Energy & Environment
Investors caution cement, steel firms on EU climate lobbying
Cement and steel companies are being warned by investors over their lobbying on planned European Union carbon costs, saying they are effectively asking to be compensated twice over.
Flanders chooses EU Green Deal as battleground between regions
Belgium will not join more than a dozen member states in insisting the Green Deal must serve as a basis for the coronavirus recovery, after a dispute among the three regional parliaments and the government nixed the chances of a common position.
EU countries dragging their feet on building renovation plans
Only five EU member states have submitted long-term renovation strategies that were due last month under the revised energy performance of buildings directive: Belgium, Denmark, Finland, The Netherlands and Sweden.
EU says green finance will be ‘key focus’ of post-virus recovery phase
As EU countries fight the coronavirus pandemic, they “must not lose sight” of the EU’s climate neutrality objective, the European Commission reminded on Wednesday (8 April).
Human impact on wildlife to blame for spread of viruses, says study
Hunting, farming and the global move of people to cities has led to massive declines in biodiversity and increased the risk of dangerous viruses like COVID-19 spilling over from animals to humans, a major study has concluded. EURACTIV's media partner, The Guardian, reports.
Lithium tipped for EU list of critical raw materials
The soft, silvery-white alkali metal is expected to enter the EU list of critical raw materials later this year because of its strategic importance to the automotive industry, EURACTIV has learned.
EU urged to bring building ‘renovation wave’ into recovery plan
The European Commission should make its future pandemic recovery plan conditional on commitments to the green transition, says Bendt Bendtsen, a former MEP who is now leading a Danish interest group lobbying for energy efficiency.
Coronavirus secrets of the Faroes
The Faroe Islands has managed to test nearly 10% of its population for coronavirus and no one has died from the disease so far. Its virus strategy was undoubtedly helped by its remote location but the main reason for the rapid response is a surprising one: the humble salmon.
Airlines urge UN aviation body to rethink climate measures
Airlines are putting pressure on the UN to make it easier for them to curb emissions in the 2020s, as the industry reels from the collapse of air travel because of the coronavirus. EURACTIV's partner Climate Home News reports.
Spain finally sends 2030 climate plan to Brussels
The Spanish government has submitted its energy and climate plan for 2030 to the European Commission, three months after the deadline, while five EU countries, including France, still need to turn in their strategies.
Dieselgate motorists in search of compensation boosted by EU court
EU consumers should be able to sue carmakers in their national courts if they have bought cars with emission cheat devices installed, an adviser to the Court of Justice of the European Union said on Thursday (2 April).
German government defeats plan to abolish fines for wind power projects
The German government has rejected parliament proposals to ease restrictions on the construction of new wind turbines, exposing deep divisions in one of Europe's pioneering nations for renewable energies. EURACTIV Germany reports.
‘We won’t slow down’ on climate: EU reacts to COP26 postponement
The European Commission “took note” of the UK’s announcement to postpone this year’s UN climate summit but stressed its “strong commitment” to the global climate agenda, as nations grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic.
EU carbon market emissions (excluding aviation) fell 8.7% in 2019
Greenhouse gas emissions regulated under Europe's carbon market fell by 8.7% last year, according to preliminary like-for-like European Commission data examined by carbon analysts at Refinitiv.
NGOs criticise Commission over CAP impact on biodiversity
Environmental NGOs have accused the European Commission of "greenwashing" and cherry-picking positive messages from an EU-funded independent evaluation study about the impact of Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) on habitats, landscapes and biodiversity.
Dutch outline clean hydrogen ‘vision’, aim at global market
The Netherlands want to use their “unique starting position” in the gas value chain to become world leaders in the production and use of clean hydrogen, saying the fuel “can become a globally traded commodity”.
COP26 UN climate summit postponed due to coronavirus
The UN has postponed a critical summit meant to jumpstart global climate action until 2021 as the world reels from the coronavirus pandemic. EURACTIV's media partner Climate Home News reports.
Europe’s domestic air travel emissions increase again
Greenhouse gas output from plane journeys within the EU rose again in 2019, according to new data from the European Commission, but that growth is likely to stop for a while, with 2020 set to be a lean year for airlines because of coronavirus.
Lille football club commits to reaching carbon neutrality
Lille's football club, Losc, has committed to reaching the commitments of the UN-sponsored "Climate Neutral Now" initiative and is the first French club to do so. EURACTIV France reports.
Global hopes for hydrogen economy revived amid EU push
A common buzzword at the beginning of the century, the hydrogen economy could finally be about to materialise on the back of falling technology costs and growing interest from policymakers, according to a global industry outlook by research firm BloombergNEF.
Despite health crisis, EU presses on with 2030 climate agenda
As the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic rages on, the European Commission stays the course on green policies, launching a public consultation on Tuesday (30 March) to raise the bloc’s climate target for 2030.
Coronavirus-hit carmakers urge EU to pull legislative handbrake
Europe’s largest auto manufacturers have argued that the coronavirus outbreak will limit their ability to comply with EU rules aimed at cleaning up the sector’s carbon footprint.
EU leaders back ‘green transition’ in pandemic recovery plan
While attention continues to focus on the urgent health aspects of the COVID-19 outbreak, EU leaders have called on the European Commission to start preparing “a comprehensive recovery plan” that integrates green and digital aspects.