EurActiv.com

EU news and policy debates across languages

21/11/2016

UfM representative: ‘Obligation’ to protect Mediterranean from climate change

Climate & Environment


Future EU 21-11-2016

The future's bright, the future's green

Europe and the wider world face a number of daunting challenges. But there is hope. Monica Frassoni insists that Europe’s greens will play a full part in changing things for the better.

Global climate action pushing ahead, despite slim pickings at COP22

The UN's 22nd climate change conference closed on Friday (18 November) with no tangible results.  But the decision of the most vulnerable states to convert to 100% renewable energy is a good signal for the future. EurActiv France reports.

France plans out its future relationship with the wolf

More than 100 wolves have been shot since the apex predator returned to France and the state is now looking to plan out the future of the beast and its relationship with man. EurActiv’s partner Journal de l’Environnement reports.

2050 climate targets conceal a downturn in effort

22 countries and a number of private companies promised at COP22 to present climate plans for 2050. But in the short term, most are reluctant to increase their current objectives. EurActiv France reports.

What local and regional government leaders at COP22 can teach the world

As COP22 begins to draw to a close, Gino Van Begin calls on all involved parties to roll up their sleeves and start implementing climate action immediately.
Transport 18-11-2016

Motorists hit with up to €450 in extra fuel costs as carmakers game CO2 tests

Cars consume much more than manufacturers claim they do and the gap between lab and real-world performance can reach up to 42%, according to a new ICCT study. EurActiv Germany reports.
Energy 17-11-2016

Private sector pushes for better EU renewable energy legislation

After leaked documents revealing renewable energy will no longer be a top priority in the EU’s new winter package, major corporations including Google, Unilever and IKEA have made a call for improvements to the forthcoming package.

Businesses believe market forces will save the climate

Donald Trump's election may have caused something of an earthquake among the climate negotiators at the COP22, but the mood in the business community is considerably calmer. EurActiv France reports.
Energy 17-11-2016

Clean energy expert: Renewables are 'a big opportunity to risk gambling with'

The EU has some big plans in climate protection, as well as the targets of the Paris Agreement to meet. The road ahead seems bumpy, especially since leaked Commission documents revealed renewable energy will be bumped down the list of priorities. EurActiv Germany reports.

Germany positive about 2050 climate targets, 2020 looks less promising

Environmentalists have praised Germany for its ambitious 2050 emissions targets, where it is aiming for a 95% reduction in comparison to 1990 levels. But things are less rosy when it comes to its 2020 targets. EurActiv’s partner Der Tagesspiegel reports.

Hollande to Trump: Paris Agreement is 'irreversible'

In an address directly aimed at Donald Trump, the French president said that abandoning the Paris Agreement was not an option. The US President-elect has promised to undo the climate commitments made by Barack Obama in 2015. EurActiv France reports.
Energy 15-11-2016

Leaked EU energy package subsidises fossil fuels, undermines renewables

EXCLUSIVE / The EU claims to be promoting an ambitious agenda at the Marrakesh climate conference, but its latest piece of energy legislation could subsidise new coal capacity and undermine market access for renewables. EurActiv France reports.


How Trump can quit the Paris Agreement

The idea that the Paris Agreement will survive the election of Donald Trump is politically naïve, writes Klaus Dingwerth.

Climate action facing stronger headwinds at COP22

Donald Trump's election appears to have stalled the momentum of the Paris Agreement. Concern over the future of the deal is palpable among participants at the COP22 in Marrakesh. EurActiv France reports.

Berlin, Brussels dismiss call for CO2 tax on Trump's US

Germany and the European Commission rejected on Monday (14 November) calls by former French President Nicolas Sarkozy to impose taxes on imports from the United States if President-elect Donald Trump quits a global agreement for fighting climate change.

Africa suffers more than any other continent from climate risks

Africa has been the continent hardest hit by extreme weather events over the last 20 years, according to the latest Global Climate Risk Index, published on 8 November by the NGO Germanwatch. EurActiv's partner Journal de l'Environnement reports.

World Bank economist: ‘Better climate risk management could save the poor billions each year’

Natural disasters plunge 26 million people into poverty every year, according to a new report by the World Bank. The organisation believes the efficiency of aid could be improved by targeting climate risk management efforts on the most vulnerable, Stéphane Hallegatte told EurActiv France.
Energy 10-11-2016

EU will have to import cow dung to meet renewables targets, study warns

EXCLUSIVE / The European Union will be forced to import organic waste, such as cow dung and wood, if it does not limit the amount of bioenergy that can count towards its renewable energy targets, new research has found.

Time for an EU climate policy 2.0?

The European Commission will soon release its second annual report on the State of the European Energy Union. This is a pivotal moment in the EU's political calendar, write Teresa Ribera and Thomas Spencer.

Trump can kill UN climate deal, warns EU carbon market chief

EXCLUSIVE/ The election of Donald Trump as President of the United States is a “real and imminent threat” to the fight against climate change, and “completely upends every single element” of the Paris Agreement, making it almost impossible to deliver, the MEP leading EU carbon market reform has warned.
Energy 09-11-2016

Energy Union: A total climate protection package?

The proposal to create an Energy Union is already two years old and remains one of the EU's most ambitious projects. But it risks falling behind expectations on climate policy, EurActiv Germany reports.

Germany heads to COP22 without a plan

German Environment Minister Barbara Hendricks will have to travel to Marrakesh without a climate plan to present to the COP22 summit, after Economic Affairs Minister Sigmar Gabriel blocked it last night (8 November). EurActiv’s partner Der Tagesspiegel reports.

Energy 09-11-2016

European companies help Morocco maintain control over Western Sahara

Morocco is eagerly promoting its green credentials in its hosting of the COP22 climate change conference in Marrakesh. But a new report discloses that the North African country is consolidating its hold on Western Sahara through European-built energy projects. EurActiv Germany reports.

UfM representative: 'Obligation' to protect Mediterranean from climate change

COP22 kicked off this week and achieving the goals set by the last instalment in Paris will top the agenda of the Marrakesh conference. EurActiv Spain spoke with Miguel García-Herraiz about the climate challenges facing the countries that border the Mediterranean.