They say that in this world, nothing is certain except death and taxes.
Well, that might be true for everyone except the super-rich, whose growing wealth continues to be protected from government levies, while a vast majority of people struggle to make ends meet. In this edition, we look at nature sounding the alarm, Oxfam’s new report on extreme wealth, World Food Day and why we need to talk about who controls our food systems, the EU’s biogas gamble, and much more.
And the stakes are high. Next week’s General Affairs Council will also shape the next EU budget and the push for “simplification.” Our readers can count on us to make sure they know how and why environmental ambition must stay at the heart of Europe’s decisions. Read our letter to ministers here.
It’s also been a while since we shared a cultural recommendation in this newsletter, but last night I started watching Say Nothing, a historical drama set in Northern Ireland during the 1970s Troubles. It follows the lives of two sisters caught in the conflict, and if you’re a politics or history nerd like me, it’s definitely worth your weekend watch. #RoiRecommends
Enjoy the read, and if you like it, consider joining the growing group of readers who’ve bought us a coffee 😉
🗞️ IN THE HEADLINES
🐝 NATURE IN NUMBERS (NOT ADDING UP)
SOUNDING THE ALARM – Our planet has crossed its first catastrophic climate tipping point – with coral reefs now facing widespread dieback. According to the Global Tipping Points report, the phenomenon is directly linked to greenhouse gas emissions and threatens the livelihoods of hundreds of millions of people.
WHAT’S HAPPENING – The ocean absorbs about 30% of human-caused CO₂ emissions, acting as a crucial carbon sink that slows global warming. But when this CO₂ dissolves in seawater, it increases ocean acidity, making it harder for corals, oysters, and plankton to build and maintain their shells and skeletons – a chain reaction that destabilises entire marine ecosystems.
TRULY TEETERING – The report warns that the world is also on the brink of other tipping points – from the dieback of the Amazon and the collapse of major ocean currents to the melting of polar ice sheets. Each would have irreversible, cascading impacts on our climate system.
According to the scientists and experts behind this report, only by cutting greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030 and reaching net zero by 2050 can the worst impacts of climate change be prevented. With COP30 on the horizon, they are calling for immediate and unprecedented action from leaders and policymakers worldwide. The EEB joins that call!
🐝 FROM GREEN TO GREY
BRING BACK BEES – Back in Europe, the outlook for nature is not good. A new assessment for the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species classifies nearly 100 additional wild bee species in the region as threatened.
“Pollinators like bees and butterflies are lifelines for our health, our food systems and our economies, sustaining the fruits, vegetables and seeds that nourish us. In fact, four out of five crop and wildflower species in the EU rely on insect pollination,” said Dr Grethel Aguilar, IUCN Director General.
GREEN TO GREY – This assessment identifies habitat loss as one of the main threats facing these pollinators. In fact, another ground-breaking investigation has revealed that the continent is losing the equivalent of 600 football pitches of natural and agricultural land every day.
Green spaces that once supported wildlife, captured carbon, and produced food are being sacrificed to make way for factories, resorts, and luxury housing, as shown by satellite imagery.
An easy step in the right direction would be for MEPs to adopt the EU’s first-ever soil law in parliament next week, as called for by 50+ NGOs, including the EEB.
MAKE IT MAKE SENSE – As Europe’s ecological crisis is deepening, the EU’s own environmental agency warns of deteriorating air, water, and soil quality across the continent, and while all this happens, Brussels is not-so-quietly-anymore rolling back key environmental laws under the banner of “simplification” and “competitiveness.” As we’ve said time and again, the reality is that this is deregulation, even making doing business in Europe less predictable and harder across borders.
MADE IN GERMANY – In the largest economy of the Union, and constituency of the Commission’s own President, people across party lines agree on one thing: 85% of German citizens want to see nature better protected. Check the latest report from our member NABU.
“Failing to implement EU environmental law costs Europe around €180 billion a year. Full compliance would cost €122 billion – saving €58 billion overall. Every €10 invested in protecting nature saves €15 in remedial costs,” notes our Secretary General, Patrick ten Brink. Clearly, the benefits of investing in our environment far outweigh the cost.
Our message is far from subtle (in fact, we printed it on a big bus driving through the EU quarter): Nature and people are one, and the damages inflicted on nature directly affect us. For our future, #HandsOffNature. Fun fact: our omnibus was the only one that actually got stopped (so far).
🫧 IN THE BRUSSELS BUBBLE
🗳️ MEPs VOTE TO WEAKEN CORPORATE ACCOUNTABILITY RULES
RACE TO THE BOTTOM – On Monday, MEPs in the Parliament’s Legal Affairs Committee voted to strip back hard-won corporate sustainability rules, ignoring calls from basically everyone – experts, scientists, civil society, and even many businesses.
The new draft would shrink the law’s scope to cover just around 6,000 of the EU’s 32 million companies, and delete the obligation for businesses to align with the 1.5°C climate goal – even though abandoning it would lock us into the worst impacts of the climate crisis.
STATE OF DELULU – Earlier this week, 46 CEOs from France and Germany urged their governments to even further weaken green regulations and keep free pollution permits for industry. Fortunately, their plea was swiftly rebuffed by senior voices in the European Commission.
Executive Vice-President Teresa Ribera responded firmly: “Competitiveness cannot come at the expense of the environmental and social standards that define Europe’s democracies and remain the backbone of our shared prosperity.”
🐄💨 METHANE
GAS LEAK – Methane, a powerful climate superheater, is the second most significant greenhouse gas and is responsible for one-third of the global warming experienced to date. The EU has a duty to reduce these emissions. Yet, it continues to heavily promote biogas as a supposed silver-bullet solution, channelling millions in public funds while neglecting essential sustainability checks.
If not properly regulated, biogas production can result in alarming leak levels, incentivise industrial and cruel factory farming, delay the phase-out of fossil fuels, and harm local communities through severe pollution. A new report by the Methane Matters coalition warns that the EU’s current approach is putting its climate goals at serious risk. Read the report.
📰 IN OTHER NEWS
CRUNCHING THE NUMBERS – The EU’s richest 1% now hold nearly a quarter of all wealth, while the poorest half of the population owns just 3%. Since 1995, nine in ten Europeans have seen their share of wealth shrink, while the richest 10% have taken the largest slice of the pie. In the first six months of 2025 alone, European billionaires gained more than €400 billion, with 39 new billionaires joining their ranks, according to Oxfam’s latest report.
THE MATH IS NOT MATHING – This inequality isn’t by accident; it’s by design. While one in five Europeans struggles with poverty, the EU’s tax systems keep tipping the scales in favour of those at the top. More than 80% of tax revenues come from the pockets of everyday people, while the super-rich keep finding clever ways to slip through the cracks, using loopholes, tax havens, and special deals to dodge paying their fair share.
IS GETTING WORSE – A generation ago, nine EU countries had a wealth tax. Today, only Spain does.
NO WONDER PEOPLE ARE PISSED – It is not about penalising wealth, but avoiding hoarding and making resources available for the benefit our our societies. It does not have to be this way, and this extreme concentration of wealth undermines democracy, weakens social cohesion, and fuels the climate crisis. Changing it is a political choice. The EU and its Member States must urgently rewrite tax rules so the richest contribute like the rest of us.
A coordinated EU-wide wealth tax of up to 5% on millionaires and billionaires could raise €286.5 billion every year, enough to fund the EU’s long-term budget and strengthen investment in social protection, climate action and global justice. Public support is clear, as two-thirds of Europeans back a tax on the super-rich. Taxing extreme wealth is common sense, and now is the time for the EU to act.
THEY ALSO CONTROL OUR FOOD – As we marked World Food Day this week, we noted that Europe stands at a crossroads. Our food system – so often romanticised as the backbone of culture, community, and rural life – is today fuelling ecosystem collapse, social injustice, and public health emergencies. Worse still, the future of food and farming is increasingly being shaped by the short-term profits of a few. The diagnosis is clear – but so is the remedy. Find out more in our latest piece.
⚔️ FIGHTING THE GOOD FIGHT
BRUSSELS STREETS FILLED WITH SOLIDARITY – Over 100,000 people took to the streets of Brussels this week in a nationwide demonstration calling for fair wages, quality public services, and stronger social protection. Workers, teachers, health staff, and students marched side by side – united in their call for a more just and inclusive society.
A just society goes hand in hand with a just environmental policy. Social and environmental justice are two sides of the same coin – without solidarity, fair working conditions, and strong social systems, the green transition cannot succeed. Standing up for people today means standing up for the planet tomorrow.
🧠✨ DOPAMINE HIT
As ever, here are a few slightly happier updates to get your weekend off to a perky start:
- The city of Hamburg backs in a referendum more ambitious climate action. Read more here
- First pine martens released in Exmoor National Park in landmark nature recovery project. Read more here
- New species of deep-sea shark and crab was discovered in Australia. Read more here
- Once-in-a-Lifetime Bird in Flight Eclipse Photo Wins Bird Photographer of the Year. Read more here
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By: Roi Gomez. Special thanks to the EEB’s editorial team: Ben Snelson, Ruby Silk and Alberto Vela. Editor: Christian Skrivervik.
