Civil Society Organisations’ recommendations for the new EU Industrial Strategy - Making the new European industrial strategy an enabler of a just transition to a carbon neutral, circular and zero-pollution economy

A coalition of European civil society organisations urges the EU to align its Industrial Strategy with the 1.5°C Paris Agreement target, advocating for climate neutrality by 2040 and a 65% emissions reduction by 2030. The recommendations emphasize a transition to a circular economy, the phase-out of fossil fuel subsidies, and the prioritisation of renewable electrification over hydrogen and CCS. The authors call for a 'just transition' that protects vulnerable communities and workers through retraining and the exclusion of fossil fuel investments from the Just Transition Mechanism.

• The CSOs recommend that Europe achieve climate neutrality by 2040 and increase its 2030 climate target to at least a 65% reduction in emissions to align with the 1.5°C target of the Paris Agreement.
• The proposed industrial framework should establish an overall emissions trajectory toward net zero by 2050, including intermediate milestones and sectoral long-term strategies with financial and strategic plans for a fair transition.
• The authors identify ten priority measures for the value chain, including promoting a zero-waste circular economy, supporting renewable hydrogen for essential uses only, promoting a 100% renewable grid, and limiting the use of CCS and CCUS to process emissions where no other mitigation options exist.
• The document argues that renewable hydrogen should not be used to justify continued investment in fossil gas grid infrastructure, as it is unlikely to compete with gas imports from Russia and the Middle East.
• The strategy should prioritise 'no-regrets' options, such as maximizing renewable energy uptake and circularity performance targets, and implement a compulsory phase-out of the lowest-performing products and processes.
• The authors criticize the current EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) for overgenerous free allowances that have led to windfall profits and argue that China is already outperforming the EU in low-carbon investment and renewable energy build rates.
• A just transition requires that the Just Transition Mechanism and all other EU funds exclude fossil fuel investments, including natural gas, and be contingent on the development of comprehensive, locally-developed transition plans.

APA

Carbon Market Watch (2020). Civil Society Organisations’ recommendations for the new EU Industrial Strategy - Making the new European industrial strategy an enabler of a just transition to a carbon neutral, circular and zero-pollution economy. https://carbonmarketwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/green-NGOs-interservice-letter-vicepresident-.pdf

Chicago

Carbon Market Watch. Civil Society Organisations’ recommendations for the new EU Industrial Strategy - Making the new European industrial strategy an enabler of a just transition to a carbon neutral, circular and zero-pollution economy. 2020. https://carbonmarketwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/green-NGOs-interservice-letter-vicepresident-.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Carbon Market Watch |title=Civil Society Organisations’ recommendations for the new EU Industrial Strategy - Making the new European industrial strategy an enabler of a just transition to a carbon neutral, circular and zero-pollution economy |date=18 February 2020 |url=https://carbonmarketwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/green-NGOs-interservice-letter-vicepresident-.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{carbonmarketwatch2020civil, author = {{Carbon Market Watch}}, title = {{Civil Society Organisations’ recommendations for the new EU Industrial Strategy - Making the new European industrial strategy an enabler of a just transition to a carbon neutral, circular and zero-pollution economy}}, publisher = {Carbon Market Watch}, year = {2020}, month = feb, url = {https://carbonmarketwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/green-NGOs-interservice-letter-vicepresident-.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }