Energy & Environment
Buildings and the forgotten 90%
Human beings spend on average 90% of their lives indoors. Buildings are also a huge drain on energy resources and create a significant amount of greenhouse gas emissions. This Special Report looks deeper into the places we live and work.
Future of gas
Last year, the European Commission started working on a new package of legislation for the gas sector. With the "European Green Deal" now coming up, and updated climate targets in the pipeline, the initiative is set to take a new dimension, focusing on decarbonisation strategies for 2030 and 2050.
Biogas in the EU
Biogas production remains tiny at the moment in Europe, but the industry has big plans for the future, provided costs can be lowered and environmental issues addressed. In this special report, EURACTIV looks into the challenges and opportunities facing the sector.
Decarbonising Europe’s heating sector
Heating is responsible for almost half (40%) of the EU's total energy consumption, and a large share of the bloc's carbon emissions. Yet, politicians are reluctant to confront the issue head-on. EURACTIV examines the reasons behind this and some of the solutions being considered at local and EU level.
Aluminium in a low-carbon world
Just as the European aluminium industry undertakes costly efforts to decarbonise, the sector is finding itself caught up in a trade war involving Chinese dumping and US tariffs that threaten to destabilise European production.
Funding a just energy transition in Europe
As negotiations on the EU's next long-term budget continue, EU countries are jockeying for funding opportunities to assist them in the transition to clean energy. A number of schemes are being envisaged to ensure the transition leaves no-one behind as industrial sectors such as coal and automotive face closures or deep restructuring.
Gas storage in the energy transition
The main value of gas storage has traditionally focused on security of supply, ensuring people can continue heating their homes in the event of a cold spell or a sudden supply cut. That is due to change in the coming years as energy companies compete for new "flexibility" services in a hybrid energy system combining gas and electricity.
EU elections: The environmental issue
Ahead of the May 2019 European elections, EURACTIV takes an in-depth look into the campaign commitments made by the lead candidates of the main political parties.
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.
A circular economy retrospective
Recycling, reuse and all things circular are taking on more and more importance in Europe. Sustainability will remain high on the agenda of the next EU legislative cycle but what tools are in place to help the industry get it across the line?
Decarbonising heat
Renewables in heating and cooling are expected to grow by 1.3% every year under objectives agreed as part of the EU's updated renewable energy directive. This will be a massive challenge considering that fossil fuels still cover around 75% of the demand in the heating sector.
Regulating appliances of the future
Over the past ten years, a raft of EU legislation has been passed making white goods like fridges, dishwashers and washing machines more efficient, recyclable and connected. In this Special Report, EURACTIV dives into the changes that have already taken...
Playing the emissions counting game
Every country in the world has to count its emissions so that global commitments to fight climate change can be kept. Now efforts are underway to ensure that this particular brand of accountancy is as accurate and effective as it can be.
Recycling metal packaging
New EU-wide recycling targets, adopted last year, will have a significant influence on the way people recycle things like beverage cans. EURACTIV looks at how difficult it will be to meet the new targets.
After the COP: Where next for climate action?
December's COP24 climate summit in Katowice was billed as a last chance to actually implement the Paris Agreement. Now that the dust has settled, did negotiators achieve their objectives? And where does the international effort go from here?
All that glitters is not just gold
The circular economy is taking on more and more significance but a potential clash is looming between maximising the potential of our waste and safeguarding human health.
Decoupling economic growth from greenhouse gas emissions
In a world already impacted by climate change, the global community still falls short of meeting the Paris Agreement’s goal on curbing climate change under the well-below 2°C target. Countries gathered at the COP24 will have to roadmap how to shift trillions of euros to turn the economy from brown to green.
Local utilities in the energy transition
While policymakers craft a new long-term European Union framework for the energy transition, some of the most intense changes will fall to local utilities in Europe's cities. For some cities, their own preparations closely track what the European Commission is envisioning.
The global race for raw materials
The European Union first adopted a raw materials strategy in 2008, at a time when commodity prices were at an all-time high and fears were running high of a global scramble for natural resources. The financial crash that followed conveniently swept the issue under the carpet. But this may have only been temporary.
The nitty-gritty of recycling
The EU now has a whole raft of rules, both finalised and pending, geared towards increasing the effectiveness and, perhaps more importantly, profitability of recycling. But beyond the headline targets, how are countries going to stick to the rules?
Electricity prices
Many European countries have placed limits on electricity prices, often justified by consumer concerns about rising energy bills, or to protect households from energy poverty. But regulated energy prices also thwart competition and hinder the deployment of clean energy solutions....
Metals in the circular economy
Metals are essential components in the manufacturing of smart phones, electric car batteries and other green technologies. In this special report, EURACTIV looks at how the EU's circular economy strategy can help secure Europe's supply of critical raw materials in a sustainable way.
Renovation of buildings: The fight is over, time to implement
The vision for decarbonising the European building stock is clear enough: now comes the time for the member states to enforce these commitments.