Energy & Environment

Clean air for everyone – Poland challenges smog

Environmental protection and the fight for clean air are global challenges in today’s world. Poland’s entrepreneurship and technology minister explains how his country is doing its bit to overcome air quality challenges.

EU energy efficiency debate skewed by bad maths, says study

Ongoing talks about the EU’s energy efficiency target for 2030 are deadlocked and the debate could have been skewed by the way initial cost estimates were calculated, according to a new study.

Greece launches tender for Hellenic Petroleum privatisation

Greece launched an international tender on Wednesday (18 April) to sell a majority stake in its biggest oil refiner, Hellenic Petroleum, as agreed under its third international bailout.

Europeans will have to recycle half of their waste by 2025

European households and businesses will have to recycle at least 55% of their municipal waste by 2025, according to stricter new rules passed by the European Parliament on Wednesday (18 April).

Ministers highlight European divide over carbon price floor

While France is pushing for the implementation of a carbon price floor at EU level and is looking for allies in the bloc, Poland sees energy storage technologies as key to a successful European climate policy.

Energy efficiency: Getting the full picture

The Energy Efficiency Directive (EED), adopted in 2012 and currently under review, has been a key milestone to help deliver energy savings in Europe. But the reality is that we are not there yet in terms of primary energy savings, writes Hans Korteweg.

Study for EU questions France-Spain gas pipe plan

A report prepared for the European Commission has questioned the economic viability of plans to build a gas pipeline connecting Spain and France, designed in part to help reduce Europe’s reliance on Russian piped gas, five sources told Reuters.

What the UN deal on shipping emissions means

Last week’s difficult deal on shipping emissions at the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) brought some good news. The not-so-good news is that there is far too little acceptance of the need for immediate action, writes Bill Hemmings.

Demand for cooling could outstrip heating as Earth warms

A burgeoning middle class and a warming world will result in energy demand for cooling overtaking that for heating by the middle of the century, researchers have predicted. EURACTIV's partner The Guardian reports.

EU Parliament’s energetic day in Strasbourg

In the shadow of French President Emmanuel Macron’s speech in Strasbourg on Tuesday (17 April), MEPs signed off on a number of important energy laws, as the EU took a small step towards the finalisation of the Clean Energy Package.

Without ambitious energy efficiency goals, the EU will fail Paris targets

The Paris Climate Agreement’s entry into force has clearly not yet spurred policymakers to charge toward the goal of limiting climate change to “well below 2°C” and targeting 1.5°C, warn Dr Jan Rosenow and Stefan Scheuer. Energy efficiency remains the key to success.