One million signatures for the energy transition | attac Germany

Within 14 days, the Petition “Stop the Energy Charter Treaty!” collected a million signatures. The petition, supported by numerous civil society organizations across Europe, sends a strong signal for the energy transition and the end of fossil fuels. In doing so, she underscores the urgent need for action to escape the sword of Damocles that hangs over an ambitious climate policy. Because the contract enables energy companies to take legal action against the energy transition before non-state arbitration tribunals.

The petition calls on the EU Commission, the European Parliament and the governments of the member states to withdraw from the Energy Charter Treaty and to stop its expansion to other countries. New calculations have shown that the Energy Charter Treaty protects fossil infrastructure worth 344,6 billion euros in the EU, Great Britain and Switzerland.

Sonja Meister von Urgewald explains: “As the lawsuit brought by RWE against the Netherlands because of the coal phase-out shows, the Energy Charter contract can make climate protection very expensive and is therefore a potential multi-billion dollar grave for tax money. Because this contract protects in a highly dangerous way fossil fuel infrastructure Europe-wide worth almost 350 billion. Converted to the number of inhabitants, this corresponds to 671 euros per capita in Germany. "

Damian Ludewig from Campact adds: “The original reason for the contract has long since become obsolete, and now the contract is becoming a threatening gesture by energy companies against climate protection policy. Today, energy companies used the treaty to sue EU states in international arbitration courts for billions in compensation when legislators decide new climate measures. A chilling example is the compensation for the accelerated nuclear phase-out in 2011, which Vattenfall demanded in an arbitration tribunal. Now the Federal Republic has to pay a total of 2,4 billion euros to the energy companies Vattenfall, RWE, Eon and EnBW for lost income from nuclear power. We fear that EU member states will weaken planned climate laws for fear of compensation. The current lawsuit by RWE against the Netherlands due to the coal phase-out shows that this is not a pipe dream, but an actual threat. "

“So it is time to put a stop to the contract,” emphasizes Hanni Gramann from Attac. “Italy is already out. So it is possible to escape this contract. The member states France and Spain are also flirting with an exit, and Germany should follow the example and encourage the debate within the EU. "

In Germany, the petition is supported by the following organizations, among others: Attac Germany, Campact, Forum Environment and Development, NaturFreunde Germany, Network Gerechter Welthandel, PowerShift eV, Environment Institute Munich, Urgewald, Future Council Hamburg. In Europe, the initiative is supported by Avaaz and WeMove, among others.