European Groups Urge Science-Based Plan to End Fossil Fuel Dependence

More than 100 organizations and businesses have sent an open letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, asking her to commission an independent, science-based roadmap aimed at making the current fossil fuel crisis Europe's last. The letter cites over €50 billion in added energy costs from the second crisis in four years and estimates that a June heatwave alone killed at least 14,000 people. It calls for a comprehensive report to quantify the economic burden of fossil fuels and outline a five-priority exit plan.

The open letter arrives ahead of von der Leyen's State of the European Union address, framing fossil fuel dependence as a choice rather than a necessity. Signatories include Transport & Environment alongside more than 100 organizations and businesses. The letter's five-priority framework spans economic quantification, sector-by-sector phase-out pathways, financial alignment, just transition measures, and natural climate solutions. It specifically warns against unproven technologies that could delay progress and emphasizes worker organizations' involvement in transition design.

The letter draws a direct connection between energy price shocks and climate-related deaths, citing both the €50 billion cost increase and the June heatwave mortality estimate. It positions the request as consistent with previous independent reports commissioned by the Commission president on single market competitiveness, suggesting a precedent for science-based strategic planning at the EU level.