EU climate policy is facing a critical juncture. New alliances in the European Parliament, the Environment Council’s 2040 climate target, or the controversial delay of ETS2. What was once agreed, is now renegotiated — to the repeated dismay of the climate community. The European Ombudswoman has decried maladministration in the Commission’s omnibus procedures, and NGOs find themselves under scrutiny all over the continent.
Yet under pressure, Europe can deliver. From joint loans to Ukraine, to coordinated defence initiatives, there is growing appetite among member states to engage in more active policy. The question is therefore how to fit the green transition into the new political reality whilst upholding democratic legitimacy.

Questions

• How can civil society defend ambitious targets while building broader coalitions? Should advocacy under pressure or outright criminalisation become more targeted or expansive?
• What determines the European Commission’s room for manoeuvre? Can a more proactive Commission maintain high standards on decision-making?
• How can Europe maintain climate leadership and not succumb to incremental retreat? Can coalitions of the willing go faster on electrification, clean energy, and grid modernisation?