Tag: energy efficiency

The first solar-powered aeroplane to fly day and night "represents the European dream" and should spur politicians to find pioneering solutions to reliance on fossil fuels, guests at a Green Week event heard yesterday (23 May).

Energy companies will need to make savings among final customers of 1.5% a year under a new regime of audits, inventories and savings obligations outlined in a draft directive seen by EurActiv.

The European Commission finally launched its calculations on how to reach a 20% increase in energy efficiency by 2020 yesterday (8 March) but as it did so, senior policy figures were questioning the maths.

Europe can revitalise its economy by a massive burst of investment in green technologies aimed at reducing emissions by 30% by 2020 on 1990 levels, Professor Carlo Jaeger, head of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, told EurActiv in an interview. His new report has been promoted by the German Environment Ministry.

Europe can revitalise its economy by a massive burst of investment in green technologies aimed at reducing emissions by 30% by 2020 on 1990 levels, according to a major new report promoted by the German Environment Ministry.

As experts increasingly express doubts about the EU's "hesitations" and communications failures, Energy Commissioner Günther Oettinger has announced plans for an "energy roadshow".

European Union leaders are holding their first ever energy summit today (4 February) but the policy agenda looks likely to take a backseat to pressing issues such as Egypt and the eurozone debt crisis.

As the EU struggles to meet its target of reducing energy consumption by 20% by 2020, energy efficiency grants from a reallocated fund worth eight billion euros are still going unclaimed, according to a top European Commission official who spoke to EurActiv in an interview.

The Committee of the Regions (CoR) warned on Wednesday (1 December) that global efforts to address climate change are destined to fail unless local and regional authorities are given a greater role.

The European Commission presented its new energy strategy yesterday (10 November), calling for €1 trillion of investment over the next decade to integrate Europe's energy network while fending off criticism over a lack of concrete ideas.

The European Commission's new energy efficiency action plan will not be ready until next year, but a leaked preliminary document shows that it will be a stripped down version of its predecessor.

The European Commission tabled proposals yesterday (28 September) to introduce energy labels for televisions and update the existing labels for refrigerators, dishwashers and washing machines.

Regional representatives from around the world this week outlined plans to create an 'R20' for global cooperation on climate and energy reform during a high-level Energy Congress in Canada. Blogactiv reports from Montreal.

Buildings will be at the centre of the EU's new energy savings plan, which the European Commission plans to present by the end of the year, the EU energy commissioner has said.

EU energy ministers will meet at the beginning of next week for informal discussions which are expected to shed light on their positions related to the EU's upcoming new energy efficiency action plan. 

As the EU's phase-out of energy-guzzling light bulbs prepares to move into a second phase in September, consumer organisations are calling for an education campaign and a better disposal system. 

Günther Oettinger, the EU's energy commissioner, said last week (8 July) that he would assess the need for stronger EU regulation on energy efficiency in the context of a new policy "action plan" to be presented in 2011.

EU energy strategies are currently overlooking significant energy savings that could be achieved with an integrated approach that allows the use of waste heat, according to Fiona Riddoch, managing director of Cogen Europe, and Sabine Froning, managing director of Euroheat&Power. They spoke to EurActiv ahead of their joint annual conference today (2 June).

Better communication between Ukrainian government authorities, the EU, international institutions and the  business community can help bring efficiency to one of Europe's most energy-intensive countries, Elena Rybak, CEO of the European-Ukrainian Energy Agency, told EurActiv in an interview.

EU climate policies must be adjusted to ensure that they do not hit the poorest households hardest, according to a group of climate change and social justice experts.

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).

Europe could meet at least 80% of its energy needs from renewables by 2050 without paying more for electricity than it would by continuing with current fossil-fuel based infrastructure, according to a new report by the European Climate Foundation (ECF).

The green building market in Romania is growing fast and investors and developers are beginning to see the value of sustainable construction, Steven Borncamp, CEO of the Romania Green Building Council (RoGBC), told EurActiv Romania in an interview.

Leading associations in the field of information and communication technologies (ICT) have teamed up to measure the sector's energy consumption and coordinate action on deploying technologies that contribute to the EU's climate and energy goals.