European Environmental Bureau

🌿 Imagine defending not just your home but your entire way of life. That's the reality for Elsa Cerda and the incredible women of the Yuturi Warmi patrol in the Ecuadorian Amazon. ⛏️ 🌍 These Indigenous Kichwa women aren't just protecting the lush forests and crystal-clear waters of the Jatunyacu River; they're safeguarding their very souls. Their land is their story, their identity, and their future. And they're facing powerful extractive industries that threaten to erase it all. ✊ These women are warriors. They meticulously patrol their territory, detect early signs of mining, and challenge the exploitative economic model that seeks to strip their land bare. Their strength is rooted in a spiritual bond with the earth, a connection that runs deeper than any drill or bulldozer. 🌳 🫂 This isn't just an "environmental issue." It's a fight for sovereignty, cultural survival, and the rights of future generations. Their courage reminds us that, in the end, the fight for environmental justice is about gender justice. 📖 Read more: https://lnkd.in/e_WWX43U

🎉 We just hit 20,000 subscribers to our newsletter right here on LinkedIn! 🎉 To everyone who reads, shares, and supports our work — thank you for being part of this journey. 💚 These are challenging times, and your support helps us deliver bold, independent insights on the latest environmental policy developments in the EU every week. If you haven’t subscribed yet, now’s the time 👉 https://lnkd.in/ePbXinCn — and join us in our mission toward a better future where people and nature thrive together.

💸THE NGO SCANDAL… THAT WASN’T- debunked this week by the European Court of Auditors. While a hardline group of conservative MEPs tried to paint civil society as Commission-funded lobbyists, the facts finally landed: no evidence of misused funds and yes - NGOs can advocate for the public interest – including talking to MEPs.   In other news, is capitalism the next climate casualty? Allianz warns that worsening climate disasters are pushing insurers to the brink, raising fears of a “climate-induced credit crunch” as entire regions become uninsurable. Meanwhile, extinct species of wolves are re-engineered in labs while the ones that we already have with us lose protection. Dig into this week’s newsletter for the full story — soil to solar, policy to power.   Our newsletter drops every Friday morning—make sure you’re signed up: https://lnkd.in/ePbXinCn

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝘆 𝗰𝗶𝗿𝗰𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿? At the European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform today, EU Commissioner Jessika Roswall said that keeping resources in the value chain for as long as possible is exactly what the circular economy is all about. But a true circular economy is so much more than that! While keeping resources in the loop by reusing, repairing, repurposing and recycling is key, circularity is also about reducing our environmental footprint to ensure resource use is within the ecological boundaries of our planet. This shift is urgently needed to unlock unique benefits for both people and businesses, at the lowest environmental cost - and the upcoming EU Circular Economy Act is a golden opportunity to make it happen. #ECESP #CircularEconomy #CircularEconomyAct EU Environment and Climate Eva Maria Bille

Late last night the EU moved one step closer to its first-ever soil law!🪱 BUT, while this is an historic moment, decision makers missed countless opportunities to create a law that would protect soils and reverse decades of damage that has left them eroded - harming farmers' livelihoods and exposing communities to growing climate risks, like floods...👎 Instead it will mostly focus on simply monitoring the continued degradation of Europe’s soils…😒 Healthy soils are the foundation for life and key to tackling the triple climate, nature, and pollution crisis 🌱 We cannot afford to mistreat soil. If Europe is to make the most of this weakened law, EU institutions must formally adopt it and start implementing the few measures left as soon as possible in order to tackle the soil degradation crisis. Full press release in the comments 🔗 #SoilLaw #SoilMonitoringLaw #SoilHealth #soil

Methane is a powerful climate-warming gas🔥but thanks to its short atmospheric life-span (10-12 years) it could put the brakes on climate breakdown - if there are rapid reductions now! The agri-food sector is the biggest methane emitter in Europe 🐄 😷  and therefore has an important role to play in tackling emissions. That’s why we co-hosted an event where experts from across the food chain came together to discuss solutions. Here is why #MethaneMatters, and some of the highlights from today’s discussion… 👇 #Methane #Agriculture #ClimateCrisis #AirQuality #HumanHealth

Driving towards circular steel? It is possible! This morning we gathered a full room of policy makers, industry players and civil society to discuss two scientific studies that highlight the potential of recycled steel in the automotive industry - and the opportunity to boost this under the revised EU law on vehicle end-of-life management. 🚘 The first study by the Institut Mobilités en Transition showed that targeted dismantling of vehicles allows to recover valuable copper and improve recycled steel quality, making it suitable for new car production. This approach creates value across the entire supply chain and promotes a more sustainable and circular steel usage. 🚘 The second study, conducted by Oeko-Institut for T&E, found that setting recycled steel content targets of 30% by 2030 and 40% by 2035 is feasible. These targets can reduce emissions and support recycled materials markets - two good reasons to consider them under the new EU regulation. Recycled steel has the potential to make the automotive industry more sustainable and reduce its environmental impact. The future is circular! ♻️ A big thank you to MEP Lena Schilling for hosting the discussion, to all the speakers and to everyone who contributed to making this event a success! The Greens/EFA in the European Parliament Hannah Gross Jean-philippe Hermine Zachary Azdad Fynn Hauschke Sophia G. Roberta Arbinolo #automotive #greensteel

🔙 Trump wants to bring back coal? May someone tell him it’s the 21st century, not the 19th. Meanwhile in Finland: coal is out, wind is winning.   Last week, the country hit a major milestone: Helsinki’s Salmisaari coal plant shut down four years ahead of schedule, bringing Finland to the brink of being completely coal-free.   How? Wind power stepped up. Since 2020, it’s more than doubled and now covers 25% of Finland’s electricity demand.   And it’s not just about clean air and climate change, it’s about progress. According to the Confederation of Finnish Industries, wind is now the single biggest driver of Finland’s economic development.   Finland is showing what’s possible when clear political signals are matched with rapid investments in renewable power: ✅ Lower bills ✅ Lower emissions ✅ Greater energy independence ✅ Stronger industrial competitiveness

🤐 SLAPP lawsuits silence voices. We're making noise 💥 🔴 The The Coalition against SLAPPs in Europe (CASE)'s European SLAPP Contest 2025 is live! 🏆 Which rich and powerful politicians and corporations have gone above and beyond to silence climate activists, environmental defenders and other public watchdogs? 📽️ Watch live to find out 👇 🤳 Join the conversation: #EuropeanSLAPPContest #StopSLAPPs

🚨 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝗨’𝘀 𝗪𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆: 𝗔 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲-𝗕𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗦𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 🚨 Today, the European Parliament’s Environment Committee voted on the EU Water Resilience Strategy. The result? A clear setback for water sustainability. Despite urgent and growing threats of droughts, floods, and pollution, amendments by conservative and far-right members have severely weakened the emphasis on Nature-based Solutions (NbS), pushing for greater reliance on grey infrastructure and techno-fixes instead... 🆘👎 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀: ❌ Proven NbS are being demoted in favour of unproven technofixes. This shifts our focus away from ecosystem restoration, which is essential for long-term water resilience. ❌ Strong enforcement of EU water laws has been replaced by vague language, without addressing key pollution sources or binding targets. ❌ Despite progress on ocean health, a comprehensive, coordinated approach to water pollution and marine protection is still lacking. The vast majority of EU citizens want to see 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗘𝗨 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 to fix our water crises - not less! The vote in May will be crucial to shaping Europe’s water strategy. We must ensure NbS remain central to building water resilience for a climate-adapted future 🌍💧 Full press release 👉 https://lnkd.in/dxTgUm3k #WaterResilience #NatureBasedSolutions #EUEnvironment #WaterManagement #ClimateAction #Sustainability