Energy & Environment
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.
Towards an EU market for clean hydrogen
Hydrogen today represents a tiny fraction of the energy mix but its importance is expected to grow rapidly in the coming years as the European Union aims to create a Europe-wide market for clean hydrogen to drive the decarbonisation of heavy industry.
A just transition? The barriers to central and eastern Europe making the leap from coal
As the EU Green Week kicks off in Brussels, EURACTIV takes a closer look at an essential step towards a net zero emission Europe – the transition away from coal. Armed with the new €17.5 billion-strong Just Transition Fund, the...
Euro 2021 football cup: The green issue
The 16th edition of the European football cup starts in June with a one-year delay due to the COVID-19 crisis. With growing attention being paid to the climate impact of spectator sports, EURACTIV looks into how green this edition will be.
Poland’s energy transition
Poland's coal dependence has propelled the country at the forefront of European Union efforts to decarbonise energy production, the largest source of emissions. With climate change now a top political priority, Warsaw is coming under growing pressure to close remaining coal mines and power stations.
Togetair climate summit
The European Union aims to become climate neutral by 2050 and is tightening its climate goals for 2030 as a result. In this special report, EURACTIV looks at some of the implications for business and industry, in partnership with the Togetair climate summit in Poland.
Climate science from space
With its Copernicus constellation of satellites, the European Union is considered a world leader when it comes to earth observation technology. The challenge now is to develop services at an affordable cost for potential commercial users like farmers or public services such as natural disaster response teams.
Putting due diligence at the heart of sustainable business
The European Commission is set to table a draft law by the end of June that will require companies to ensure that their supply chains are free of human rights and environmental abuse and corruption. That follows years of campaigning by EU lawmakers and civil society groups, and a shift in attitude from much of the business community. This event report looks at what is likely to be in the legislation and the challenges ahead.
Ammonia and the greening of EU industry
A chemical traditionally used in the fertiliser industry, ammonia is now also entering the realm of energy as a way to store and transport hydrogen, or as an alternative transport fuel in its own right.
Hydrogen outlook in Central and Eastern Europe
According to EU scenarios, the share of hydrogen in Europe’s energy mix is expected to grow from less than 2% today to 13-14% by 2050, as part of efforts to decarbonise transport and heavy industries. Central and Eastern EU countries...
Rural innovation
Rural areas in Europe face particular challenges: lower median income than big cities, lack of social and cultural life, lack of internet infrastructure, and depopulation. By mid-2021, the European Commission wants to articulate a new long-term vision for rural areas, saying they have a special role to play in the transition to a green and sustainable Europe.
Plastic waste management
The European Commission launched a circular plastics alliance in 2018, with an initial pledge of reaching 10 million tonnes of recycled plastics used in products by 2025. Can the industry rise to the challenge?
Recycling of e-waste plastics
Electric and electronic scrap represents a growing share of plastic waste, but most of it is currently not recycled because of inappropriate collection schemes and difficulties in dealing with the harmful chemical substances they may contain.
The EU’s carbon border adjustment mechanism
When she took office in December last year, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced ambitious new climate goals for Europe and a new border levy aimed at ensuring fair competition with countries that do not impose a carbon...
Fluorinated gases
F-gases, a family of refrigerants commonly used in fridges and air conditioners, are being phased out in order to prevent global warming from spinning out of control. But efforts to gradually ban the refrigerant have also created a thriving black market, which the European Union is struggling to contain.
Forests and climate change
With its 2030 climate plan last month, the European Commission has put the spotlight on forests as Europe's main "carbon sink," saying their ability to store carbon dioxide must be preserved in order to reach the bloc's climate goals.
Preserving biodiversity in Europe: Is sustainability the answer?
While most of the world is focusing on climate change and the steps needed to curb it, another critical environmental aspect - that of biodiversity - is failing to get the attention it deserves.
Nonwovens target more sustainable future
The nonwovens sector is planning to inject more sustainability into its mix, with issues like new EU rules, a greater focus on recycling and the coronavirus pandemic all set to influence the future of the industry.
Critical raw materials
The European Commission has launched a fresh attempt at securing access to minerals like lithium and rare earth elements, saying those will be critical to underpin Europe's growth in digital and green industries.
Navigating the road ahead for battery tech
Europe's climate agenda and willingness to tag its virus-recovery efforts to green objectives mean that electric-battery technology is due for a great decade.
Energy efficiency services
With the EU's building renovation wave coming soon to your local town hall, has the time finally arrived for the energy services industry? In this special report, EURACTIV gives an overview of the challenges and opportunities facing the sector.