Energy & Environment
Academic: Integrated EU electricity market is ‘least-cost option’ for net-zero transition
With increased interconnection and trading across borders, European countries can lower the variability of wind and solar power and decrease the cost of the transition to clean energy, Leonardo Meeus told EURACTIV.
IPCC scientist: Europe can ‘triple’ biomass production while strengthening its green goals
The European Union could "triple" the amount of biomass produced on a sustainable basis over the coming decades while helping restore land degraded by industrial pollution, poor agriculture, erosion and climate change, says André Faaij.
Oxfam France director: climate protection needs radical solutions
A radical change - particularly in public policy - is needed to address climate change and the social inequalities that come with it, former green minister and current director-general of Oxfam France, Cécile Duflot, told EURACTIV France in an exclusive interview.
Dan Lert: The City of Paris aims to phase out diesel by 2024, and thermal cars by 2030
The objectives set by the Climate Air Energy Plan for Paris seek to meet the European and WHO standards on air pollution. In the French capital city, "this implies the phasing out of diesel vehicles in 2024 and the phasing out of gasoline-powered vehicles in 2030," Dan Lert said.
Spanish MEP: Solar thermal needs to ‘at least triple’ by 2030
One of the lawmakers steering the revision of the EU’s renewable energy directive in the European Parliament has called on the European Union to "at least triple" or even quadruple the production of clean energy from solar thermal by the end of the decade.
Academic: We are probably entering a long period of high gas prices
With Russia’s war in Ukraine, the European Union is probably entering a long period of high gas prices, warns Ilaria Conti, saying the EU should use the crisis to mandate a storage obligation on EU member states and push for higher targets on renewable energy.
Analyst: Price collar would preserve ‘political stability’ of EU carbon market
Some form of price regulation, like a price collar or position limits on market players, could address worries about high prices on the EU's Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) and help prevent "a political backlash", climate and energy expert Michael Pahle told EURACTIV in an interview.
Industry boss: ‘Without Russian gas, we are probably in the worst situation we’ve ever been’
European gas infrastructure operators are preparing for all scenarios in the coming winter, including one “with no Russian gas at all” and supply cuts for consumers, says Torben Brabo.
Permitting and supply chain issues must be tackled to boost wind sector, says industry
Wind energy will play a key role in helping Europe break away from Russian fossil fuels and increase its energy independence, but slow permitting and strains on the supply chain need to be tackled if Europe wants a fast rollout of wind power, according to Sven Utermöhlen.
Expert: EU needs a 90% collection target for beverage cartons to boost recycling
The European Commission should introduce a collection target for beverage cartons to ensure they are properly collected and sorted and boost recycling in the sector, according to Dragos Popa.
EU recycling chief: product policy should embrace circular economy
With the European Commission due to present its Sustainable Products Action Plan on 30 March, Emmanuel Katrakis takes stock of the EU's push for a more circular economy in an interview with EURACTIV France.
Industry chief: District heating sector looking at ‘other options’ than gas
Russia’s aggression in Ukraine is prompting the district heating sector to look at other options than fossil gas, with the industry’s representative in Brussels underlining the huge untapped potential of waste heat coming from industry and data centres among the immediately available options.
Russian ambassador Chizhov: Nord Stream 2 is not dead, it’s a sleeping beauty
In a wide-ranging interview, the Russian ambassador to the EU discussed his country’s military operation in Ukraine, plans to return to negotiations under another government in Kyiv, sending to court Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the effect of Western sanctions and more.
Researcher: Carbon removal technologies ‘need to be upscaled quickly’
As the European Commission looks at creating a certification scheme for carbon removals at the end of this year, it will need to choose which methods to prioritise with a view to reaching net-zero emissions by 2050, according to Dr Oliver Geden.
Scientist: EU focus on recycled plastics raises food safety concerns
The European Commission is working on a revision of the regulation on recycled plastics for food packaging, which according to Jane Muncke, raises concerns about food safety.
Finnish MEP: 2020s need to be ‘decade of change’ for Europe’s depleting carbon sinks
The next decade needs to see a huge turnaround in the state of Europe's depleting carbon sinks and more incentives for farmers and foresters to capture carbon, if Europe wants to meet its climate goals, according to Ville Niinistö.
Think-tank: Bulgaria will be a net importer of electricity after 2030
Bulgaria is likely to become a net importer of electricity after 2030, accounting for about 15% of its needs, said Martin Vladimirov, Director of the Energy and Climate Program at the Centre for the Study of Democracy (CSD), a European...
Academic: ‘Mandatory EU labelling is the only way to fight proliferation of ecolabels’
The European Commission's upcoming sustainable product initiative should seek to clean the market for ecolabels and impose an EU-wide standard based on lifecycle assessment, says Professor Finkbeiner. However, "I doubt that the EU Commission will be brave enough to put out a mandatory label," he told EURACTIV in an interview.
MEP Jutta Paulus: Cheap flights are distorting the EU transport market
The proposed ‘ReFuelEU Aviation’ regulation is a basis to ensure that industry bears the true cost of aviation’s impact on the environment, argues MEP Jutta Paulus.
Canfin: Battery Regulation to enter into force ‘six months’ early
In an interview with EURACTIV France , Pascal Canfin spoke about the EU Parliament's proposals to improve the battery regulation, and the actions to be taken to accelerate the transition towards full electric mobility in the EU.
MEP Petar Vitanov: EU green fuel taxes ‘must not create additional inequality’
The European Commission has proposed wide-ranging legislation aimed at cutting emissions from road transport across the EU. But the various taxes embedded in the proposals run the risk of exacerbating inequality if not implemented properly, warns MEP Petar Vitanov.
Recycling pro: Design standardisation is ‘way forward’ for flexible packaging
Greater standardisation in design "has to be the way forward" in order to make it worthwhile economically to recycle lightweight packaging such as crisp packets. In practice, this also means reducing the variety of packaging available to the food and drink industry, says Joachim Quoden.
Polish Green MP: Sadly, the German Greens couldn’t stop Nord Stream 2
While the German Greens in the coalition government succeeded in blocking Nord Stream 2 at the certification stage, there are fears the SPD could prevail, and the pipeline becomes operational, according to Urszula Zielińska, a Polish MP in an interview with EURACTIV.