Dear reader,
Boo! Did we scare you? Good! Instead of letting these frightening times get the better of us, we are taking back the power and seeking to spook. Throughout this edition, we’ve sprinkled in just some of our many costume ideas (you’re welcome). Join us for an environmental movement trick-or-treat where we give our leaders a choice – either hand over the green goodies (real rules to protect our environment) or prepare to be haunted! OooOoooOoo 👻
Kudos must be offered to our German colleagues, who have taken this metaphor to its end with their monstrous campaign embodying the Bürokratiemonster – the “bureaucratic monsters” politicians invoke whenever they want to scrap a rule they dislike. Some might think their lives would be easier if they could bury environmental protections, human rights, and the rule of law alive. But these pesky creatures won’t stay underground. They’ll be waiting around the next corner, claws out, ready to defend the public good. Meet Fleur, Justus and Robin.
This week, we’ll take:
🔮 a deep dive into the cities leading by example
🔥 a temperature check on EU climate ambition
🧛 a reality check on the EU’s plan for civil society
If you enjoy our New Leaf, consider buying us a coffee. Or else… 💀
🔮 URBAN LEGENDS
In case you didn’t know, today is World Cities Day! Home to about 75% of Europe’s population, cities are better known for their exhaust fumes, bin lined streets and concreted landscape… but things are changing. We shine a torchlight on these urban legends: no need to be intimidated, they are just showing what is possible.
Success with a sting – If you are not familiar with Slovenia’s capital, Ljubljana, you’ll have to take our word on the car-free city centre, pedestrian and cyclist priority and free electric buses. While you’re looking it up, check out these other impressive initiatives: Ljubljana was the first EU capital to pledge to adopt a Zero Waste strategy. The city is working towards greater food self-sufficiency, aiming for around 50% by 2027. It was named “Most Bee-Friendly Municipality” for its efforts to support pollinators: through projects like the Bee Path, delayed mowing to let flowers bloom, and planting nectar-rich plants.
Beware the sponge! Copenhagen is on track to become the world’s first “sponge city.” Across the city, hundreds of projects are underway to manage flooding and protect against rising seas and heavy rainfall for the next century. Inspired by a concept first developed in China, sponge cities use natural features – parks, lakes, and green rooftops – to soak up excess water instead of letting it overwhelm urban areas. These green interventions also support biodiversity, improve air quality, and help cool the city during hot weather.
Silence of Heilbronn – This German city was crowned the green capital for 2027 at the European Green Cities Awards, hosted at the Lithuanian National Art Gallery in Vilnius earlier this month.
Judges have praised Heilbronn for its holistic approach to sustainable urban planning and its ambitious 2035 targets. Key initiatives, including the Landscape Plan 2030 and Mobility Concept, address air quality and noise pollution together. The city also emphasises citizen engagement, using participatory platforms, awareness campaigns, and quiet-area protections to involve residents in shaping its environmental strategy.
Here to judge – The EEB was proud to join the EU Commission, the European Committee of the Regions, the European Environment Agency (EEA), and the EU Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy on the jury panel for the awards. Check out the other winners here.
Boo-tiful – In a world growing increasingly crazy, cities are proving that local ambition can move faster and reach further than even national policy. While governments debate timelines and targets, urban communities are rolling up their sleeves and showing what transformation looks like – greener streets, cleaner air, and more resilient neighbourhoods. Each success raises the bar for national action, showing that a fairer, climate-safe future is already taking shape, and that all of us have the power to shape the environment in which we live.
🔥 “CLIMATE CHANGE ISN’T A TRAGEDY, IT’S A CRIME”
Tragedy in the Caribbean – Hurricane Melissa, one of the strongest storms on record, made landfall in Jamaica, Cuba and Haiti earlier this week, taking lives and destroying livelihoods, causing immeasurable damage. Our thoughts are with all those affected.
Haunted by 1.5 – This tragedy is another stark reminder of a deepening crisis. Such extreme weather events are becoming more common and more intense due to climate change, a direct result of the burning of oil, coal and gas. Indeed, Wednesday marked one year since the devastating floods in Valencia, Spain. Despite growing calls from scientists, citizens and civil society, governments are failing to move at a necessary speed to avoid the worst consequences. Indeed, just 10 years after the Paris Agreement, climate scientists have declared the 1.5° target out of reach.
Pay up, polluters! The consequences of this failure are not shared equally. The world’s poorest countries are suffering the most from climate change, despite being least responsible for the greenhouse gas emissions that cause it. After facing loss of life, homes and infrastructure, they are left to foot the bill for rebuilding with little to no support from those responsible.
Don’t let Europe ghost its responsibilities – As debates on the 2040 climate target drag on, too many “flexibility” clauses risk letting the EU ghost its obligations. The climate crisis doesn’t wait, and it certainly doesn’t care for accounting tricks. We need at least 90% net emissions reduction by 2040, with strong 2035 milestones, to confront the climate nightmare and lead globally. Next week, EU ministers will agree on a final text. So we made sure they know what we think. Any delaying tactic will haunt Europe’s credibility, stall progress, and put society at risk. Find our letter here.
🧛 COLLECTIVE SPIRIT
How the EU is killing its NGOs – This week, Professor Alberto Alemanno powerfully captured the growing hostility facing civil society across Europe in his EUObserver column. He outlines a worrying five-step playbook used to weaken NGOs: manufacture a scandal, institutionalise the witch hunt, defund, criminalise, and then exploit their indispensability.
High stakes – But guess what, we’re harder to kill (and more determined to live) than vampires. Civil society is the lifeblood of democracy – exposing injustice, amplifying citizens’ voices, and holding power to account. With the EU’s Civil Society Strategy on the horizon, it is more important than ever to protect civic space, guarantee sustainable funding, and recognise NGOs not as essential partners in building a just, green and democratic Europe.
🫧 IN THE EU BUBBLE
🌱💀 Rising from the earth – The EUs first ever soil law, agreed last week, was published in the EU’s official journal this week, meaning it has a birthday! Not only are we celebrating the beginning of Europe’s soil restoration journey, but the fact that a law to protect something as unglamorous as dirt was able to succeed in an anti-green age. Politico has even used the process as inspiration for a playbook on passing green laws in a hostile climate, quoting yours truly.
E-waste apocalypse – Europe’s digital hunger is turning into a horror story. New Eurostat data show 14.4 million tonnes of electronics was sold in the EU in 2023 – up 89% since 2012 – while recycling falls far behind. Mountains of e-waste are growing across the EU, wasting precious materials and harming people and planet. It’s time for a stronger EU e-waste law to curb overconsumption, boost reuse and repair, and make producers truly accountable.
🍬✨ DOPAMINE TREAT
As ever, here are a few slightly happier updates to get your weekend off to a perky start:
- Check out the Comedy Wildlife Awards for a morning giggle
- New Irish president is quite iconic, with a set of priorities we can get behind (among other slays)
- Potentially extinct Alpine beetle was found in Northern Italy
- Global conservation body takes first step to protect the ocean’s twilight zone
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By: Ruby Silk. Special thanks to the EEB’s editorial team: Roi Gomez, Ben Snelson and Alberto Vela. Editor: Christian Skrivervik.
