Energy & Environment
Solar thermal: En route to 2030
With its Solar Energy Strategy adopted on 18 May, the European Commission intends to massively scale up the deployment of solar energy across the EU and put an end to Europe's dependence on fossil fuels.
Nature restoration
The European Commission plans to propose a nature restoration law this summer with the aim of reversing the drastic decline of biodiversity in Europe. In this special report, EURACTIV gives a preview of what the new law might contain.
EU carbon market reform and price stability
As the European Union revises its carbon market to align with the bloc's more ambitious climate objectives, calls are growing to make the EU's flagship climate policy tool future-proof and prevent wild price fluctuations.
Wind power’s contribution to Europe’s energy independence
As Europe looks to break away from its dependence on Russian fossil fuels, renewable energy, like wind power, could be part of the answer. EU countries are keen to increase their renewable energy capacity. However, slow permitting procedures and issues...
Gas decarbonisation
The war in Ukraine has triggered a momentous shift in the EU's energy and climate policy, highlighting the urgency of replacing imports of Russian fossil gas with green alternatives, like biomethane and clean hydrogen.
District heating
With the Russian war in Ukraine, the European Union is looking at ways of accelerating the green transition and replace fossil gas in sectors like heating and power generation. Can district heating play a role?
Chips Act unveiled: The (real) cost of making semiconductors
In this special report, EURACTIV looks at a fundamental component missing from the chips package the European Commission presented on 8 Febryary: How the EU executive will square its semiconductor ambitions with its other policies, such as the green agenda and upcoming restrictions on dangerous chemicals.
Carbon removals
Removing carbon from the atmosphere is considered crucial to limit global warming in line with the Paris Agreement. The European Commission has already started paving the way for future legislation on the topic, with the publication of a communication on sustainable carbon cycles in December.
Renewables’ integration in the electricity grid
The growing share of intermittent sources of electricity like solar and wind is placing the power grid under unprecedented strain, making the search for flexibility a vital part of the EU’s green transition.
Sustainable products initiative
As part of its circular economy action plan presented in 2020, the European Commission is preparing a new sweeping set of rules which for the first time will aim to ensure all products placed on the EU market are designed with sustainability objectives in mind.
Packaging recycling
The European Commission has set an objective for all packaging placed on the EU market to be "reusable or recyclable in an economically viable way by 2030”. In this special report, EURACTIV looks at the implications for so-called "flexible packaging" such as crisp packets, which are considered hard to recycle.
Building decarbonisation
Reducing emissions from the built environment has become a top priority in the fight against climate change, as buildings currently gobble up 40% of Europe’s energy consumption – most of it fossil fuels.
Energy efficiency
With the European Green Deal, the EU is increasing its climate ambition and aims to lower energy use by 9% below 2020 levels before the end of the decade. In this special report, EURACTIV looks at European Commission plans to ramp up energy savings.
The future of affordable housing
The affordability of housing in Europe was already a matter of concern before the coronavirus pandemic hit in 2020 and has now reached crisis proportions, campaigners say.
Energy poverty
Around 31 million Europeans were living in energy poverty in 2019, a figure that is set to rise this year because of the coronavirus crisis and soaring energy prices, affecting the most vulnerable in society.
Green and digital: Europe’s twin transitions
The European Commission is placing its hopes on digital innovation as one of the driving forces behind the EU’s shift to a zero-carbon economy. In this special report, EURACTIV looks at the opportunities and challenges related to the EU’s “twin...
Forestry at COP26
The protection of forests will be high on the agenda at this year’s UN climate summit in Glasgow, where world nations are expected to come forward with more ambitious climate goals. EURACTIV gives you a roundup of the issues at...
Sustainable sourcing of batteries
The battery market is currently dominated by Asia, but the EU hopes that new laws setting strict green criteria for batteries sold in Europe will boost domestic production and help the continent to stake its place as a global leader.
Geothermal energy
Large-scale geothermal energy has long been constrained to volcanic areas where heat can easily be captured and turned into electricity. Today, breakthroughs in drilling techniques are opening new horizons for the technology, offering the prospect of “geothermal anywhere”.
EU forest strategy
In its forest strategy tabled in July, the European Commission has underlined the crucial role played by forests in absorbing carbon dioxide and meeting the EU's climate targets, setting out plans to plant 3 billion trees before the end of the decade.
EU carbon market reform
The EU’s Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) is often presented as the crown jewel of EU climate policy, putting a price on carbon emissions from the power sector and industry. With a major reform process now underway, EURACTIV looks at...
Forestry and climate change
The capacity of forests to act as a “carbon sink” – absorbing more CO2 than they emit – is decreasing and needs to be reversed, the European Commission said in September last year when it presented its 2030 climate target plan.
Energy transition in the Western Balkans
As the European Union adopts tougher climate goals for 2030, aiming for net-zero emissions by mid-century, the bloc's next-door neighbours in the Western Balkans are struggling to keep up and face growing difficulties in the transition to a green economy.