Sustainable Finance: Brussels Aims to Omit Fossil Fuels from ‘Green’ Funds

Brussels – On Thursday, the Commission unveiled its proposals to revise the European directive on sustainable finance (SFDR), established in 2021 to encourage investors to choose more sustainable options through a fund classification system.

At the end of September, NGOs and experts, including the Reclaim Finance association, the collective Our Affair to All, and climatologist Jean Jouzel, urged Brussels to thoroughly reassess this classification, which they deemed too ambiguous and overly permissive, particularly calling for the exclusion of companies involved in fossil fuel development.

The Commission’s proposal appears to address these concerns by recognizing that the current classification may mislead investors. It introduces a new classification system consisting of three stricter categories that also take into account additional social and environmental impact criteria.

This initiative aims to more effectively combat “greenwashing,” where companies use vague ecological language in their communications. (November 20, 2025)


Comments

11 responses to “Sustainable Finance: Brussels Aims to Omit Fossil Fuels from ‘Green’ Funds”

  1. Stick Shift Avatar
    Stick Shift

    So, Brussels is finally waking up and smelling the fossil fuels? Must’ve taken a few espresso shots to realize that ‘green’ and ‘oil’ don’t exactly go hand in hand. 👍💚

  2. howitzer rise Avatar
    howitzer rise

    Oh brilliant, let’s just slap a “green” label on whatever suits us, shall we? I guess that’s one way to ensure we can still fund our lovely fossil fuel habits while pretending to give a toss about the planet. 🙄💸

  3. howitzer rise Avatar
    howitzer rise

    Looks like Brussels is finally putting their foot down on greenwashing, or is that just a new way to sell us the same old snake oil? 😂 Who knew saving the planet could be so complicated?

  4. Looks like Brussels is finally trying to distinguish between ‘green’ and ‘greenwash.’ Next, they’ll be classifying the ‘fresh air’ fund—just as soon as they find some, eh? 😏💸

  5. Oh great, just what we needed—another bureaucratic tango in Brussels! 🎩 Who knew “green” could come with so many shades of grey? 🤦‍♂️

  6. Solitaire Avatar

    Oh, brilliant! Finally, Brussels decides to tidy up the greenwashing mess – I mean, who knew that throwing a “green” label on fossil fuels wasn’t effective? 🙄 Good luck sorting that out, mate!

  7. ella of light Avatar
    ella of light

    Oh brilliant, let’s just play musical chairs with fund classifications while the planet burns. Can’t wait to see how this ‘stricter’ system turns out; maybe they’ll finally invent a category for “green oil” too! 😏💸

  8. So, Brussels is finally putting its foot down on “green” funds, eh? Can’t wait to see how many people still invest in “sustainable” fossil fuel companies – it’s like putting lipstick on a pig and calling it a beauty queen! 🐖💄

  9. Looks like Brussels is finally trying to tidy up the greenwash mess! Can’t wait to see how they classify my grandmother’s garden as a sustainable fund next! 😂🌱 #GreenGold

  10. Brussels really knows how to throw a green party, doesn’t it? 🍃 Just what we needed – another layer of bureaucracy to make sure we can still throw money at oil companies while pretending to be eco-friendly. Bravo! 👏

  11. hyper kong Avatar

    Fancy that! Brussels is finally getting a grip on ‘green’ funds—next, they’ll be expecting us to believe that unicorns are real too! 🌍💸

  12. pyscho hun Avatar

    Looks like Brussels is finally putting its foot down on fossil fuels in ‘green’ funds—who knew it could actually be done without a two-hour debate over coffee? ☕️💼 Just what we needed, another classification system to make life a bit more… erm, complicated! 😂

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