Energy, Environment & Climate Change

The PES stands for the creation of a social Energy Union. Energy should be affordable for everyone, but today 1 in 10 Europeans cannot afford to properly heat their homes. Energy poverty must come to an end. We are calling for European rules to help consumers bring down their energy bills: targeted efficiency measures on energy-poor households; improved consumer information and strengthening consumer rights; an enhanced ability for consumers to switch providers; and public investment in efficiency measures and the self-generation of household energy.

In countries at all stages of development, including in Europe, the consequences of global warming are first and foremost felt by vulnerable people and communities. The fight against climate change is therefore inextricably connected with our fight against social injustice. We strongly support the Paris Agreement, the international climate pact struck at the COP21 summit in December 2015, which meets our standards for an ambitious, binding, universal and dynamic agreement.  We want the EU to lead by example in climate protection with ambitious progressive energy policies to decarbonise our economies.

We support the creation of more unified European energy market for secure, affordable and climate-friendly energy. We want the European Union to be a leader in climate protection by fostering the creation of a progressive Energy Union that promotes the rapid and fair transition to a sustainable, decarbonised economy based on renewable sources, energy efficiency and the phasing-out of fossil fuels. In this transition, we will prioritise green job creation and green investment opportunities, ensuring that energy is affordable for all citizens.

The scarcity of natural resources and the environmental and social impact of extraction demand that we rethink our current economic model. Rather than a linear economy based on the process of “take-make-consume-dispose”, we strongly support the transition to a circular economy where products, components and materials are kept at their highest utility and value at all times and waste is considered a resource in its own right. The shift to a circular model also bears great potential for the creation of high-quality green jobs.

we strive for a just transition in line with the EU Green deal and the Fit for 55 package so that the EU’s climate, energy, transport, social and taxation policies are tailored to meet the Co2 reduction emission target by at least 55% by 2030. This transition needs to put people and the environment first and ensure that it is sustainable fair and socially just.

Read the Just Transtion publication