ROOM FOR RENEWABLES🌞
European Environmental Bureau
Europe’s largest network of environmental NGOs working for a better future where people and nature thrive together.
What a manic few months! Thanks for sticking with us, following our content, and keeping up to date with the latest environmental news.
We're starting off with some bittersweet news: two of our beloved EEB communications colleagues (and Newsletter comrades), Sarah and Maria Luis, will be leaving us for new pastures. We thank them for the diligent, insightful, and entertaining work they have brought to the team and our readership and wish them the best of luck with their upcoming exploits!
This week, we discuss the potential of Europe’s land to support renewables and nature, the EU’s freshly published Rule of Law Report, diet-related disinformation bombshells, and the EEB's developing work on agricultural litigation. After this week’s edition, our Newsletter will take August off (nothing worse than a cranky Newsletter with burnout…), and we’ll return fully charged with the next edition in early September! Wishing you all a restful break, wherever you are :)
As always, if you enjoy our content or have any questions or comments, we’d love to hear from you!
ROOM FOR RENEWABLES 💡🌿
BUSTING MYTHS. Are renewables bad neighbours? If so, they don't have to be. Farmers, renewable energy generation, and nature protection don't need to compete for the same backyard. A new EEB study finds ample suitable land in Europe for a sustainable expansion of solar and wind energy, excluding productive farmlands and protected natural areas. A 100% renewable Europe can be achieved without undermining food production or nature restoration. Check our press release.
RURAL POWERHOUSES. Sorry, but rooftops can’t meet all the solar capacity needs needed to decarbonise Europe. In fact, the most suitable land for renewables (81%) in Europe is located in rural areas. These are degraded agricultural lands facing erosion, abandonment, or low yield—prime candidates for hosting wind and solar installations without affecting food production. Participatory processes and benefit-sharing models are key to gaining rural communities' buy-in.
BREAKING BORDERS. Our report, picked up in the media, shows that not all countries enjoy the same opportunities. While Germany and Italy face spatial constraints, Spain and Romania offer abundant suitable land for renewables. The 100% renewables puzzle can be solved with better interconnections to share energy surplus while tapping into different renewable hubs across Europe. Coexistence formulas are also key, integrating renewables with soil restoration or existing agricultural activities (e.g. agri-PV). Keen to know more? Read our full report.
RULE OF LAW ⚖️📜
NEW REPORT DROPS. This week, the EU Commission released its rule of law report with no major surprises. Hungary, Slovakia, and Italy are desperately lagging behind, with Poland decidedly on the path to rehabilitation.
DEAFENING SILENCE. While the report acknowledges “challenges” (an understatement) faced by CSOs and human rights defenders, it fails to acknowledge the EU-wide spike in repression of peaceful protest (namely in Bulgaria, Czechia, Estonia, Germany, Hungary and Sweden). The rule of law must apply to everyone, both by protecting people and holding to account those who abuse power to stifle dissent and civil disobedience.
WHAT HE SAID. In a report released earlier this year, UN Special Rapporteur on Environmental Defenders under the Aarhus Convention, Michel Forst, identified the repression that environmental activists currently face in Europe as “a major threat to democracy and human rights.” It is essential that the EU Commission sit up and take this seriously. Here’s why protest matters and must be defended at all costs.
ENVIRONMENTAL RIGHTS… RIGHT? The report reveals little progress has been made to guarantee the right to access information held by public authorities in most countries, with instances of information being routinely refused in some. It is more promising in the area of public participation, highlighting the importance of increasing the participation of citizens in the law-making process and even the advantages this entails. Regarding access to justice, the report shows that the length of court proceedings remains an issue in most Member States, as well as the accessibility of legal aid, with only some taking measures to address these problems.
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SLAPP-ING BACK. The report urges countries to adopt measures against SLAPPs (abusive lawsuits that aim to silence journalists, defenders and watchdogs), which are recognised as a big threat in many Member States. Countries are indeed due to begin implementing the EU Anti-SLAPP Directive, which was approved this year.
BEWARE DIET DISINFORMATION ⚠️🍔
NEW MERCHANTS OF DOUBT. This week, our partners Changing Markets Foundation published ‘The New Merchants of Doubt’, a damning new study revealing the extent of disinformation around what we eat. It shows the lengths to which the Big Meat and Dairy industry goes to maintain and increase currently unsustainable levels of meat production and consumption globally.
DELAY, DISTRACT AND DERAIL. The tactics employed by these unaccountable and often invisible lobbies are designed with a clear objective in mind: entrench their power and ensure nothing changes. They keep production up and prevent people from making the responsible choice to transition towards healthier and more sustainable diets.
MAKING THE CONNECTION: ANIMAL WELFARE! This industry is also responsible for the single most significant cause of animal cruelty known to humanity. The sheer number of animals reared in mechanised, industrial farming systems across Europe is not only profoundly cruel; it is simply unsustainable from a climate, environment and health perspective. Here's four reasons why we should all care about its improvement and the EEB’s full position.
LEGAL CORNER 🏛️⚖️
ORDER, ORDER! Litigation – the act of taking an issue to court – related to agriculture is rising across Europe. Why? Because EU policy is driving the intensification of unsustainable practices, causing governments and companies to breach EU law and fail to meet environmental and climate objectives. This fresh META article explains the key role of litigation in shaping a brighter future for EU environmental policy – particularly showcasing key case studies cases around food and farming from across the EU. Interested in learning more or discussing a case you’re involved in? Visit our brand-new litigation page to view our case collection and get in touch!
JOIN US! 👥🤝
WORK WITH US: The work continues, and we often seek new colleagues to join our team. Could you be one of them? Check out our current vacancies on our website. We just started looking for our new Head of Circular Economy to lead an influential and great team!
SIGN IT 🌍✨
JOIN THE FUTURE: The European Pact for the Future sparks hope and courage, creates opportunities, and ensures wellbeing for everyone. It promotes sustainable competitiveness and drives transformative changes for a greener tomorrow. Check out the Pact and sign it if you haven't already.