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The European Ocean Pact is presented as a critical opportunity to address the over-exploitation of Europe's marine areas, where over 90% is impacted by human activity. ClientEarth argues that the Pact must prioritize the achievement of healthy, clean, and resilient marine ecosystems over economic activities. The document outlines three strategic priorities: enhancing compliance with existing regulations like the Common Fisheries Policy, establishing legally binding targets to ensure policy coherence, and facilitating a just transition for coastal communities via an EU Ocean Fund.

The document argues that the EU's landing obligation, intended to eliminate discarding and provide a robust picture of total catches, is undermined by poor compliance and a lack of comprehensive catch documentation. It highlights that numerous exemptions further complicate the monitoring of activities at sea and calls for improved reporting to ensure sustainable TAC-setting.

The report finds that while some progress has been made since 2015, the EU and UK failed to meet the 2020 deadline to end overfishing, with over 40% of assessed TACs for 2021 still exceeding scientific advice. It highlights a particular lack of consistency in following advice for data-limited stocks and notes a mixed record for the UK, which improved transparency by including NGOs in negotiations but continued to push for unsustainable bycatch TACs and inter-area flexibility in the West of Scotland.

The report finds that the EU failed to meet its 2020 deadline to end overfishing, with over half of the assessed TACs for 2019 still exceeding scientific advice. It highlights a particular lack of consistency in following advice for data-limited stocks and identifies several Member States that actively pushed for unsustainable catch limits, while noting that all involved states benefited from TACs exceeding scientific recommendations.

The document serves as a guide for EU decision-makers to understand the translation of legal wording in the Common Fisheries Policy into the concrete scientific catch figures provided by ICES when determining Total Allowable Catches.

The document clarifies that under the EU's Common Fisheries Policy, a lack of data cannot justify inaction in conserving fish stocks. It aims to prevent the misuse of the term 'precautionary' by distinguishing between the general legal approach and specific ICES precautionary reference points used in scientific catch advice.

The document asserts that TACs are frequently set at or above scientifically advised levels, failing to account for ecosystem needs or uncertainty. It argues that ICES advice should be treated as a maximum limit rather than a target, and that TACs should often be set below this level to meet the EU's maximum sustainable yield, precautionary, and ecosystem-based management requirements.

The report finds that EU imports of Russian gas increased by 18% in 2024, despite a goal to phase them out by 2027. It highlights a significant misalignment between gas infrastructure expansion and stagnating demand, predicting that supply capacity will exceed demand by 131 bcm by 2030. The document argues that the EU is replacing one fossil fuel dependency with another via LNG, which exposes the region to price volatility and high emissions. It recommends legally binding phase-out targets, reduced gas demand across all sectors, and more efficient use of existing infrastructure to ensure energy security and climate alignment.

Since January 2025, one-third of funds previously holding the French ISR label have abandoned it rather than comply with new criteria excluding companies developing new coal, oil, or gas projects. Reclaim Finance argues this highlights the failure of voluntary labels and the persistence of greenwashing, noting that over 4,000 ESG-promoting funds are sold in France compared to only 967 ISR-labeled funds. The organization urges regulators to implement binding exclusions of fossil fuel development in the upcoming 2025 revision of the European Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR) to protect investors and accelerate the financial transition.

The author contends that prioritizing military spending over green and social investments risks exacerbating Europe's vulnerabilities to climate change and social fragmentation. The text calls for a revision of EU fiscal rules to allow borrowing for high-multiplier public investments and suggests new revenue streams, such as taxes on centimillionaires, to fund these needs.

The report examines 26 state-level Priority Climate Action Plans (PCAPs) submitted under the Climate Pollution Reduction Grants (CPRG) program, finding that most plans rely on generalities and high-cost incentives rather than sector-specific strategies. It argues that states must transition from high-level commitments to tailored, long-term roadmaps that prioritize cost-effective tools, such as operating-cost supports and regulatory standards, while leveraging co-benefits like public health improvements and workforce development to maintain American industrial competitiveness against international peers like China and the EU.

The author argues that the OACPS should move beyond traditional tariff liberalization to a 'muscular' trade and sustainability agenda at the WTO. This proposed plan includes negotiating a plurilateral agreement on green industrialization, creating a dedicated technical facility for sustainable development, and establishing a coherence platform to align trade with global sustainability initiatives like the UNFCCC and UN SDGs. To support this, the document suggests replicating EU models of strategic partnerships on critical raw materials and Clean Trade and Investment Partnerships (CTIPs), which combine private investment with public guarantees and technology transfer. The author emphasizes that such an integrated approach is essential for OACPS members—particularly Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and commodity-dependent nations—to mitigate climate vulnerability and transition toward green industrialization.

The Clean Air Task Force asserts that the EU is missing a strategic opportunity by excluding geothermal innovation from its Affordable Energy Action Plan. The author highlights that utilizing just 1% of Europe's high-temperature geothermal resources could produce 18,000 TWh of electricity. To avoid lagging behind competitors like China and Japan, the document urges the EU to publish a Geothermal Strategy by Q1 2026, include next-generation technologies in funding mechanisms like Horizon, and fully integrate geothermal into its broader energy security plans.

The document argues that while Europe leads in near-zero emission steel innovation, it faces increasing competition from China and the MENA region. It calls for urgent policy action in 2024, specifically recommending the phase-out of coal-fired blast furnaces and the advancement of hydrogen-based green steel to secure jobs and industrial resilience. The text also critiques the Commission's Steel and Metals Action Plan (SMAP) for lacking input from environmental NGOs.

The document opposes the European Commission's simplification packages for the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and other environmental rules, arguing that dismantling these rules will hinder farmers' ability to adapt to climate change. It highlights that heat stress and droughts have already reduced wheat and maize yields by over 60% in some southern European regions. The signatories demand that the CAP transition from hectare-based income support to incentive-based models, specifically calling for eco-schemes to receive 30% of direct payments by 2026-2027 and the implementation of sustainable peatland management. The statement emphasizes that administrative simplification should focus on digitalization and satellite data rather than suspending performance reports or weakening environmental standards.

Rick Smith, President of the Canadian Climate Institute, asserts that industrial carbon pricing is Canada's most effective tool for emissions reductions, providing three times the impact of consumer carbon taxes without increasing consumer costs. He warns that eliminating these systems would create business uncertainty, jeopardize $5 billion in credit values in Alberta, and undermine exports to the UK and EU due to emerging carbon tariffs.

The document analyzes proposed EU amendments to the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) intended to simplify compliance for EU importers. While the briefing notes that changes to the scope and payment timing may have minimal material impact on African exporters, it warns that modifications to 'default values' for embedded emissions and carbon pricing could negatively affect exporters. Specifically, the shift toward global averages for the most carbon-intensive countries rather than EU-specific benchmarks may increase costs for African producers lacking reliable data. The report concludes that the amendments primarily benefit EU importers and may penalize African exporters who lack the administrative capacity to provide actual installation data.

The document examines the tension between mineral-exporting and importing nations, noting that traditional trade and investment agreements often prioritize importer access over exporter development. It highlights the limitations of current Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) and voluntary ESG provisions, recommending that exporting countries reform 'old-generation' investment agreements and that importing countries support local value addition to build more resilient and responsible supply chains.

The report analyzes the US synthetic nitrogen fertilizer market, which is highly centralized with 71% of capacity held by four producers. It evaluates seven ammonia production pathways, ranging from mature 'blue ammonia' (SMR with CCS) to lab-scale electrochemical and photochemical methods. The document identifies key barriers to green ammonia adoption, including high financing risks, lack of industrial standards, and the absence of long-term offtake agreements from farmers. It highlights state-level incentives in North Dakota, Minnesota, Illinois, New York, and Michigan, alongside federal support via the Inflation Reduction Act's 45V clean hydrogen production tax credit, which offers up to $3/kg of hydrogen.

The document is a joint civil society statement opposing the European Commission's Omnibus proposal, which the signatories claim erodes corporate accountability and environmental protections in the EU.