Frédéric Simon
Dutch urge swift EU hydrogen push to cut industry, transport emissions
The European Commission should create an EU-wide market for hydrogen “as soon as possible” rather than wait for renewable energy-based varieties to be commercially available, a top Dutch ministerial envoy has said.
100% renewable power requires radical EU market fix, Poles argue
Polish energy officials have called for a major overhaul of EU power markets, saying the deployment of up to 100% renewables will require a decentralised way of trading electricity, based on local “nodes” rather than regional bidding zones defined at European level.
EU asserts ‘right to regulate’ as part of energy charter treaty reform
EU member states gave the European Commission a mandate yesterday (15 July) to revise the Energy Charter Treaty, saying the legally-binding charter must reinstate Europe’s “right to regulate” in areas like climate change and workers’ rights.
Poland firms up gas, nuclear plans to fill green power gap
Replacing Poland’s obsolete coal power fleet is a top political priority for the country, both for environmental and energy security reasons. But even as it steps up renewable energy plans, Warsaw is also pushing hard for new gas and nuclear plants to fill in the gap.
Wind power: What next for Europe?
Europe is the cradle of the wind energy industry and is still rightly perceived as a global leader in the sector. But fresh projects have slowed in recent years, pointing to new challenges for the EU’s wind energy sector in...
EU clarifies funding scope for CO2 capture technology
The European Commission has clarified how it intends to support carbon capture and storage (CCS), a key technology in the fight against global warming, which supporters say will enable deep emission cuts in heavy industries such as cement, steel and petrochemicals.
EU research ‘moonshots’ focus on climate crisis
The European Commission unveiled five flagship research and innovation “missions” yesterday (4 July), two of which are directly aimed at addressing the climate crisis.
EU ‘climate leaders’ praised on goal-setting but falling short on detail
Finland, Sweden, Portugal, France and Germany are often seen as “climate leaders” when it comes to setting ambitious carbon reduction objectives for 2050. However, they lack concrete measures to achieve them, according to fresh analysis published today (4 July).
Climate change made June heatwave ‘at least 5 times more likely’, scientists say
Last week’s record-breaking temperatures in France and other parts of Europe were at least five times more likely to happen – and potentially even 100 times more – because of climate change, according to a rapid analysis by leading climate scientists at the World Weather Attribution group.
Locked in strife, EU leaders adjourn talks on top jobs for next morning
A summit of EU28 leaders was adjourned in acrimony on Monday (1 July) after almost 18 hours of talks failed to produce an agreement on how to carve out the bloc's top jobs, due to opposition from Eastern member states and divisions within the conservative European People's Party.
Revealed: The Twitter mug-shot of newly-elected MEPs
Ever wondered how many of the newly-elected MEPs are on Twitter? Or what issues they care about? EURACTIV dug into the figures, with help from PoliMonitor, a political technology company.
Sefcovic points to trade as next priority for EU climate diplomacy
Europe must look for ways of incorporating the carbon content of imported products while avoiding import dependence on key technologies for the energy transition, said Maros Šefčovič, the European Commission’s Vice-President in charge of the Energy Union.
German industry talks up ‘carbon-free’ hydrogen from fossil gas
Hydrogen production from natural gas can be made almost entirely carbon-free using a technique called pyrolysis, say German industry executives who have called on the European Union to support the technology’s development on a commercial scale.
Researcher: Lowering electricity taxes is cheapest way of meeting EU climate goals
The energy transition will hit the poor hardest unless it's balanced by a shift in taxation, says Christian Egenhofer. The EU needs to acknowledge this and get started by lowering taxes on electricity to achieve the EU’s carbon reduction goals at least cost, he argues.
The internet of energy has arrived, Scottish start-up claims
Faraday Grid, a clean tech start-up based in the UK, has launched a global marketing offensive for its latest transformer, saying it could do for electricity networks what the router did for the telecoms sector in the 1990s.
Leaked report reveals ‘misfunctioning’ of Energy Charter Treaty amid EU reform calls
A confidential internal report, obtained by EURACTIV, lists the multiple failings of the Energy Charter secretariat, at a time when the treaty is undergoing a major revision process and is being used by Russia's Nord Stream 2 pipeline in a first-time legal proceeding against the EU.
Four energy storage projects that could transform Europe
A demonstration plant in Germany that converts wind electricity into hydrogen is probably the most emblematic of a series of pilot projects that could radically transform Europe’s energy landscape in the coming decade.
Poland under pressure to ‘walk the talk’ on coal phase-out
Environmental activists are raising the pressure on Poland and other EU member states to clarify their coal phase-out plans, saying countries receiving EU energy transition funds cannot “have their cake and eat it”.
Bas Eickhout: EU carbon market needs alignment with 2050 goal
The next European Commission will have to reopen the Emissions Trading Scheme directive if it is serious about reaching carbon neutrality by 2050, argues Bas Eickhout, warning the next Commission chief will need to find a broader majority in the European Parliament than his predecessor.
Manfred Weber, a late convert to environmentalism
Despite his Christian convictions, the lead candidate for the European People’s Party (EPP) at this week’s EU elections has remained remarkably silent on defining environmental issues such as climate change before suddenly changing gear at the end of his campaign.
Manfred Weber: ‘Environmental issues are one of my areas of expertise’
The lead candidate for the centre-right in this week’s European elections says “Europe must move towards net-zero emissions by 2050,” voicing his belief in innovation and new technologies to drive the decarbonisation agenda if he becomes the next president of the European Commission.
Gas storage vies for central role in EU quest for carbon neutrality
European gas storage sites have much to offer in the energy transition, providing a readily available platform to carry new low-carbon gases like hydrogen. What’s not clear yet is whether those gases can be produced in sufficient quantity to significantly cut carbon emissions.
EU national climate plans well below par, study reveals
Of the 28 draft national energy and climate plans submitted by EU member states, not a single one is on a pathway to reach net-zero emission by 2050, according to a fresh analysis published on Thursday (16 May).