European and national just transitions

Pushing for fair and effective climate policies at the national and European level

We stand at a crucial juncture. European countries are currently designing and implementing the policies that will determine whether we achieve our climate ambitions. This includes the European Green Deal, a historic package of policy initiatives launched in 2019 which aims to put the EU on the path to climate neutrality by 2050. As governments devise and implement these policies, we’re working to make sure that they are fair, effective, and reflect citizens’ priorities – as well as being successfully implemented and resilient to electoral cycles.

Our European country programmes

We ground our work at the national level to help build political will, broaden the climate movement, and achieve policy wins in key geographies. We have staff and partners working on the ground across Europe, with country- and regionally-focused programmes in:

Central and Eastern Europe (with a special focus on Czechia)
France
Germany
Italy
Poland
Spain
Ukraine
UK
Southeast Europe (with a special focus on Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania, and Serbia)
Türkiye

Our place-based approach is one of our greatest strengths, lending us a keen understanding of local dynamics, and strong networks in different sectors and across the political spectrum.

Our EU institutions and governance programmes

To complement our local-and national-level work, we have dedicated programmes working on EU institutional and governance issues. Based in Brussels, our EU institutional relations team focuses on EU politics and policies such as the European Green Deal. Our climate governance team works to win credible legal commitments to net-zero at national and EU level, underpinned by robust long-term planning frameworks.

Meet the teams

Impact stories

Land, food & nature

12.03.2024

A fairer future for farmers is a greener future

Addressing the inequities at the heart of our food system is necessary for both farmers and climate action European farmers have been taking to the streets to protest untenable levels of hardship. From increasing production costs and administrative burden to…

Europe in the world

26.02.2024

Radical rethink and reforms will be needed to climate-proof trade

For the first time ever, the UN’s annual climate summit dedicated a part of its agenda to trade policy. The Trade Day at COP28 in Dubai offered a much-needed focus on the role that international trade can play in the…

Fossil free energy

31.01.2024

Tackling energy poverty in Europe

The buildings sector is a key contributor to climate change, representing around a third of energy-related emissions in the EU. Inefficient buildings have also aggravated energy poverty, which is skyrocketing across the continent with at least 50 million Europeans living…

Our Priorities