Energy & Environment Archives
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Renewables’ role in Dutch energy mix decreases
The share of renewable energy in the Netherlands’ energy consumption decreased by 2% in 2021, meaning the Hague is no longer on track to hit its EU green goals, new data from the government’s statistical office shows. The share of renewable …
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As UN Ocean Conference ends, environmental groups press world leaders
Environmental groups on Friday (1 July) urged world leaders to keep promises they made at the UN Ocean Conference in Lisbon this week, to do everything in their power to save the world's seas.
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Russia seizes control of Sakhalin gas project, raises stakes with West
President Vladimir Putin has raised the stakes in an economic war with the West with a decree that seizes full control of the Sakhalin-2 gas and oil project, a move that could force out Shell and Japanese investors.
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G7 commitment sets the stage for a clean European power system by 2035
The latest G7 commitment – to clean up power systems by 2035 – shows that this is a credible and achievable milestone, and signals a clear direction of travel, writes Chris Rosslowe.
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EU Commission set to cut already strained personnel as inflation bites
The EU public administration, torn between growing ambitions and a stagnant budget, faces yet another obstacle - inflation - with temporary staff set to pay the highest price. The European Commission has recently raised the salaries by 2.4% retroactively from the …
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Europe ready for Baltics emergency switch-off from Russian grid
European grid operators are ready to implement immediately a long-term plan to bring the Baltic states, which rely on the Russian grid, into the EU system in the event Moscow cuts them off, three sources familiar with the matter said.
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Media Partnership – Accelerating the Green Transition in Europe: Life after Russian Fossil Fuels
This is the second event in the series “Fueling the War”, which brings together experts from fields as diverse as energy, climate and social justice, and leading thinkers and civil society from Ukraine, the EU and Russia to examine the complexities of the energy crisis. You can watch the recording of the first discussion, “Fueling the War: Why Energy Sanctions Matter and How to Make Them Effective” on Open Society Foundations’ website.
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MEPs could turn the EU taxonomy sage green
Efforts to label natural gas and nuclear power activities as green will only benefit a limited number of industries in a restricted number of countries and will hinder Europe's energy transition, writes Teresa Ribera.
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Hungary’s vast geothermal potential – untapped
Hungary sits on a huge geothermal basin and already has district heating infrastructure in place to deliver clean energy to citizens. And despite this, the government is making no effort to take advantage of it, experts say.
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Macron says deep-sea mining must not go ahead
French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday (30 June) a legal framework was needed to stop deep-sea mining from going ahead and urged countries to put their money on science to better understand and protect the world's oceans.
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EU deal on car CO2 standards leaves door ajar for e-fuels
The decision by EU countries in the early hours of Wednesday (29 June) to ban the sale of polluting vehicles by 2035 was widely seen as a death sentence for the internal combustion engine in the EU.
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EU carmaker regions clamour for ‘just transition’ aid scheme
With the 2035 ban on the production of new combustion engine cars almost set in stone, carmaker regions of the EU have banded together to demand a support mechanism to ease the transition, similar to that implemented for coal regions.
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Croatia considers fuel vouchers, among other options, finance minister says
Fuel vouchers for citizens are one of the remaining options the government is considering, having slashed VAT on fresh foodstuffs to the minimum, Croatia’s Finance Minister Zdravko Marić said on Thursday, according to the Poslovni Dnevnik business website. A temporary cap on fuel …
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Help from Ukraine: Zelenskyy says his country is is now exporting electricity to EU
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the launching of power transmissions to Romania was the start of a process that could help Europe reduce its dependence on Russian hydrocarbons.
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Slovakia eases EU funds access to boost geothermal energy
With the 2021-2027 budgetary period supporting exploratory drilling, the Slovak government has decided to remove one of the main barriers to geothermal energy development in the country, though the Commission still needs to give its green light.
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EU Commission probes Czech state support for new nuclear unit
The European Commission has launched investigations into whether the planned public support for the extension of the Czech Dukovany nuclear plant is in line with EU competition rules.
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Draghi’s government to look into resuming domestic gas drilling
The government will discuss whether to resume domestic gas drilling in the following few weeks, Prime Minister Mario Draghi told reporters following the Council of Ministers meeting on Thursday (30 June).
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France unlikely to go ‘all the way’ on its climate ambitions, experts say
The French government is unlikely to follow through on its climate ambitions, the country's High Council on Climate (HCC) said on Thursday (30 June) in a report containing recommendations for the executive.
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Norwegian scientist: Speeding up the implementation of renewables is key to EU’s energy efficiency
This week we discussed negotiations between the bloc's 27 environment ministers. In particular, their joint positions on five laws which are part of a broader package of measures to slash planet-warming emissions by the end of the decade. We also …
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Security of gas supply – What role for gas infrastructure?
Rewatch this EURACTIV Hybrid Conference where stakeholders discussed the policy tools that can strengthen EU security of supply. Addressed questions included:
- How can gas supplies be secured in the most efficient and sustainable way, while at the same time ensuring the protection of EU citizens and industries? Is a holistic approach achievable?
- What is the role of gas infrastructure? Can gas infrastructure operators connect Europe to the global market?
- What solutions exist to transport and store renewables and low-carbon molecules over long distances with the existing and future LNG, underground storage and transmission facilities? -
Renewable heating ‘has not yet realised its potential’, EU official says
The European Commission aims to scale up renewables in heating and cooling as a way to phase out Russian gas, although industry sources say there is still much to do to ensure a level playing field with dominant fossil-fuel heating technologies.
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Berlin asks anxious heat pump industry to produce 500,000 a year
Hoping to achieve its 2024 target of producing 500,000 heat pumps a year, the German government is pushing the industry to make necessary investments amid fears it will end up like the solar panel industry.
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Why green ammonia will be the workhorse of EU’s future hydrogen economy
Green ammonia plays a prominent role in the 20 million tonne renewable hydrogen target of the European Commission’s REPowerEU plan. Now it’s time for the EU to put its money where its mouth is, writes Joel Moser.
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‘Please don’t betray us’: Ukrainians call on EU Parliament to reject green label for gas and nuclear
Ukrainian activists and politicians leaders have urged the European Parliament to reject plans to label nuclear and gas as ‘green’ investments, saying this would be a “gift to Putin”.