ECCO think tank

📌Beyond the mandate: what will give the EU weight at #COP31? The EU heads to Antalya with a clear position: defend the integrity of the Paris Agreement and put implementation at the heart of the agenda. However, divisions among Member States remain, and no new financial commitments have been made.

📌 Electrifying the transition away from fossil fuels The Pre-COP in Fiji & Tuvalu put electrification high on the #COP31 agenda, with the Presidency championing a 35% target by 2035. Our blog with @e3g.bsky.social @iisd.org & @obsclima.bsky.social, sets out 4️⃣ fronts that must progress in Antalya 👇

🚨WEBINAR: Setting the scene for a Mediterranean Climate Agenda for COP31 As #COP31 convenes in Antalya, can Mediterranean countries come to the table with a shared agenda? Join us to discuss cooperation, climate finance & development policy on the road to Antalya. 🔗Register: tinyurl.com/43wdybvb

📰Italy is falling behind on its 2030 transition targets ECCO's annual #NECP monitoring report, covered today by Reuters, finds that Italy has so far delivered only 15% of the progress needed to hit its 2030 goals. Closing the gap means moving faster on electrification, efficiency and renewables.

🚨 EVENT: Electrification, energy bills & competitiveness 📅21 October, 16:30–18:30 📍NetZero Milan How can Europe reduce electricity costs, strengthen industrial competitiveness & accelerate #decarbonisation?

🧩 EU-China trade deal: a piece of the puzzle The deal EU Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič brought back from #China is a tangible result, but one that addresses just a single sector. Tackling imports sector by sector may buy time, but leaves a big question unanswered: what does Europe want to produce?

📌 Yesterday’s event, 'New resources for a new cooperation: Critical Raw Materials in the Euro-African partnership', explored how EU-Africa partnerships on critical raw materials can go further. 🙌 Thank you to all the speakers and participants who contributed to the conversation!

🌍 Advancing EU-Africa cooperation on critical minerals EU partnerships with African countries can do more than secure access to critical raw materials: they can support green industrialisation, infrastructure development & local value creation. Learn more in our policy brief👇 tinyurl.com/bdeuht9c

❓Q&A: Explaining electrification & why it matters for the energy transition #Electrification means meeting energy demand in sectors like transport, buildings & industry with renewable-powered electricity instead of fossil fuels. Our new Q&A answers key questions about this shift & what it means👇

📌Nuclear power in Italy: a regulatory framework is taking shape, but it is not yet an option Michele Governatori comments in Le Figaro on the enabling legislation for the return of #nuclear power in Italy 👇

🎯Retreat 2026 In recent days, the ECCO team came together for our annual retreat: three days to reflect on our impact, discuss our 2027 strategy and explore how to continue improving our organisation. With many new faces this year, it was also a great opportunity to get to know each other better!

📌New York, a test case for climate cooperation The past months have underscored the urgency of climate action & reducing fossil fuel dependence. As world leaders gather for #UNGA & New York Climate Week, our blog asks: can a fragmented international system turn shared risks into common responses?

🔁Michele Governatori talks #nuclear power Electricity demand in Italy is set to rise sharply. Meeting it requires technologies that can scale fast & at a manageable cost. Nuclear plants take 10+ years to build, while renewables paired with storage are already available at a fraction of the price👇

📌Now featured in Contexte: our call to rethink how Europe buys Public procurement accounts for 16% of Europe's GDP, yet remains driven almost entirely by lowest-price criteria. ECCO is among 26 organisations calling to centre low-carbon criteria in the EU procurement revision. Read the article👇

📌How can Italy become a clean energy hub in the Mediterranean while building stronger partnerships with North African countries? Based on 40+ interviews across Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia & Egypt, ECCO and RES4Africa Foundation's new policy brief explores exactly this question👇 tinyurl.com/43sfwtet

🔎ETS1 returns to the heart of the debate ahead of the European Commission’s revision proposal on 17 July. Suspending or dismantling it wouldn't cut energy bills: the driver behind high prices remains the cost of gas. Instead, it would remove a key price signal guiding investment towards clean tech.