Energy & Environment
EU eyes sustainable fuel quotas to tackle aviation emissions
The European Union is considering quotas to force airlines to use more sustainable fuels as it seeks to clamp down on the climate impact of aviation, the European Commission said on Wednesday (5 August).
Egypt calls for suspension of Nile dam talks
Egypt on Tuesday (4 August) called for a suspension of meetings with Ethiopia on Addis Ababa's massive dam construction project on the Nile.
Ukraine says no plans to resume gas purchases from Russia
Ukraine's state energy firm Naftogaz said it would not resume buying natural gas from Russia, suspended since late 2015, until Moscow offered it competitive prices and conditions.
The EU can and must cut emissions by more than 55% by 2030
The European Commission has proposed to strengthen its 40% greenhouse gas emission reduction target to 50% or 55% on 1990 levels in the next ten years. But this step does not meet the minimum level of ambition that climate science,...
Look-back: Best of the news made in 2020 so far
As the EU institutions - and the EURACTIV newsroom - wind down for the summer break, take a look at some of the biggest, most popular and unusual stories published so far in 2020, as well as the catalogue of our best videos this year.
EU invests €350m in first domestic battery gigafactory
The European Investment Bank issued a €350 million loan on Thursday (30 July) to a Swedish company that hopes to corner a significant share of the global battery market by building the greenest power packs available.
Wind industry ‘remained resilient’ during COVID-19 crisis
Despite major disruptions to production and assembly in the first semester, installation of new wind farms over the first half of 2020 was comparable to previous years, industry figures show.
EU’s hydrogen strategy a good start but key problems sidestepped
Europe’s hydrogen strategy mostly points in the right direction by identifying renewable hydrogen as a key energy vector and necessary storage solution for delivering a zero-carbon EU, but it side-steps several key problems that go to the core of what...
Work starts in France to recreate power of the Sun
Fourteen years after receiving the official go-ahead, scientists began to assemble a machine in southern France on Tuesday (28 July) that will seek to prove whether nuclear fusion, the process which powers the Sun, can be a safe and viable energy source for Earth.
UK unveils cycling and walking stimulus plan
Prime Minister Boris Johnson launched a £2 billion package on Monday (27 July) aimed at incentivising walking and cycling as the UK lockdown eases. EURACTIV's partner edie.net reports.
E-trains gain upper hand over hydrogen locomotives
Rail operators could make big savings by choosing electric battery power over hydrogen fuel cells when replacing diesel engines, a new study has suggested, although the ever-changing price of energy means the jury is still out on the best power source.
US pipeline sanctions: Reality check
US pipeline sanctions suggest a deliberate misreading of the European gas market and a paternalistic “America knows best” view of how Europeans should manage their energy commerce, writes Danila Bochkarev.
Moscow cries foul over EU’s planned carbon border tax
Russia’s economic development minister warned last week that the EU’s plans to deploy a carbon tax at the bloc’s borders will not be in line with World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules, just as Brussels doubled down on the idea of green tariffs.
Gas boilers deserve an ‘F’, not an ‘A’
Fossil gas boilers may continue to be labelled ‘green’ for another decade or so if EU leaders fail to review energy labelling rules for heating appliances within a year. This would be very bad news for an overheating world, write... InfographicPromoted content
National Energy & Climate Plans: 3 key elements for effective delivery
Too lazy to read 26 National Energy & Climate Plans? No problem! WindEurope has assessed them, focusing on three crucial dimensions for the expansion of wind energy: auction schedules, electrification and permitting. Amongst these, permitting remains the biggest bottleneck in...
Commission presses member states to take action on high-risk 5G vendors
EU nations must make urgent progress on mitigating the risks to 5G telecommunications networks posed by certain high-risk suppliers, the European Commission said in a progress report published on Friday (24 July).
France’s Languedoc winegrowers are already adapting to climate change
Over the past 30 years, the harvest of France's Languedoc wines has progressed by three weeks and the alcohol content of the wine has risen by four points. Faced with the already sensitive impact of climate change, the region's winegrowers are adapting their practices and grape varieties. EURACTIV France reports.OpinionPromoted content
The European Green Deal will unlock the true potential of bioenergy – if we take the right decisions now
Despite the considerable challenge of the Covid-19 pandemic, the European Commission continues to push ahead on the implementation of its ambitious European Green Deal agenda. Its latest proposals include a new 2030 Biodiversity Strategy and, most recently, the ambitious Energy...
Sweden’s night train to Brussels to debut in 2022
The Swedish government announced on Thursday (23 July) night train routes that will link the cities of Stockholm and Malmö with Hamburg and Brussels, in the latest indication that sleeper services are on the cusp of a renaissance in Europe.
Ericsson: 5G could ‘dramatically increase’ network energy consumption
It is the industry’s responsibility to roll-out the fifth generation (5G) of wireless communication networks without increasing energy consumption, Swedish telecoms giant Ericsson writes in a report outlining how this can be done. “Energy consumption is set to increase dramatically...
MEPs warn of insufficient control over EU climate spending
The European Parliament rejected on Thursday (23 July) the hard-won decisions of the EU Council. MEPs criticised, among other things, cuts to climate programmes and voiced fear that billions of euros could fall into the wrong hands. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Renewables overtake fossil fuels in EU power generation
Renewable sources have overtaken coal, oil and gas in EU electricity generation for the first time, new analysis shows. EURACTIV's media partner, Climate Home News, reports.
What the European Council on recovery tells us about European climate politics
After five long days and nights of negotiations, European leaders struck a deal on the seven-year EU budget and “Next Generation EU” recovery plans on Tuesday. What did this European Council tell us about the politics of green and resilient recovery in the EU? Jennifer Tollman, Johanna Lehne and Rebekka Popp explain.