How to Fix Greenwashing Risks in the EU’s Next Long-Term Budget - CleanTechnica

The article discusses concerns about greenwashing risks in the European Union’s upcoming long-term budget, specifically related to the proposed Performance Regulation. This regulation aims to establish a unified framework for tracking climate and environmental spending across the entire EU budget, which involves over €1 trillion. While the introduction of such a framework is a positive move toward simplifying budget management and enhancing transparency, the current proposal contains weaknesses that could allow substantial EU funds to be misclassified as climate or environmental initiatives without delivering genuine benefits. A coalition of NGOs and European think tanks, including WWF, ClientEarth, and the European Environmental Bureau, has published detailed guidance and proposed revisions to address these issues. Their joint briefing highlights problematic elements in Annex I of the regulation, which defines how climate and environmental spending is tracked. The recommended corrections target reducing greenwashing risks, improving the credibility of the EU’s climate tracking, and ensuring that the budget effectively supports the EU’s climate and environmental goals. As negotiations on the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF)