Energy & Environment
The Brief – Green is the new black
Politicians on both sides of the Atlantic are talking more and more about a 'Green New Deal' as climate change concerns start to actually take hold. But can Europe’s leaders square the worries of the gilets jaunes with the gilets jeunes?
Microplastics also travel through the air, says new study
Microplatics are not only found in the world’s oceans but can also reach isolated areas by air, according to a study published in Nature Geoscience on 15 April. EURACTIV’s partner le Journal de l'environnement reports.
Ukrainian President-elect calls for IMF talks to lower gas prices for households
Ukrainian President-elect Volodymyr Zelenskiy's team on Wednesday (24 April) called on the government and state energy company Naftogaz to hold talks with the International Monetary Fund on lowering household gas prices from 1 May.
Weber seeks powers to stop Nord Stream 2
The lead candidate for Europe's conservative bloc in next month's EU elections has said he would try to stop the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline if he becomes European Commission president, according to an interview published Tuesday (23 April).
What EU innovation policy can learn from professional cycling
Mission-oriented innovation is potentially significant in tackling big societal challenges such as climate change. When establishing those missions, the EU could take a few lessons from Britain’s most successful cycling team, writes Simon Skillings.
Climate change is at the heart of the Future of Europe
EU leaders must prioritise climate action to combat dangerous climate change when they gather in Sibiu for the 'Future of Europe' summit on 9 May, write the plaintiffs of the People's Climate Case, who are taking the EU institutions to court to protect their fundamental rights and to prevent dangerous climate change.OpinionPromoted content
Making the case for level playing field in energy labelling of space heaters
Europe has been at the forefront of climate negotiations, committing to contribute towards delivering the Paris Agreement goals. This is to be achieved through an ambitious implementation of the Energy Union objectives: decarbonisation, security of supply, a strong internal energy market, increasing energy efficiency and supporting research and innovation.
EU official: ‘Renewables could supply almost 80% of heating and cooling by 2050’
Reaching the EU's target of increasing renewable heating and cooling by 1.3% each year will require a diverse array of solutions, says the European Commission's Hans van Steen.
British football clubs want to lead the way in reducing single-use plastics
Football can bring joy or frustration to supporters... but also a lot of waste. UK football teams have decided to introduce reusable cups in stadiums, as part of a joint initiative by the Premier League and British TV channel Sky News.
Germany’s ruling parties rank just above far-right on climate protection
The European People’s Party (EPP) has scored very poorly in an analysis of how MEPs voted on climate policies, ranking even lower than the European Parliament's far-right contingent. In Germany, it is a similar story. EURACTIV Germany reports.
The EU needs a ‘Green New Deal’
Europe needs its own ‘Green New Deal’ to stave off the perfect storm of populism, climate change and economic crisis. Instead, the EU has adopted confused energy and environment policies which could be self-defeating in the long run, writes Vincente Lopez.
Saving energy, a European challenge of varying scale
Several EU member states, including France, have chosen to implement laws that would allow the trading of energy saving certificates, an important shift towards saving energy.
Price of energy saving certificates causes friction in France
Energy saving certificates, or white certificates, were meant to be the answer to France’s slow progress in reducing energy consumption. However, there is far more demand than supply, resulting in a surge in prices of certificates, which have more than doubled in a year. EURACTIV France reports.
Climate change will be key issue in EU elections, poll shows
As many as 77% of potential voters identify global warming as an important criteria when deciding who to vote for at the May European elections, according to an opinion poll published on Tuesday (16 April).
Three things to know as Germany opens massive ocean wind park
German Chancellor Angela Merkel will be joined by French and Norwegian ministers Tuesday (16 April) to officially open a massive wind farm in the Baltic Sea, a key project for her country's "energy transition".
Solar CEO: ‘Heating electrification is one of the biggest mistakes of the energy transition’
Wind and solar photovoltaic are way too small to cope with Europe's massive demand for heating, especially in winter, says Christian Holter who calls for allocating scarce renewable energy resources to economic sectors where they can bring the most in terms of carbon reduction.
UK breaks coal-free power generation record by huge margin
Coal has historically been at the cornerstone of the UK's electricity mix, but the first three months of 2019 saw the electricity grid clock up 650 hours of coal-free generation – more than was achieved during the entirety of 2017. EURACTIV's media partner edie.net reports.
Poland wins €215m EU grant for gas link to Norway
The European Commission today officially signed a €214.9 million grant for works on a new Baltic gas pipeline project aimed at connecting Poland and Denmark with Norway.
Claude Turmes: ‘We won the Energy Transition Fund’
The Energy Transition Fund called for by the European Parliament is more than just a pot of money to support coal-dependent regions, says Claude Turmes, Luxembourg’s minister for energy and spatial planning.
Walking the walk on capacity mechanisms
The European Commission’s review of Britain’s capacity market for electricity will reveal whether the EU executive really believes the recast regulation on the internal electricity market is ever likely to be fully enforced, write Philip Baker and Michael Hogan.
Time for Germany to seize the opportunities of the EV transition
The German auto manufacturing industry is at a perilous moment in its long and illustrious history and it needs the help of the country’s policymakers to ensure its long-term success, writes Nigel Topping.
EU hits pause on helping farmers fight climate change
The farming sector is often blasted for its contribution to climate change. But it also has unique potential to capture and store carbon, write Imke Lübbeke and Andreas Baumüller.
Contributing to a CO2 neutral gas supply: On the road to 2050 – what role for renewable gases and gas infrastructure?
Climate change requires urgent action and the ultimate challenge is to carry out the required transition towards a greener future at affordable cost for EU citizens and in line with EU energy security perspectives.