want the EU to maintain its climate leadership respond to these new realities? ➡️ We must demonstrate the wider benefits of the green transition ➡️ We need to offer a more appealing, positive alternative vision ➡️ We must get serious about addressing major inequalities in wealth and emissions, together with regional disparities. Read more about what the EU election means for European Climate Policy here: https://lnkd.in/d425vm5K #EUelections

We’re proud to support the launch of Zukunft KlimaSozial, a new Berlin-based think tank focused on solutions for a net-zero, socially just future. Their new paper, ‘11 theses for a social climate policy,’ looks into how ordinary citizens can be empowered to participate in the climate transition. This work will be a critical way to ensure that climate action addresses people’s concerns about the cost of living, social disparities, security, and other issues. Learn more ➡ https://lnkd.in/ewiWSkws

🇬🇧 Democracy is not a hindrance but one of Europe’s greatest assets in fighting climate change, according to Laurence Tubiana in Le Grand Continent (GEG - Groupe d'Études Géopolitiques). At a time when climate policies are under attack everywhere, a new dilemma seems to have emerged: that the fight against climate change is incompatible with democracy. On the heels of the European elections, we need new forms of engagement to counter this dangerous dynamic. 🇫🇷 La démocratie n’est pas un obstacle, mais l’un des plus grands atouts de l’Europe dans la lutte contre le changement climatique, selon Laurence Tubiana dans Le Grand Continent. Alors que les politiques climatiques sont attaquées partout, un nouveau dilemme semble s’être imposé : la lutte contre le changement climatique serait incompatible avec la démocratie. À la suite des élections européennes, il faut enrayer cette dynamique en imaginant des nouvelles formes d’engagement. En savoir plus ➡ https://lnkd.in/e75YMVv5

With recent backsliding on climate policies, it’s easy to be pessimistic about the #EUelections coming up tomorrow. Despite the tough circumstances, we still hold the power to shape the future for the better. Let’s not lose sight of the amazing progress we’ve made in the last five years. An ambitious, comprehensive pan-European climate programme seemed a distant prospect in 2019. But today we have exactly that, in the form of the landmark EU Green Deal. The Green Deal didn’t happen by chance, but because millions of citizens used their right to vote at the last European elections. Polling tells us a majority of voters across the political spectrum still desire more ambitious climate policy and would support a raft of concrete measures to bring down emissions. Your vote is your voice in this crucial dialogue. Get all the information on how to participate in your home country or country of residence here ➡ https://lnkd.in/edKEQh6j #votefutureEU #EUelections #UseYourVote

Addressing the inequities in our food system is essential to delivering justice for farmers and securing climate action, according to Laurence Tubiana in POLITICO Europe. From increasing production costs and administrative burdens to unfair competition, low wages and the increasingly severe effects of climate change, it’s a known fact that many farmers are suffering — and have been for decades. They’re the first victims of a broken system that’s set up to exploit both people and nature. And a fairer future for them is also a greener future for Europe. What Europe needs instead is a fair rural deal that addresses the systemic issues underpinning our food system in order to restore dignity in farming. Read more ➡ https://lnkd.in/eahPnJek

The global rich must pay more to tackle the climate crisis, whether through taxes or charges on consumption, says Laurence Tubiana, our CEO and co-chair of the International Tax Task Force. There's a growing consensus on the need for some kind of global wealth tax. Meanwhile, poor countries are struggling to raise the estimated $1tn a year of external finance needed to help them cut emissions and cope with the impacts of the climate crisis. Another proposal is for a frequent flyer levy, targeted at business class and first class seats. Other possible sources of revenue include a carbon tax on international shipping, which could raise billions without disrupting global trade, according to research from the World Bank. Levies on fossil fuels could also play a role. Failing to address these inequalities could damage public acceptance of the measures needed to tackle the climate crisis. Read more in The Guardian ➡ https://lnkd.in/e58NYgg9 Learn more about the International Tax Task Force, an initiative spearheaded by the governments of Barbados, France and Kenya, and set up at COP28 to explore options for climate levies ➡ https://lnkd.in/dXkhJdJ7