Climate change
Europe urged to bolster defences against climate, cyber risks
Nations across the globe should step up preparations against global risks such as climate change and cyber attacks, EU officials say, as these areas remain the most pressing for global experts surveyed ahead of this year's World Economic Forum (WEF) taking place in Davos next week.
Academic: Oil and gas boilers should be banned across Europe by 2030
Emissions from residential heating can be drastically reduced if Europe agrees a ban on new oil and gas boiler installations by 2030 at the latest, according to a Danish researcher who led an EU-wide study to decarbonise the heating and cooling sector.
Scientists call for radical change of diet to transform global food system
The global food system needs urgent reform, less meat consumption and more legumes, as three billion people worldwide are malnourished and food production is exceeding planetary boundaries, scientists have warned in a new report.
MEPs agree to fund ‘chimera’ nuclear fusion project
The European Parliament voted on Tuesday (15 January) to extend the funding of an experimental fusion power reactor through to 2027, although some MEPs are still concerned about the multi-billion euro moon-shot that could revolutionise the way power is generated.
EU climate plan no-shows submit excuses instead
EU nations that missed an end-of-2018 deadline to submit their draft energy and climate plans to the European Commission have started to offer up their excuses for their lateness.
‘Merkel deceived us on climate’, says Germany’s Energiewende godfather
Berlin lacks the political will to bring the energy transition forward, said Hans Josef Fell, the initiator of Germany's world-renowned 2000 renewable energy feed-in tariff legislation, in an interview with EURACTIV.com.
Climate action: Seeds of hope for 2019
While there is a growing recognition of the need for climate action, last year taught us that for a sustainable long-term energy transition to be effective, the roadmap to get there needs to be inclusive and citizen-driven, writes Imke Lübbeke.
UK revealed as EU champion of fossil fuel subsidies
The United Kingdom spends the most in the EU on subsidising fossil fuels, according to a new report by the European Commission, which also found that EU-wide payments have failed to decrease despite the bloc’s commitment to the Paris Agreement on climate change.
China seen as ‘absolute winner’ of clean energy transition
The transformation brought by renewable energies will alter the global distribution of power, relations between states, and the environmental drivers of geopolitical instability, according to a major international study published on Friday (11 January).
Seven EU nations miss climate and energy plan deadline
Seven EU member states have missed an end-of-2018 deadline to submit draft energy and climate plans to the European Commission, which are essential to the bloc’s overall targets for 2030, as well as commitments made under the Paris Agreement.
France to advocate multilateralism to address inequality at G7
Fighting inequality and global warming will be key objectives of the French G7 Presidency in 2019. The aim of developing closer relations with Africa, in the interests of multilateralism, is also highlighted by France. EURACTIV France reports.
Juncker attends closure of Germany’s last black coal mine
Germany will close its last black coal mine on Friday (21 December), a milestone marking the end of a 200-year-old industry that once fuelled the country's economic growth but lost the battle against cheaper foreign competitors.
With climate change, life in the Gulf could become impossible
In the second half of the century, most of the territory bordering the Gulf, Red Sea and Arabian Sea could experience “wet bulb temperatures” making outdoor activities practically impossible, writes Jonathan Gornall, warning this could create social upheaval on the grandest of scales.
EU temporarily suspends UK carbon permit processes ahead of Brexit
The European Commission said on Thursday (20 November) it has temporarily suspended emissions trading system processes related to Britain as from 1 January next year until there is clarity on the terms of the country's departure from the EU.
Three ways companies and cities are taking the lead on climate change
As the COP24 drew to a close last weekend, it was hard not be concerned by the political rifts the process has revealed, notably regarding the IPCC’s 1.5C report. But in the real economy there are clear reasons for optimism, writes Nicolette Bartlett.
Climate campaigners taking on French state
Several NGOs are considering filing an application to the administrative court of Paris in 2019. However, French law may be more rigid than Anglo-Saxon law, which has already convicted several other states on this matter. EURACTIV France reports.
Using legislation to reduce CO2 emissions from trucks
Europe’s upcoming CO2 standards for trucks will be the first of their kind. Policymakers need to build enough flexibility into the legislation so that manufacturers can adapt as the process and technologies evolve, writes Joachim Drees.
France overlooks climate in school curricula
Climate is almost totally absent from future French school curricula, according to paleoclimatologist Valérie Masson-Delmotte. It is a staggering political and societal choice that runs counter to the Paris Agreement. EURACTIV France’s media partner the Journal de l’environnement reports.
Clean power for data centres
As big data, digital content, and e-commerce continue to drive explosive growth in power demand for data centres, it is crucial to understand the reliability and sustainability of power supplied to these facilities, writes Pritil Gunjan.
Nations agree on Paris Agreement rulebook, fail on climate ambition
Three years and three days after the Paris Agreement was adopted, the 197 signatory countries gathered in Katowice, Poland, agreed Saturday (15 December) on a rulebook for its implementation but failed to raise their ambition to keep global warming "well below 2°C".
UN University director: ‘Biggest polluters should issue climate passports’
Climate change-related migration is a big issue at COP24. The idea, which involves issuing passports to the citizens of small Pacific island countries at risk of disappearing, is making its beginnings. EURACTIV France reports.
Two of 196 signatory countries to Paris Agreement have raised their climate ambitions
The signatories to the Paris Agreement are supposed to revise their climate ambitions upwards within the next 18 months. While states are struggling to get involved, businesses are trying to move forward. EURACTIV France reports.
Climate change is a problem of politics, not science
The scientific, economic and social arguments for aggressive action on climate change are powerful. Our political leaders are now at a fork in the road and our children and grandchildren are watching, write Valérie Masson-Delmotte and Jiang Kejun.