stopfossadmin, Author at Decarbonise Now

Open Letter to Commissioners Hoekstra and Kadis

December 2, 2024

Congratulations on your appointment. Our NGOs BLOOM, ClientEarth, Oceana and Seas At Risk look forward to collaborating with you and supporting your efforts to advance the goals outlined in your mission letters. Together, we work for the elimination of fossil fuel subsidies in fisheries, fair financial and fishing opportunities for coastal, artisanal and small-scale fishing communities, and a shift toward low-impact fishing practices.

Webinar: Capacity Ceilings in EU fisheries – Barrier or Opportunity for Decarbonisation?

November 30, 2024

This timely event, ahead of the European Commission Energy Transition Partnership workshops (11-12 December) focusing on small-scale, large-scale, and distant-water fisheries, will bring together experts, policymakers, and both small-scale and large-scale fishers to explore the report’s findings and their implications for decarbonisation in the fisheries sector.

Capacity Ceilings in EU Fisheries: Obstacle or Opportunity for the Decarbonisation Process?

Report: EU Fishing Capacity Rules No Barrier to Decarbonising Industry, Despite Industry Claims

October 29, 2024

A new report from ClientEarth reveals that limits on vessel weight and power under EU’s Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) prove no obstacle to switching the EU fishing fleet to energy-efficient and low-carbon propulsion technologies.

Fishing boat - fishing for lobster and crab near the Ile de Batz, Brittany, France. Photo: davewalshphoto.com

Commission Must Deliver EU Fisheries Energy Transition Roadmap Before Year End – NGOs, Artisanal Fishers & Scientists say

October 3, 2024

The European Commission must stick to its commitment to deliver a roadmap for the energy transition of the EU fisheries sector before the end of the year, said scientists, a former Member of the European Parliament, NGOs and artisanal fishers today, during a Brussels Ocean Week event Driving the energy transition and climate resilience in EU fisheries.

Report: Capacity Ceilings in EU Fisheries: Obstacle or Opportunity for the Decarbonisation Process?

October 2, 2024

This report examines the extent to which existing capacity caps for the EU Fishing fleet affect decarbonization efforts. The analysis reveals that many Member States have not yet reached their capacity ceilings, and there are pathways for hybrid or full decarbonization that align with current regulations.

Fishing boats in the village Union Hall, West Cork, Ireland. Union Hall is synonymous with fresh fish. Photo: davewalshphoto.com

In-person Ocean Week Event: Driving the energy transition and climate resilience in EU fisheries

September 11, 2024

The energy transition in the fisheries sector is not just about reducing emissions and fighting climate change—it’s about ensuring the sector remains competitive on the global stage and stays resilient in the long-term.

Fishing vessel Zealand - Copyright Christian Åslund / Greenpeace

In Perspective: Tackling the EU’s Unproductive Fishery Sector Subsidies

July 10, 2024

Considering the overall amount of subsidies to the fishery sector and the interaction with the state aid control mechanism, we urge EU member states to work towards a consensus, under the Hungarian presidency, that abolishes tax exemptions for fossil fuels destined for fisheries use.

Bottom Trawler Playa de Menduina EU bottom trawler the Playa de Menduina active in the North Atlantic. Bottom-trawling boats, the majority from EU countries, drag fishing gear weighing several tonnes across the sea bed, destroying marine wildlife and devastating life on underwater mountains - or 'seamounts'. Greenpeace ship Esperanza tours Atlantic waters searching for and intercepting bottom trawling fishing vessels during a campaign to highlight the destruction caused by this controversial form of fishing. Credit line: © Greenpeace / Kate Davison

Briefing: What if adopting the Energy Taxation Directive was a mitigation action under UNCLOS?

June 11, 2024

Without the elimination of fossil fuel subsidies from our economies, we will not be able to reach climate objectives under EU law or broader climate objectives under the Paris agreement, in order to ensure a decent future for the planet and humankind in the coming decades. Last December’s COP28 climate summit underlined the urgent need to transition away from fossil fuels and the phasing out of inefficient fossil fuel subsidies that do not address energy poverty or just transitions.

Energy transition and Decarbonisation of the fishing fleet: the Low Impact Fishers of Europe (LIFE)’s Perspective

April 22, 2024

Shifting from fossil fuel dependency to a zero carbon economy is as imperative for fisheries as it is for other production sectors. Decarbonisation must also be coherent with the other processes affecting the fisheries sector, and in line with fishery management objectives. Decarbonisation must not be pursued at the expense of biodiversity conservation, nature restoration, and the transition towards a fair and sustainable food system. On the other hand, if the vision of the fisheries of the future is well framed and the energy transition is well aligned with the CFP objectives to end overfishing, conserve and restore the marine environment, and is consistent with the objectives of achieving economic, social and employment benefits, it could provide a great opportunity to revitalise the small-scale low impact fishing sector, and give them prospects of future.

Fishing boats tied up in Kilmore Quay, Wexford, Ireland. Photo: davewalshphoto.com

How the European Parliament Failed to Find Agreement on the Energy Taxation Directive

April 2, 2024

A truly ambitious revised ETD should have taxed the greener energies at a lower or at zero level, while taxing carbon rich energies at a higher rate.