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ClientEarth welcomes the European Commission’s public consultation on the next EU long-term budget (Multiannual Financial Framework, or MFF), stressing that nature and climate protection must be central to Europe’s economic and strategic priorities. As the world faces escalating environmental risks, from accelerating biodiversity loss to the growing threat of climate breakdown - ClientEarth underscores that the EU’s future competitiveness and resilience depend on protecting the natural systems that underpin them.
Scientific findings, including the 2024 State of the Climate and IPBES assessments, reveal the profound economic risks of environmental degradation, with trillions in hidden costs tied to unsustainable sectors. ClientEarth calls for urgent reform of EU funding, advocating for the legal embedding of the ‘do no significant harm’ (DNSH) principle, binding targets for climate and biodiversity expenditure, and robust enforcement. Public funds must support those genuinely driving the green transition, such as small-scale farmers, fishers, and energy communities, rather than large corporations that often undermine sustainability.
In this context, ClientEarth urges the EU to match its environmental ambition with budgetary action. Any increasing focus on competitiveness, security, or simplification must not come at the expense of ecological resilience. A healthy planet is not a luxury - it is a prerequisite for long-term stability, food security, and economic well-being across Europe.