MOSTLY FALSE: „20% of the companies covered by the CBAM are responsible for 97% of the emissions”

During a public hearing at the European Parliament’s Subcommittee on Tax Matters (FISC) on 6 February 2025, Dutch Commissioner for Climate Action Wopke Hoekstra claimed that only 20% of companies are responsible for around 97% of the emissions. His claim turns out to be mostly false. Public hearing at the Committee on Tax Matters (FISC)…

Comparing Germany and the United States’ Climate Policies

An American’s comparative analysis on Germany and the United States’ climate policies to see the different ways we are coming together to reach climate neutrality and curb climate change. As an American studying abroad in Germany, there are many similarities and differences I have seen in the cultural day-to-day life. One thing that is vastly…

Mostly false: “Only around 3% of all CO₂ emissions are man-made”

“Only around 3% of all CO₂ emissions are man-made, i.e. they come from the economy, heating and transportation. Around 97% of CO₂ emissions are of natural origin.” This is a claim made by Karsten Hilse, a climate spokesperson for Germany’s far-right party AfD, on his website. It’s a claim regularly used to downplay human responsibility…

mostly false

Mostly false: “Energy and food are getting more expensive and companies are leaving”

Dutch ECR Group vice president Robert Roos claims: “Energy and food are becoming more expensive and companies are leaving. It is time to stop the green deal.” This statement turned out to be mostly false.  On 12 March 2024, the European Conservatives and Reformists Group (ECR Group) tweeted a quote from their vice president Robert…

True: the past twelve months were 1.3 degrees Celsius warmer than the pre-industrial era

On November 9, 2023, journalist Heleen Ekker, from RTL Nieuws, wrote about the warmest twelve months in history (Last Twelve Months Warmer Than Ever Recorded, 2023). She based her statement on research from Climate Central. She said that the past twelve months were the warmest period ever recorded, with temperatures 1.3 degrees Celsius higher than…

Mostly true: “Banning nuclear energy is the stupidest thing a country can do”

On April 18th of this year, Bart de Wever, the leader of the political opposition party the New-Flemish Alliance claimed on Twitter that ‘banning nuclear energy is the stupidest thing a country can do’. The tweet lacks context but contains accurate numbers. It appears this claim is mostly true. Bart De Wever tweeted a screenshot…