The Lagos State House of Assembly has proposed the relocation of residents displaced by the demolition of waterfront settlements to a new settlement in Agbowa, Epe Local Government Area of the state.
Mr. Noheem Adams, the Chairman of the Standing Committee on Rules and Business, made this known while speaking with newsmen on Wednesday, March 11, 2026, in Lagos.
The waterfront communities affected by the demolition are Makoko, Sogunro and Oko Agbon in Lagos State.
Makoko demolition
Many inhabitants were forced to relocate after the state government started demolishing what it called “illicit structures” in communities around the Third Mainland Bridge in December 2025.
The affected communities later protested the demolition and submitted a petition to the state assembly, prompting lawmakers to call for the suspension of the exercise while the matter was investigated.
Adams said the relocation was necessary because the demolition had resulted in the displacement of numerous residents, including the elderly, the sick, women, and children, as well as the destruction of homes and other properties.
He further observed that the affected waterfront communities largely depended on fishing as their primary source of livelihood and had historically resided on the water due to the nature of their occupation.
Adams said that, following the demolition, living conditions within Makoko and surrounding areas deteriorated significantly, leading to environmental and health hazards, as well as heightened safety and security concerns.
Adams, who is also the Majority Leader of the House, said: “There was a resolution by the House during plenary, following a petition addressed to the Speaker, Mr Mudashiru Obasa, by the residents of the communities.
“Based on our findings, we recommended that the governor should direct the Special Adviser on E-GIS to vet the enumeration report submitted by the Makoko, Sogunro and Oko-Agbon communities.
“The committee also recommended that the government relocate the remaining residents of Makoko, Sogunro and Oko-Agbon to a proposed low-cost housing estate.
“This estate is to be constructed in Agbowa area of Lagos State, Epe, where they can continue their fishing activities.
“In addition, we also advised that the government should involve the Oloto of the Otto Family in the construction of the Water City Project, recognising them as the original owners of the land.”
Adams explained that the committee arrived at its conclusions after engaging the petitioners in five separate meetings.
According to him, it also conducted an oversight visit with relevant government officials, agencies, and representatives of the affected communities.
European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, on Wednesday, March 11, 2026, said the Middle East conflict has imposed heavy economic costs on Europe, driving up energy prices and adding billions of euros to import bills.
“Since the beginning of the conflict, gas prices have risen by 50 per cent and oil prices by 27 per cent,” von der Leyen told the European Parliament in Strasbourg.
She said 10 days of war had already cost European taxpayers an extra €3 billion ($3.48 billion) for fossil fuel imports.
Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission
Von der Leyen said the European Commission is assessing additional measures to lower energy bills, including a possible cap on gas prices.
She said the EU had diversified its fossil fuel supplies in recent years, but “this does not mean that we are immune to price shocks. Energy markets are global.”
The surge marks the second time in recent years that geopolitical conflict has triggered sharp rises in EU energy costs, following the Russia-Ukraine conflict in 2022.
The commission is also pushing nuclear power to boost production and cut prices.
Von der Leyen announced on Tuesday that a €200 million ($231.75 million) EU guarantees to support private investment in innovative nuclear technologies.
EU Energy Commissioner, Dan Jorgensen, urged member states to cut energy taxes where possible, particularly on electricity, to lower consumer bills.
The commission also unveiled a Clean Energy Investment Strategy aimed at channeling private financing into power grids, clean energy technologies and energy efficiency.
Similarly, Ursula von der Leyen highlighted the economic consequences of the conflict in the Middle East for Europeans due to the EU’s high dependencies on fossil fuel imports.
“Since the beginning of the conflict, gas prices have risen by 50% and oil prices by 27%,” von der Leyen said on Wednesday in a speech at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France.
“If you translate this into euros: 10 days of war have already cost European taxpayers an additional €3 billion ($3.5 billion) in fossil fuels imports,” she said. “That is the price of our dependence.”
Her remarks follow the presentation of new EU energy initiatives on Tuesday, including the planned roll-out of new, smaller nuclear reactors by the early 2030s to boost the bloc’s energy production.
Von der Leyen said that the commission was currently assessing additional measures to reduce energy bills, including capping gas prices.
After Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 caused energy prices in the European Union to skyrocket, the fallout from the war in Iran is the second time in a few years that energy prices in the EU have soared due to geopolitical conflicts.
Von der Leyen stressed that recent efforts to diversify fossil fuel providers are limiting the fallout of the Middle East conflict.
“But this does not mean that we are immune to price shocks. Energy markets are global,” she said.
“No matter what we do in terms of measures, as long as we import a significant share of fossil fuels from unstable regions, we are vulnerable and we are dependent.”
More than 10 days into the latest escalation of conflict in the Middle East, health systems across the Region are coming under strain as injuries and displacement rise, attacks on health care continue, and public health risks increase.
National health authorities in Iran report more than 1,300 deaths and 9,000 injuries, and in Lebanon report at least 570 deaths and more than 1,400 injuries. In Israel, authorities report 15 deaths and 2,142 injuries.
At the same time, the conflict is affecting the very services meant to save lives. In Iran, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has verified 18 attacks on health care since February 28, 2026, resulting in eight deaths among health workers. Over the same period in Lebanon, 25 attacks on health care have resulted in 16 deaths and 29 injuries.
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General, World Health Organisation (WHO)
These attacks not only cost lives but deprive communities of care when they need it most. Health workers, patients and health facilities must always be protected under international humanitarian law.
Beyond the immediate impact, the conflict is creating wider public health risks. Current estimates indicate more than 100,000 people in Iran have relocated to other areas of the country due to insecurity, and up to 700,000 people have been internally displaced in Lebanon, with many in crowded collective shelters under deteriorating public health conditions, with limited access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene. These conditions increase the risk of respiratory infections, diarrhoeal diseases, and other communicable illnesses, especially for the most vulnerable populations, such as women and children.
Environmental hazards are also a raising concern. In Iran, petroleum fires and smoke from damaged infrastructure exposed nearby communities to toxic pollutants that potentially cause breathing problems, eye and skin irritation, and contaminated water and food sources.
Access to health services is becoming increasingly constrained across several countries. In Lebanon, 49 primary health care centres and five hospitals have shut following evacuation orders issued by Israel’s military, reducing the availability of essential services as medical needs rise.
In the occupied Palestinian territory, increased movement restrictions and checkpoint closures are delaying ambulance and mobile clinics’ access across several governorates in the West Bank. In Gaza, medical evacuations remain suspended since February 28, while hospitals continue to operate under strain amid ongoing shortages of medicines, medical supplies and fuel, which is being rationed to prioritise essential health services such as emergency and trauma care, maternal and neonatal services, and management of communicable diseases.
Temporary airspace restrictions have disrupted the movement of medical supplies from WHO’s global logistics hub in Dubai. More than 50 emergency supply requests, intended to benefit over 1.5 million people across 25 countries, are affected, resulting in significant backlogs. Current priority shipments include supplies planned for Al Arish, Egypt, to support the Gaza response, as well as Lebanon and Afghanistan. The first shipment, containing cholera response supplies for Mozambique, is expected to depart from the hub in the coming week.
The escalation comes at a time when humanitarian needs in the Eastern Mediterranean Region were already among the highest in the world. Across the Region, 115 million people require humanitarian assistance – almost half of all people in need globally – while humanitarian health emergency appeals remain 70% underfunded.
Without protection for health care, sustained humanitarian access and stronger financial and operational support for the humanitarian health response, the strain on vulnerable populations and already fragile health systems will continue to grow.
WHO calls on all parties to protect civilians and health care, ensure unimpeded and sustained humanitarian access, and pursue de-escalation of the conflict so communities can begin to recover and move towards peace.
Healthy eating is often portrayed as a matter of willpower or personal choice. Yet, for millions of women and girls, the concept of choice is an illusion. Their health is significantly influenced by their food environment – the physical, economic, and social factors that determine what food is accessible, affordable, and promoted.
A poor food environment is not just about a lack of food. More often, it is about limited access to nutritious options. This can manifest as food deserts, which are urban or rural areas where fresh, affordable produce is miles away, leaving residents dependent on convenience stores saturated with high-calorie, ultra-processed foods.
Bukola Olukemi-Odele, food and nutrition scientist, and Programme Officer, Cardiovascular Health, at Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA)
When food environments deteriorate in this way, the consequences are not shared equally. Women and girls bear a disproportionate share of the burden. Their bodies move through life stages that demand consistent and specific nutritional support, from adolescence to pregnancy and beyond. Yet the social realities surrounding food availability and preparation deepen their exposure to unhealthy diets.
As fresh and nutritious options become harder to access, supermarket shelves, kiosks, and convenience stores are increasingly dominated by products such as bread, noodles, frozen meals, sugary drinks, reconstituted meat products, fries, and snacks. These foods are deliberately formulated to trigger repeat consumption.
They typically contain high concentrations of salt, sugar, fats, and flavour enhancers that create what nutrition researchers describe as hyper-palatability, a sensory quality that strongly stimulates appetite and encourages repeated intake. The result is a steady shift away from whole foods toward diets that fill the stomach while offering little nutritional value.
The health effects are already visible.
Recent data from the Global Nutrition Report indicates that 15.7 percent of women in Nigeria are living with obesity. Research also shows that ultra-processed foods (UPFs) often contain endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) from packaging materials and industrial additives. For young girls, high consumption of UPFs has been linked to earlier onset of puberty, a development associated with lifelong health risks, including increased susceptibility to breast and ovarian cancers later in life.
The dangers intensify during pregnancy. Diets rich in UPFs can lead to gestational hypertension, diabetes, and even pre-eclampsia. Additionally, high consumption of UPFs is linked to Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), largely due to insulin spikes caused by refined sugars. Industrial fats may also contribute to oxidative stress that can damage egg quality and complicate conception. In the end, what appears to be a simple matter of diet gradually becomes a question about reproductive health and the wellbeing of future generations.
Another dimension of the problem lies in how these products are marketed. Women remain widely responsible for feeding households and bearing much of unpaid care work, often while managing tight working schedules. Food companies exploit this reality by presenting UPFs as convenient and cheap solutions for the “busy woman.” Instant meals promise speed.
Packaged snacks promise convenience. Sugary drinks promise quick energy. In the absence of regulations such as mandatory front-of-package warning labels or restrictions on aggressive marketing, these products quietly become the default choice for consumers and many households.
The consequences extend far beyond individual health. Diet-related illnesses lead to lost workdays, rising medical expenses, and declining economic participation. Women already navigating income disparities often find themselves carrying the extra weight of chronic conditions, including autoimmune diseases, certain cancers, and inflammatory disorders linked to the consumption of UPFs.
Food justice is therefore a crucial feminist issue and sits firmly within the broader conversation about women’s wellbeing. When governments fail to regulate unhealthy food environments, the costs are borne most heavily by those already managing multiple burdens.
Effective action requires more than public health advice. Governments must adopt policies that reshape the market itself. Fiscal measures that discourage unhealthy products, clear front-of-pack warning labels that help consumers make informed choices, mandatory salt limits for processed and pre-packaged foods, and stronger controls on marketing aimed at women and children can help rebalance the forces at play, as well as counter market pressure.
True justice for women and girls means ensuring a world where the food on their plates is a source of strength rather than a slow, creeping threat to their future.
By Bukola Olukemi-Odele, food and nutrition scientist, and Programme Officer, Cardiovascular Health, at Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA)
The Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP) says it is seeking compliance with wetlands protection in oil plans, welcoming the designation of Ogoniland wetlands as a Ramsar Site of International Importance.
President of the MOSOP, Mr. Olu Andah Wai-Ogosu, made the remark in a statement he issued to journalists in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Tuesday, March 10, 2026.
Wai-Ogosu advised that any resumption of oil operations in the area should comply with international wetlands protection principles.
President of the MOSOP, Mr. Olu Andah Wai-Ogosu
He added that the recognition by the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands Secretariat placed Ogoniland in the global network of wetlands whose ecological integrity must be protected in line with internationally accepted conservation standards.
Wai-Ogosu described the designation as a landmark development that affirmed the ecological value of Ogoniland’s wetlands and the long-standing call by the Ogoni people for their protection.
‘’The designation represents a significant step toward restoring, protecting and sustainably managing the fragile ecosystems of the area after decades of environmental degradation,’’ he said.
He also commended the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) under the leadership of Nenibarini Zabbey for its role in achieving the international recognition.
Wai-Ogosu stressed that the new status came with clear obligations, noting that any proposed resumption of oil and gas operations in Ogoniland must strictly comply with environmental protection principles established under the Ramsar Convention.
He urged the Federal Government to ensure that no activity compromised the ecological character of the Ogoni wetlands.
He added that any plan to resume oil and gas production in the area must undergo rigorous environmental scrutiny consistent with the obligations of the convention.
Wai-Ogosu further stated that oil companies, contractors and institutions operating in Ogoniland should demonstrate full compliance with international wetland protection standards.
He said that activities capable of degrading the ecological integrity of the wetlands must not be permitted under any circumstances.
Wai-Ogosu mentioned that Ogoni communities had for decades endured the consequences of poorly regulated hydrocarbon exploitation.
He also added that the Ramsar designation had now established a new international environmental benchmark for government policy and corporate conduct in the region.
He emphasised that Ogoniland was no longer only an oil-bearing territory but an internationally recognised ecological asset whose protection was tied to global environmental commitments.
Wai-Ogosu said that MOSOP would remain vigilant and engage both national and international mechanisms to ensure that the obligations arising from the Ramsar designation were respected and enforced.
G7 countries were on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, urged to enact a windfall tax or tax on the excess profits of oil and gas companies benefiting from price surges following the Iran war.
350.org made the demand after G7 finance ministers said it was studying “necessary measures” to address the war’s economic impacts, including the release of emergency oil reserves.
In 2022, the UK government imposed a 25% levy on carbon majors to help ease the prices of oil and gas following a surge driven by the Ukraine war, raising £3.6 billion in two years.
G7 leaders at the 2025 G7 Leaders’ Summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, Canada
Such revenues from a windfall tax can be used as an immediate buffer to protect families from price surges, as well as fund long-term, homegrown renewable energy solutions.
Fanny Petitbon, 350.org France Country Manager, said: “Releasing emergency oil reserves is just a band-aid on a gaping wound. If G7 countries are serious about stabilizing the market, they need to stop protecting profits and start taxing companies which fuel the climate crisis. Working people shouldn’t be paying the price while oil majors treat the war in the Middle East like a winning lottery ticket. We need the G7 to step up and establish a windfall tax now to put those profits back into the pockets of the people.
“The French government, as president of the G7, must also confront the elephant in the room, the urgent phase-out of fossil fuels. It can no longer look away from the reality which is that we cannot stay addicted to oil and gas.”
Clémence Dubois, 350.org Global Campaigns Manager, said: “Wars expose a deep flaw in our energy system: when prices spike, fossil fuel companies stand ready to cash in while households and businesses struggle. That’s not just market volatility, it’s the result of governments allowing fossil fuel companies to keep the power to shape the energy system and pass the costs onto everyone else.
“G7 governments must stop reinforcing this model with fossil fuel tax cuts that only inflate corporate earnings. Cutting fossil fuel taxes during a crisis is not a relief for families, it’s a subsidy for companies that are already enjoying windfall profits.
“The right response is a strong windfall tax, which should be redirected to support households and accelerate the transition to clean energy that reduces our dependence on the very fuels driving both climate disruption and global instability.”
Masayoshi Iyoda, 350.org Japan Campaigner, said: “Most of Japan’s oil imports pass through the Strait of Hormuz, making Japan acutely exposed to fossil fuel price shocks. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has moved to calm fears over rising energy and food prices, but reassurances and stop-gap measures like releasing oil reserves are not enough. Fossil fuel companies are cashing in on this crisis. A windfall tax on polluting industries would make them pay by taking responsibility, not ordinary families already stretched by years of stagnant wages and price surges due to climate impacts.
“When PM Takaichi meets US President Trump next week, we urge her to reconsider Japan’s alignment with the Trump administration’s fossil fuel agenda. The attack on Iran has shown, once again, how that agenda means prosperity for oil and gas corporations, and higher bills for everyone else. Accelerating a just transition to renewable energy and phasing out fossil fuels is Japan’s best option to secure affordable and sustainable energy based on democracy and peace.”
In a period of economic uncertainty and escalating climate impacts, The Green Connection is of the opinion that South Africa’s Budget 2026 misses a critical opportunity to use the Just Energy Transition (JET) as a driver of inclusive development, job creation and long-term resilience.
While some short-term relief measures are welcome, the eco-justice organisation argues the Budget does not address the structural drivers of inequality, poverty and unemployment.
“We have heard many of these commitments before,” says The Green Connection’s Outreach Ambassador, Neville van Rooy.
Enoch Godongwana, Soth Africa’s Minister of Finance
“South Africa needs structural reforms that break with old patterns – reforms that align fiscal policy with climate realities, support low-carbon development, and equip people with the skills needed for the future. A genuinely pro‑poor budget must look beyond short-term relief and focus on long-term security by prioritising climate resilience, accessible clean energy, and the large-scale creation of dignified, sustainable livelihoods,” adds van Rooy.
Just Energy Transition: Funding Without Clarity
South Africa has secured significant international climate finance for the Just Energy Transition, yet Budget 2026 provides limited detail on allocations, timelines or implementation mechanisms. Without ring-fenced funding, measurable targets and clear oversight, The Green Connection warns that the transition risks becoming rhetorical rather than transformative.
“Where are the investments in socially owned renewables, community-based infrastructure and youth skilling at scale?” asks van Rooy. “A just transition must reduce inequality and create sustainable work – not deepen dependence on extractive fossil fuel industries. Existing planning frameworks such as the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) and the legally required Integrated Energy Plan (IEP), should guide these decisions. However, the latest IRP still focuses too heavily on fossil fuels, and the IEP is yet to be implemented. Both of these, however, can only be considered valid, with proper input from the people who have to live with these decisions.”
Continued fiscal support for fossil fuels is an ongoing concern. Energy subsidies more than tripled between FY2017 and FY2020 to ZAR 172 billion ($10.4 billion), with the largest allocations directed toward coal-fired electricity, according to the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD).
Even the carbon tax – a positive signal to major emitters such as Sasol – is insufficient on its own. Large emitters require credible Just Transition plans aligned with South Africa’s carbon budget, particularly as energy-intensive sectors expand, to now also include the impact of data centres.
Climate Impacts Already Reshaping Communities
The energy crisis remains a lived reality for poor and working-class households. While measures to stabilise municipal finances are welcomed, the Budget does not clearly ring-fence funding for climate adaptation or disaster management.
According to van Rooy, “For every dollar spent on climate adaptation, studies estimate a return of more than $10 in social and economic benefits, within a decade. These are high-return investments that reduce future disaster costs and create jobs. Why are they not central to fiscal planning?”
Communities displaced by floods in KwaZulu-Natal remain without permanent housing, while recurring droughts in the Eastern Cape affect communities’ access to clean water and continue to undermine local food systems. And small-scale farmers have already suffered R65 million in losses. In addition, coastal communities are also under pressure. Small-scale fishers face warming oceans, shifting fish stocks, industrial pollution and extreme weather events – yet Budget 2026 makes no targeted provision for small-scale fisheries support, coastal adaptation or marine ecosystem protection.
A credible just transition must include the ocean economy – protecting marine biodiversity and securing the livelihoods of artisanal fishers – not only promoting large-scale industrial energy projects. As early as 2024, Reserve Bank Governor, Lesetja Kganyago, warned that rising climate-related disaster costs would increasingly burden the public purse. Climate change is already driving infrastructure damage, emergency spending and livelihood losses.
“With just four years until the 2030 emissions‑reduction deadline of exceeding the potentially catastrophic 1.5°C threshold – Budget 2026 represents a crucial opportunity to invest in energy solutions that meaningfully improve people’s lives,” says Lisa Makaula, The Green Connection’s Advocacy Lead. “Community‑owned renewable energy reduces energy poverty, strengthens local economies and enhances safety. These are the foundations of long‑term stability.”
Infrastructure Choices Risk Fossil Lock-In
Government’s emphasis on infrastructure-led growth is positive in principle, particularly investment in rail and ports that could shift freight from road to rail and reduce emissions. However, The Green Connection cautions that governance reform, transparency and operational sustainability are prerequisites for success.
The carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM) also presents a material risk for South Africa. If we maintain our reliance on fossil fuels, especially coal, exporters could face significantly higher taxes when trading with regions implementing CBAM‑aligned policies. Therefore, expanding coal export corridors risks locking the country into carbon‑intensive growth pathways and effectively subsidising further fossil fuel expansion at a time when global markets are moving in the opposite direction.
“If this Budget is to be remembered as genuinely pro-poor,” says van Rooy, “it must move beyond short-term relief and invest decisively in climate resilience, energy justice, municipal capacity and ocean protection. That means placing long-term sustainability, intergenerational equity and environmental rights at the centre, and ensuring fiscal policy is transparent, accountable and aligned with our constitutional obligation to protect both present and future generations.”
EcoSmart Club, a youth-led grassroots organisation championing climate action, is launching the Oniparo Project, one of Nigeria’s biggest sustainable fashion research projects.
The nine-month project aims to shed light on the impacts of fast fashion on the circular environment and the contribution of the Oniparo Women in curbing textile waste in Nigeria and Africa at large.
Oniparo is a Yoruba (Western Nigeria) name given to people who engage in exchange business. Paro is an age-long trade by barter, an informal business of collecting/ upcycling clothes in Western Nigeria.
Women of Oniparo community with members of EcoSmart
Women known as Oniparos typically go from house to house collecting discarded and fairly used clothes, which they exchange for money or household items such as buckets or basins.
Hannah Omokhaye, Founder of EcoSmart Club, said these women are not only the pioneers of the circular economy in Nigeria, but they are also providing affordable clothing for low income-communities both in Nigeria and other West African countries as well as livelihoods for themselves and their families.
“This vital business is rapidly declining due to economic shifts and climate change. In particular, unpredictable weather affects their mobility and heatwaves impact their health, and a growing preference for disposable clothing among people, which is influenced by cultural shifts and even religious beliefs,” Omokhaye said.
“Additionally, there is little to no documentation or advocacy about Oniparos, leaving them overlooked in informal circular economy discussions. Yet, they play a critical role,” she added.
Supported by the African Climate Alliance – a youth-led, movement-based, grassroots organisation acting and advocating for Afrocentric climate justice – the project is to span from March to October 2026.
Globally, textiles represent the second-largest industrial sector that creates employment for people. Apart from job provision, the industries feed several other manufacturing industries in producing materials for human and non-human consumption.
However, according to the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP), roughly 92 million tonnes of textile waste is generated worldwide each year. This is equivalent to a truckload of clothing being incinerated or sent to landfills every second.
Textile waste generates about 10% of global Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions and 20% of wastewater. Nearly 5% of the waste in landfills are textile waste, and approximately 35% of all oceanic primary microplastic pollution is caused by the fashion industry operations.
“This is why this project is important. It is to create public awareness on the co-benefits of zero textile waste, livelihoods, and cultural preservation,” Omokhaye said. “The Oniparo trade is a generational livelihood system. The women play a significant role in clothing redistribution and circular economy practices.”
On her part, Oluwatoyin Ajao, Project Manager of Oniparo Project, said the project would spark conversations around textile waste, sustainable fashion, and policy inclusion of women who actively drive the circular economy.
“This project is a shift from the previous ones executed by the team. Not only are we using inclusive storytelling to preserve culture, through this project, we are also showcasing afrocentric solutions to global issues such as textile waste and the broader conversion of environmental sustainability,” Ajao said.
More than 100 companies have called on leaders of the European Union (EU) to reaffirm support for the bloc’s carbon-pricing mechanism.
The EU Emissions Trading System (ETS), ahead of a summit next week, made the call on Tuesday, March 10, 2026.
In a letter published Tuesday, the businesses said Europe’s security and economic resilience depend on strengthening its clean energy transition.
Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission
“In the current geopolitical context, Europe’s security and sovereignty hinge on building a more competitive and resilient economy,” the companies wrote.
They argued this can be achieved by reducing dependence on volatile fossil fuel imports and instead leveraging Europe’s clean energy potential, skilled workforce and strong innovation sector.
The signatories include industrial companies such as Salzgitter AG and Volvo Cars, energy firms including Vattenfall and EDF, as well as clean-technology companies and investors.
Under the EU’s carbon market, companies in sectors such as electricity generation, industrial manufacturing and aviation must purchase allowances to cover their greenhouse gas emissions.
The system currently regulates around 40 per cent of the bloc’s total emissions.
However, as European industries grapple with comparatively high energy prices, several EU member states argued that the combined burden of energy costs and emissions allowances were putting pressure on key industrial sectors.
The companies behind the letter warned that weakening or suspending the ETS would not solve Europe’s competitiveness challenges.
“Weakening or suspending the ETS instead of fixing the root causes of Europe’s ailing competitiveness would be a serious misdiagnosis of the problem,” the letter said.
Introduced more than two decades ago, the ETS is widely regarded as the cornerstone of the EU’s climate policy and decarbonisation framework.
The companies said undermining the system would reduce investment certainty and threaten Europe’s industrial future.
A planned assessment by the European Commission is expected to examine how more revenue generated by the ETS could be directed toward further reducing emissions in the industrial sector.
António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, posted on LinkedIn on Monday, March 9, 2026, calling renewable energy the fastest path to energy security, economic security, and national security. Read his full statement below.
The turmoil we are witnessing in the Middle East makes it evident that we are facing a global energy system largely tied to fossil fuels, where supply is concentrated in a few regions and every conflict risks sending shockwaves through the global economy, particularly to the most vulnerable people.
António Guterres. Photo credit: Kiara Worth | UN Climate Change
For decades, dependence on fossil fuels meant dependence on volatility. But in past oil shocks, countries had little choice but to absorb the pain.
Now they have an exit ramp.
Homegrown renewable energy has never been cheaper, more accessible, or more scalable. The resources of the clean energy era cannot be blockaded or weaponized. There are no price spikes for sunlight and no embargoes on the wind.
The fastest path to energy security, economic security, and national security is clear: speed up a just transition away from fossil fuels and toward renewable energy.
