Utilities, Energy

The extension of emission trading to buildings – a serious threat to over 50 million Europeans.

In February 2021, the European Commission launched a new strategy on adaptation to climate change as part of the European Green Deal. The objective is to make the European Union a climate-resilient society, fully adapted to climate change by 2050.

EPSU joined a hearing with European social partners on the "fit-for-55" package hosted by the European Commission’s Executive Vice-President Frans Timmermans and Social and Employment affairs Commissioner Nicolas Schmidt.

Climate change adaptation means “anticipating the adverse effects of climate change and taking appropriate action to prevent or minimize the damage they can cause or taking advantage of opportunities that may arise".

In March 2021, it will be one year since European Union member states initiated policies and plans to address the COVID-19 crisis.

Around 9000 employees of British Gas were due to begin a second sequence of strike action on 22 January following the five-day action that began on 7 January.

Last week, the European Social Partners in the gas sector held a joint webinar, hosted by MEPs Agnes Jongerius (S&D) and Dennis Radtke (EPP), on the transition to climate neutrality and the need to ensure that is just for the workers in the gas sector.

EPSU stands in solidarity with French trade unions in the energy sector CGT Mines-Énergies, CFE-CGC Énergies, FO Énergie et Mines and FCE-CFDT that are mobilizing against massive restructuring plans in the multinational energy companies ENGIE and EDF.

In the framework of the Right to Energy Forum (more information below), EPSU will organise a workshop on “Going public: the way forward to end energy poverty? The failure of energy market liberalisation”

Press Release - Today the European trade union federations, EPSU and industriAll, and the industry association Eurogas, adopted a common position on the Just Transition in the Green Deal.

On November 26, workers in the French multinational electric utility companies ENGIE and EDF are mobilising to defend the future of their jobs, the public energy sector and to demand the suspension of the companies’ current restructuring projects.

The coronavirus pandemic has now infected more than 2 million people worldwide and caused over 145,000 deaths. Like so many other key workers, workers in the waste collection, water and energy distribution sectors are risking their lives

In these times of public health crisis, digital technologies enable the electricity sector to keep the lights on, adapting traditional models from generation to smart infrastructure in our constantly transforming industry.

Challenging consensus on the use of market-based solutionsto fight climate breakdown. The European Federation of Public Service Unions (EPSU) welcomes the Green Deal proposed by the European Commission as a holistic response to the climate emergency.

(27 February 2020) On 26th February, EPSU held its biannual Standing Committee (SC) on Utilities, bringing together EPSU affiliates from across Europe. The key elements addressed during this meeting were the European Green Deal, especially the social dimension and Just Transition Mechanism, the