economic Justice
Our Economic Justice team is campaigning to hold European companies accountable for harms they are causing around the world, to expose and counter balance industries’ lobby power in Brussels and to keep European institutions and member states from entering or launching toxic trade deals.
Friends of the Earth member groups involved in this work: Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Malta, The Netherlands, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden and England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Sending a climate action killer on the road to extinction
The Energy Charter Treaty (ECT) had been used by major polluting energy corporations to block climate action since the 1990s.
Through relentless campaigning, including mobilisations and touring a giant inflatable dinosaur – the ECT-Rex – across the continent, we exposed this harmful deal and contributed to finally sending it towards the past. More than one million people signed our petition, and over 400 organisations joined our statement demanding withdrawal.
As a result, a wave of countries, including Germany, France, Spain, and the UK, announced their exit – many of them with climate action as a central argument. And finally, in 2024, the EU officially announced its withdrawal.
Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence: Tug-of-war for justice
In 2024, after a prolonged process marked by massive corporate and conservative political resistance, the EU adopted the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD).
The final law includes crucial provisions on corporate liability, access to justice for affected communities, and an obligation for companies to implement climate transition plans in line with the Paris Agreement. This legislation, although still falling behind what is needed, would be a good step towards empowering citizens impacted by corporate negligence to seek justice and hold businesses accountable for their contributions to climate change, pushing them to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
(Spoiler alert: Most of these obligations have been put on ice with a proposal from the European Commission to significantly weaken CSDDD early 2025.)
The final law includes crucial provisions on corporate liability, access to justice for affected communities, and an obligation for companies to implement climate transition plans in line with the Paris Agreement. This legislation, although still falling behind what is needed, would be a good step towards empowering citizens impacted by corporate negligence to seek justice and hold businesses accountable for their contributions to climate change, pushing them to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
(Spoiler alert: Most of these obligations have been put on ice with a proposal from the European Commission to significantly weaken CSDDD early 2025.)
Firewall against fossil fuel lobbyists
Our research on the European Commission’s interactions with fossil fuel lobbyists led to a first Public Hearing to investigate fossil fuel companies’ undue influence on the European Commission’s energy crisis response. In a historic first, politicians from different political parties jointly formulated the need for a conflict-of-interest framework at the EU level to keep fossil fuel lobbyists out of climate and energy decision making processes (i.e. the European Green Deal), in line with the WHO Tobacco Control Framework. The Fossil Free Politics campaign pushed for an end to the practice of bringing fossil fuel lobbyists on official delegations, such as COP, through written statements and letters to governments, media work and a civil society sign-on letter to the EU Climate Commissioner. The EU Commissioner, unlike the previous year, brought no fossil fuel lobbyists on the official delegation for COP29.
Supporting affected communities in the Global South
European politicians and citizens are increasingly aware of the harm caused by (European) corporations in the Global South and the urgent need for legislation to end corporate impunity.
Together with African and European partners, we exposed the devastating impact of extractive LNG projects in Mozambique, amplifying affected communities’ voices in Europe and bringing front line representatives to Brussels.
We also kept opposing the EU-Mercosur trade deal in its current shape, in close collaboration with groups in Mercosur countries. We secured EU media coverage for them, launched joint declarations, press releases, and digital campaigns. This enhanced visibility for their work and perspectives, strengthened mobilisation, and allowed us to respond swiftly to developments on EU-Mercosur trade policies.
Together with African and European partners, we exposed the devastating impact of extractive LNG projects in Mozambique, amplifying affected communities’ voices in Europe and bringing front line representatives to Brussels.
We also kept opposing the EU-Mercosur trade deal in its current shape, in close collaboration with groups in Mercosur countries. We secured EU media coverage for them, launched joint declarations, press releases, and digital campaigns. This enhanced visibility for their work and perspectives, strengthened mobilisation, and allowed us to respond swiftly to developments on EU-Mercosur trade policies.
