Articles related to "Energy and climate change: Towards an integrated EU policy"

EXCLUSIVE: This year’s annual European coal industry conference in Brussels is being co-organised by the Central European Energy Partners (CEEP), which was founded by, and is mostly made up of, state-owned Polish energy firms.

Europe should focus on cutting carbon emissions instead of just repeating the existing EU green policy targets which expire at the end of the decade, Britain's energy and climate chief Edward Davey told a global energy and environment summit.

EU ministers yesterday (31 May) gave their first views on the upcoming EU energy strategy for 2011-2020, agreeing that it should be ready for endorsement by EU leaders in March 2011.

European regions are moving ahead with reforming their energy sectors with or without an invitation from the European Commission, a gathering of regional representatives heard in Brussels yesterday (29 April).

Green jobs and competitiveness will feature high on the incoming European Commission's agenda as it takes on the challenge of delivering on pledges to lead the world in combating climate change.

EU greenhouse gas emissions declined for the fourth year running in 2008, driven by falling industrial production in the wake of the economic recession, provisional EU data showed yesterday (31 August).

Jobs in low-carbon sectors are already outstripping those in Europe's traditional polluting industries in Europe, but the EU is missing the boat as regards harnessing the economic crisis to kick-start the transition to a low-carbon, competitive economy, a WWF study published yesterday (16 June) shows.

The newly-elected European Parliament faces a busy climate policy agenda, as Europe attempts to claw its way out of the recession by developing greener policies and convincing the world to agree on an ambitious climate deal.

G8 energy ministers meeting in Rome on 24-25 May called for continued investment in oil and discussed energy policies that will help weather the financial storm.

European companies will remain world leaders in developing green technologies even in times of economic recession, but Europe must work on attracting more venture capital to bring these products to the market, business leaders told a European Business Summit session last week.

The UK is going ahead with a plan to make energy-intensive businesses, including banks, hotels and schools, cut their energy use and carbon emissions, the country's Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) said yesterday (12 March).

The European Parliament yesterday (4 February) adopted detailed recommendations for a future integrated policy on climate change by large majority, calling on the EU to commit to more ambitious greenhouse gas reduction targets and make energy-saving targets legally binding.

If the world is to tackle the climate threat, the US President-elect must beef up his country's emissions targets, the head of the leading intergovernmental organisation of climate scientists said last week (15 January).

The European Parliament's leading rapporteurs on the climate and energy 'package' last weekend (13 December) endorsed the deal agreed by EU leaders in Brussels last week, paving the way for its formal adoption by a plenary vote on 17 December. 

EU leaders meeting in Brussels yesterday (11 December) closed in on an agreement that would give Europe's big polluters more CO2 emission permits free of charge, as the bloc's major economies slip further into economic recession.

European Union diplomats were edging closer to a deal on the bloc's ambitious climate change and energy 'package' of legislation on the eve of a two-day EU summit starting today (11 December), according to a draft version of the summit conclusions obtained by EurActiv.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy has expressed optimism that agreement will be reached on the EU's ambitious climate goals this week after holding talks at the weekend with Europe's Eastern leaders and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Delegates from 186 nations are in Poznan, Poland today (1 December) to launch 12 days of talks designed to bring forward an international deal to tackle climate change. But the conference is currently overshadowed by an EU internal row over how to share the 'effort' of reducing CO2 emissions.

Opposition from Poland and several of the bloc's newer member states to the energy and climate package has raised questions about the capacity of an enlarged EU to push through such ambitious policy agendas.

EU countries may agree before the end of the year on the basic principles and structure of an agreement on the European Commission's energy and climate package, but it is unlikely that a deal will be finalised, an ambassador of one of the bloc's 27 member states told EurActiv. 

EU CO2 emission allowances are trading at an 18-month low, crude oil prices have dropped 50% since July, and financial markets are in crisis, potentially putting a dampener on investment in clean technologies and renewable energies.

China, the EU and 23 other Asian nations have signed a declaration pledging to tackle climate change within the framework of UN-led negotiations that will wrap up at a major summit in Copenhagen in December 2009.

EU environment ministers want advanced developing states like China and India to "contribute adequately" to emissions reductions as part of a global climate change agreement next year. Meanwhile, a deal on the EU's own climate and energy package remains elusive following opposition from Italy.

Amid a worsening global economic slowdown, EU leaders say they will reach a deal on ambitious CO2 reduction laws before January 2009. But the rules could be significantly watered down in order to make concessions to reluctant member states.

The Parliament's environment committee yesterday (7 October) voted largely in favour of three separate reports on emissions trading, greenhouse gas reduction 'effort' sharing and CO2 capture and storage in a show of support for the EU's ambitious climate change policy. 

MEPs will tomorrow (7 October) vote on key legislation designed to slash the EU's CO2 emissions by 20% by 2020. But the vote comes amidst a worsening economic crisis, with several member states indicating that they want to put the brakes on any rapid adoption of the measures. 

The Paris-based International Energy Agency (IEA) has published its first review of EU energy policy, endorsing controversial Commission plans to break up European energy giants and calling for greater cross-border trade in renewable energy among other recommendations.

Europe's electronics and electrical engineering industries say they can make big contributions to cutting EU CO2 emissions, especially through energy efficiency improvements. But investment incentives and greater certainty on exemptions to emissions rules are needed, they say. 

Member states' positions on proposals designed to cut EU CO2 emissions by 20% by 2020 continue to diverge significantly as the EU enters into what could be one of the busiest and potentially divisive negotiation periods in its history. 

The incoming French EU Presidency is confident that it will be able to shepherd a deal on the EU's climate and energy package through to adoption before the end of the year. But the 'weight' of the legislative agenda is unprecedented, and member states' views diverge on a number of key points.

As the EU’s energy liberalisation drive heats up, European consumers may be wondering when and in what shape the EU's new energy policy will begin to transform the way energy is produced and consumed, and if the change will mean lower prices or higher industry profits.

Commission President José Manuel Barroso yesterday (2 April) described the relationship between the EU and Australia as a "key partnership" during a meeting with Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd in Brussels, stressing their common desire to "substantially upgrade" relations.

Europe’s leaders have pledged to find agreement on controversial CO2 reduction and renewable energy laws before the end of the year, in a bid to maintain a strong position in international climate change negotiations. Energy intensive industries were given assurances that the measures would safeguard their competitiveness.

EU environment ministers have seconded the generally positive reaction to the Commission's climate and energy package given last week by energy ministers. Flexibility is needed for reducing CO2 emissions, however, to prevent key EU industries from moving operations elsewhere, they said.

Public comments made by EU member states indicate broad support at national level for the Commission's climate and energy proposals. But there are concerns that global average temperatures will rise well above two degrees Celsius, even if the EU's commitments are realised and bolstered by an international deal on CO2 reduction. 

In his first speech to the European Parliament in 16 years, the Prince of Wales congratulated the Commission on its climate and energy proposals but highlighted the 'doomsday' urgency of fighting climate change, calling on the private sector to transfer 'huge sums' to help save the planet's rainforests.

The European Commission put forward ambitious targets yesterday (23 January) to boost the EU's overall consumption of renewable energies to 20% by 2020. But while the plans to promote technologies such as solar and wind were largely welcomed, Brussels faces widespread criticism over controversial biofuels targets.

The European Commission has proposed industrial initiatives and greater research efforts as part of plans to increase the uptake of low CO2 technologies in the EU, but postponed difficult financing questions to next year. 

Most member states have missed a deadline to issue pollution permits for industrial installations as mandated by a 1996 directive. The Commission, which is currently drafting a proposal to revise the directive, may impose stricter rules and has warned that the implementation delay could lead to infringement proceedings.

The second half of 2007 promises renewed tensions as legislators prepare to hammer out the EU's future energy policy. Controversial Commission proposals on energy market liberalisation are due in September, with renewables and CO2 burden-sharing proposals scheduled for the end of the year.

With climate change high on the agenda, the Portuguese Presidency will take a first stab at the Commission's package of legislative proposals on energy, scheduled for release in September.

CO2 capture and geological storage technologies are supported as part of overall efforts to achieve carbon-neutral electricity-generation by 2050 but only "once proven and commercially viable", according to industry association Eurelectric.

Responding to growing pressure at home and abroad, US President George W. Bush announced plans for an international agreement to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions after 2012, but has raised eyebrows in Europe for being vague over specifics.

Speaking at a 9 May stakeholder conference on cogeneration, Green MEP Claude Turmes called on the EU to make co-generation a cornerstone of its future energy policy and efforts to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions. 

Officials said that the Commission was still unsure about how it will share the burden among member states, after EU leaders agreed earlier in March to have 20% of their overall energy needs covered by renewables by 2020.

The Conference of Presidents agreed on 15 March 2007 to set up a temporary committee on climate change in a move that follows a similar US-congress initiative.

Heads of states and government have urged the Commission to "rapidly submit proposals" to scrap ordinary light bulbs across Europe within two years and to improve efficiency standards in office equipment and street lighting.

As EU leaders prepare to make unprecedented commitments to cut greenhouse-gas emissions at a summit this week, divisions have emerged over whether to recognise nuclear as a low-carbon source, alongside wind power and other 'green' energies.

The European Commission will ask EU leaders to support a Strategic Energy Technology Plan to put Europe on course for a low-carbon future at the Spring Summit this week. However, national considerations once again risk dampening EU ambitions.

The UK has joined Germany, the European Commission and other member states to push for an EU target on renewable energies to be made mandatory, raising the stakes of the Spring Summit that will take place in Brussels on 8-9 March 2007.

Lithuanian officials, angered by Russia's halting of oil supplies to the country, have said that they may join Poland in blocking talks on a new EU-Russia agreement.

Environment Ministers have committed to achieve "at least a 20% reduction" in EU greenhouse gas emissions by 2020, but failed to agree on how to share the burden between the 27-nation bloc.

The Commission is launching an online public consultation on potential risks, particularly environmental, from new technology allowing CO2 emissions from power plants to be stored underground.

EU energy ministers will try to reach agreement over whether to enshrine ambitious new renewable-energy objectives in a legally binding text at a meeting on 15 February 2007.

European businesses will be in a better position than Chinese and US competitors to reap the full benefits of the low-carbon economy if the EU undertakes ambitious measures, Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas told EurActiv in an interview.

Renewable energy can deliver half of the world's primary energy needs by 2050, according to a report produced by the European Renewable Energy Council and Greenpeace.

"There is still some way to go" to translate the progress made by EU energy policy in recent years into "efficient policy responses," writes Jørgen Henningsen, senior advisor on energy and environmental issues at the European Policy Centre (EPC).

The current climate change summit in Bali could be "a milestone towards real progress on climate change" and therefore needs to identify ways to "link the emission reductions to incentives for cleaner, alternative paths for growth", argues Alejandro Litovsky in an Open Democracy commentary.

To meet the energy demand of all households, worldwide energy supplies must double by 2050, according to a new World Energy Council (WEC) report published at the WEC session from 11-15 November in Rome.

The only long-term solution to climate change is to reduce carbon emissions, not to compensate with carbon-offset schemes, says Wouter Buytaert – Department of Environmental Science, University of Lancaster - in a June article for the Environmental Research Web.