Energy efficiency
From transport to street lighting: The emergence of smart city platforms
Uber and Airbnb have shown how city services can be transformed by platform offerings. Developing the right platforms will be key for cities to ensure that their economies, environment, and services are fit for the future, writes Eric Woods.
In the green transition all industries must pull together
As Europe’s energy ministers gather in Linz this week, they have the chance to widen and deepen the European Union’s ambitions for the green transition, writes MEP Jeppe Kofod.
Mega infrastructure projects win over clean energy in Visegrad Four
In the Visegrad countries, decision makers prefer their historical favourites – coal and nuclear – to renewable sources and energy efficiency. As the Global Climate Action Summit resumes in San Francisco, it’s important to realise that corporate leadership can also shape the outlook for clean energy in Eastern Europe, writes Ada Ámon.
Drinking water rules cleaned up by MEPs
Members of the European Parliament’s environment committee voted on Monday (10 September) to update drinking water rules to remove pollutants from what comes out of our taps. But they have also been criticised for striking a blow against transparency.
France and Europe: Time to end complacency on climate leadership
As France changes environment minister, we must collectively admit that a very poor job has been done with Europe's Clean Energy Package, writes Yamina Saheb.
Poland’s ‘last coal power plant’ faces €1.7 billion loss, analysts say
The planned phase-out of state aid to fossil fuel power generation across the European Union could make the Ostrołęka C coal station project unprofitable within years, according to a new report by Carbon Tracker, a think tank.
Europe’s halogen lightbulb ban looms large
After nearly 60 years of brightening our homes and streets, halogen lightbulbs will finally be banned across Europe on 1 September. EURACTIV’s partner The Guardian reports.
Google ‘taking AI to the next level’ to cut data centre energy use
Google is now allowing its artificial intelligence (AI) system – rather than its staff – to directly control its data centre cooling system as a way of lowering emissions and energy consumption. EURACTIV's media partner edie.net reports.
Banker: ‘Massive positive change’ underway for building renovation
The energy performance contract model can turn energy efficiency renovation of buildings into a truly popular policy objective among politicians in Central and Eastern Europe because it can be done without any use of public money and has no impact on public debt, says Ivan Lesay.
Croatia’s renovation projects can teach us as much as their football
What do Croatia’s football team and its energy efficiency programmes have in common? Experience, skill, tenacity and an inspiring amount of success, writes Adrian Joyce.
EU’s next top model could unlock Paris Agreement
The European Commission outlined plans this week for a long-term strategy to drag Europe onto a Paris Agreement-compliant climate trajectory. But there are concerns that the forthcoming set of scenarios could be undermined by one factor: maths.
Equinor: Oil majors have ‘muscle’ to join renewables race
International oil companies have “the financial muscle, the experience, the technical skills, and the supply chain” necessary to take part in the global renewable energy revolution, argues Eirik Waerness of Equinor.
German coal trounced by renewables for first time
Renewable energy sources satisfied more of Germany’s power demands than coal during the first half of 2018, marking a shift towards clean power as the Bundesrepublik continues to debate how best to phase out coal.
Cooling, Europe’s unheralded energy challenge
Heating and cooling takes up half the European Union’s energy consumption but it is often radiators and heaters that hog the spotlight, while air conditioning and fans are sidelined. But the changing climate and economic situation means cooling is set to become far more important.
Higher shares of renewables for higher levels of electrification
A deep decarbonisation of the European economy is doable, but it will rely heavily on an increased uptake of electricity – even if the challenges are very different across the individual use sectors, writes Kristian Ruby.
UK set to ‘dramatically’ miss 2030 energy efficiency targets for homes
The UK will not meet its 2030 goals to boost energy efficiency in its housing stock until the end of the century, new research from think tank IPPR has concluded. EURACTIV's media partner edie.net reports.
Grid neutrality is a prerequisite for energy storage to flourish
Without energy storage, the EU target for renewable energy cannot be reached. And that can only succeed if the incentives for investment are set correctly and if “ownership unbundling” rules in the EU energy market are strictly enforced, writes Dr. Hans Wolf von Koeller.
EU strikes early morning deal on energy governance bill
Negotiators from the European Commission, Parliament and Council struck a deal on the energy union governance regulation after an all-night session where they agreed to aim for a net-zero carbon economy "as early as possible," with a carbon budget and national strategies for 2050.
Energy savings law limps across the finish line
EU negotiators finally signed off on new energy efficiency rules Tuesday evening (19 June), as Bulgaria's EU Presidency wrapped up another clean energy file. But some of the concessions made by MEPs have already provoked criticism.
As it happened: Clean energy law hurdles cleared
EU negotiators meet once again this week for what promises to be final talks on two crucial energy files on energy governance and energy efficiency. Follow our liveblog for the latest developments, as well as to catch up on what has happened so far.
Claude Turmes MEP: A net-zero emissions target by 2050 will be our red line
Any country resisting an EU-wide objective to reduce emissions to net-zero by mid-century is essentially “in the same camp as Mr. Trump” when it comes to climate change, says Claude Turmes, the lead European Parliament negotiator on the Energy Union governance proposal.
German think-tank: EU’s 32% renewable energy target ’still unambitious’
The 32% renewable energy target agreed by EU negotiators last week is still “much lower” than what would be needed to reach the Paris goals on climate change, argue experts at the Heinrich Böll Foundation in Germany.
MEPs and governments at standoff over energy efficiency
Mandate of Bulgarian presidency unclear after government changes in Italy and Spain.
EU strikes deal on 32% renewable energy target and palm oil ban after all-night session
Talks on renewable energy policy in Europe reached un unexpected breakthrough early this morning after negotiators from the European Parliament and EU member states were able to reach a compromise on a 32% headline objective and a complete phase out of palm oil use in transport by 2030.Supporter
Danfoss top five priorities for a successful DWD revision:
- Unlock investments in energy efficiency and digitalization
- Increase transparency about energy use and water losses in the European water sector
- Enforce reduction of water leaks to de-risk contamination through leaky pipes
- Make information easy to understand by the public and comparable between member states
- Think circular economy
