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The EU cannot be a credible leader on climate change when its decision makers are aware of the risks and the alternatives available, yet still refuse to take the actions needed. How much longer can we wait for politicians to catch up to the mood among civil society? An interview with Dutch Green MEP Bas Eickhout.

Climate action has come to a political standstill, and in spite of mass mobilisation efforts, the general public still have not grasped the urgency of the situation. Will it really take something drastic to bring about real change? As more people begin to ask this question, some stop waiting for the answer and take control: by bringing climate change to the courtroom.

Climate Express has set out to make sure a mass mobilisation is present in Paris, to keep the pressure on the negotiators and leaders during the climate conference. But can this form of collective movement really affect the outcome of the COP21? An interview with Laurien Spruyt from the campaign.

An interview with French Green MEP Yannick Jadot.

Air pollution is the greatest cause of over 400,000 premature deaths in the EU every year. In Britain, politicians lag behind this evidence and public opinion, and a lack of political action against climate change and continued environmental degradation means that civil society groups are now ensuring measures within a legal framework are being taken to meet this end…

An interview with Danielle Paffard and Melanie Mattauch from the UK and EU branches of 350.org.

In Poland, Right-wing parties (PiS) won the parliamentary elections on 25th October, leaving the centre-Right coalition (PO and PSL) that led the country for eight years in the opposition, and the Left out of the Parliament completely. But elections do not tell the whole story. The Polish political scene is changing. Parties of change and changes of parties animated the elections of this year. Citizens cast their complaints in the ballot box. Greens will need to draw lessons and determine their angle of attack for the future.

The much anticipated Paris Climate Summit is only weeks away. Although there are many obstacles to securing a binding agreement in Paris, Green MEP Claude Turmes feels there are reasons for optimism, such as the changes taking place at the local and regional levels towards an energy transition. Now Europe has to be brave and show real leadership on technology and renewables.

Although Greens in Austria have made considerable electoral breakthroughs, the recent municipal elections in Vienna showed that a considerable portion of this support is liable to abandon Greens when circumstances change and the discourse becomes more polarised. If Greens are to cement their place in the political landscape, they need to consolidate this support base and expand it in a way that is sustainable.

It’s election time in an unstable Turkey. The people in Turkey go to the polls on 1st November despite a series of violent attacks targeting the HDP. How can free and fair elections be expected to take place in a political climate where parties cannot campaign without fearing for their safety?