Climate change
135 French MPs lobby hard for the ecological transition
A parliamentary group, bringing together 135 French MPs from across the political spectrum, wants to collectively carry the issues of the ecological transition, particularly during the debate on the 2019 finance bill. EURACTIV France’s media partner the Journal de l’environnement reports.
Gas chief: LNG can help cut air pollution, boost human health
Shipping is responsible for over 3% of global emissions with that number expected to grow. Owners and operators will have to decide how to clean up their vessels and liquefied natural gas (LNG) is a potential solution, Gas Infrastructure Europe's Wim Groenendijk told EURACTIV.
Bill Gates launches EU clean energy ‘breakthrough’ fund in Brussels
The newly-established €100 million fund will help innovative European companies bring “radically new” clean energy technologies to the market, including the “holy grail” of batteries, the European Commission said.
EU bioeconomy strategy and IPCC – planets apart
The latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) indicates that biofuels will need to rise 260% by 2030 and 750% by 2050 in order to contain global warming below 1.5°C. Yet, the EU Bioeconomy Strategy, published days after, seems to ignore this, writes James Cogan.
Europe’s clean transport revolution continues
There is now a clear EU majority, led by the Nordic countries, for tougher targets on car emissions, writes Sanjeev Kumar. The big questions now relates to charging points for electric vehicles and whether they can charge fast enough, he writes.
What follows from China tariffs and the Juncker-Trump LNG talks?
It is a bit surprising to see the Commission chief advocating additional imports in the EU of US LNG, a fossil fuel which produces a lot of greenhouse gas emissions, writes Danila Bochkarev.
Revamping buildings improves the climate, public health and social equality
Sobering warnings from the UN about the impact of climate change on our planet and human health has one obvious solution: increase the rate of building renovation, in order to massively cut energy use, writes Vijoleta Gordeljevic.
Climate change ‘laboratories’ open up around EU
Stark warnings from the United Nations ahead of a make-or-break summit in Poland in December have propelled climate change up the political agenda. Now, an experimental approach at regional level hopes to help the EU hit its emission reduction targets.
Governments lack policies to support food sector in low carbon transition – report
Unlike the energy sector, agriculture does not benefit from public policies geared towards a low carbon transition, which means farming is still a significant contributor to climate change due to meat over-consumption, a new report published on 16 October revealed.
REDay2018: key outputs from the conference
The amended Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) contains a vision for 2050 for the buildings stock in the EU – it will have to be highly energy efficient and decarbonised, reaching cost-effective nearly zero energy levels.
Ecologist parties are a hit in Europe
In Belgium, Luxembourg and Bavaria, the Greens have been the big winners at the weekend’s elections by attracting new voters. EURACTIV France’s media partner Ouest-France reports.
Study dampens industry projections for ‘renewable gas’ in 2050
Renewable methane – whether produced from waste, manure or synthetic sources – could displace at most 7% of natural gas in Europe at the current demand rate, according to a new study by the International Council on Clean Transport (ICCT).
An EU anti-smog fund for Poland
Poland has some of the worst air quality in the EU. But fighting smog is expensive. The Modernisation Fund set up as part of the Emissions Trading Scheme could help here, writes Joanna Maćkowiak-Pandera.
Civil Protection needs more and targeted EU involvement
Climate change has been described as one of the biggest global threats of the 21st century. Dimitris Dimitriadis explains what the European Union needs to do to improve its civil protection capacities.
EU to the rescue: Priorities for a positive multilateralism
We are a long way from 2015. That year, the world committed to the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement on climate - promising to end extreme poverty, address corrosive inequality, boost peace and prosperity, and stop climate change, write leaders of five European think tanks.
Norway’s latest CCS revival attempt meets lukewarm EU response
The European Commission has given only cautious backing to a project led by Norway that would see carbon dioxide emissions captured at source from industrial installations and shipped offshore to depleting oil and gas fields where they would be buried more than 1,000 metres underground.
European forests cannot further curb global warming, French study warns
European countries should not heavily rely on their forests to curb climate change. However, they should instead ensure that forests are protected from climate change, underlined a study published in Nature on Wednesday (10 October). EURACTIV France reports.
EU lawmakers support 55% emission cuts as IPCC spectre lurks
Members of the European Parliament voted on Wednesday (10 October) in favour of increasing the EU’s Paris Agreement emissions pledge by 2020. They also urged the European Commission to make sure its long-term climate strategy models net-zero emissions for 2050 "at the latest".
Modular or ‘monster’ trucks back on the table
EU lawmakers are floating the idea of offering incentives for extra-long trucks made up of multiple trailers in the EU’s first truck CO2 legislation.
‘Disappointed’ EU capitals agree on 35% car CO2 cuts
EU environment ministers took until nearly midnight on Tuesday (9 October) to agree on a common position for car and van CO2 emission cuts for 2030 but several member states were left "disappointed" with the final agreement.
Human activities to suffer dramatically from 2°C increase
Efforts to limit global warming to 1.5°C have started poorly, while traditional human activities such as fishing and agriculture would suffer even more dramatically if average temperatures rise by 2°C. EURACTIV France’s partner Journal de l’environnnement reports.
Dutch climate change ambition is insufficient, court confirms
A Dutch appeals court on Tuesday (9 October) instructed the government to cut greenhouse gas emissions at a faster rate than planned, meaning they will have to be 25% below 1990 levels by the end of this decade.
UN’s latest stark climate report is proof the EU must end fossil fuel age
On Saturday, as top climate scientists were putting the final touches to the latest shattering UN report on climate science, thousands of people were protesting against the expansion of one of Europe’s biggest, dirtiest coalmines, writes Jagoda Munic.