Energy & Environment Archives

In an interview with EURACTIV Germany, Green Austrian MP Lukas Hammer spoke about his party's negotiations with the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) while drafting the coalition agreement and why his party took the risk of accepting tough migration policies in exchange for increased climate protection.

In an interview with EURACTIV's partner Wirtschaftswoche, Futurology and Transport Design Professor, Stephan Rammler, predicts the year 2019 may have been a historical turning point for the transport industry.

Iratxe García, the leader of the Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament (S&D), hopes to achieve closer collaboration with the Greens in light of upcoming legislation on the European Green Deal.

The longest in the history of UN climate negotiations, the COP25 ended on Sunday (15 September) with almost no significant decisions being made. Julia Panzer gives her take about the business implications of the Madrid climate talks.

With Germany’s dwindling leadership on climate, Britain’s departure from the European Union could have “potentially huge” consequences for climate policy, says Sandrine Dixson-Declève.

Because there is still a small number of nations blocking progress in implementing the Paris Agreement, and cities already feel their impact of climate change, they are ready to take the lead in fighting global warming, Milan's mayor and C40 network Vice-Chairman Giuseppe Sala told EURACTIV in an interview. 

After having represented the interests of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) for four years, Ulrike Rabmer-Koller takes stock, in an interview with EURACTIV Germany, of her successes and discusses her ambitions looking forward in the fight against climate change.

Europe wants to use all the tools available to transit toward a 'green' economy. But ‘green’ lending should not be incentivised by easing capital requirements for banks, the European Banking Authority chief, Jose Manuel Campa, told EURACTIV in an exclusive interview.

While visiting Paris, American economist Jeremy Rifkin talked to EURACTIV France about his hopes for the new European Commission's Green Deal, while calling for a climate narrative that inspires real change across society.

You can never reach a decarbonised economy by making the combustion engine perform better and become more efficient, says Hans Bruyninck. Breakthrough technologies, not incremental efficiency gains, will bring Europe to its 2050 objectives, he argues.

Italy's former finance minister Domenico Siniscalco insists that sustainable finance is going from strength to strength and that it will hold the key to effectively combating climate change. He also believes that compatriot Paolo Gentiloni will play a crucial role.

The EU's outgoing Fisheries Commissioner, Karmenu Vella, warned that climate change and biodiversity loss were putting the earth's ecosystems dangerously close to a tipping point, and pleaded for his successor to carry on the International Ocean Governance (IOG) put in place during his five-year mandate.

The MEP chairing the European Parliament’s environment committee has called on the Assembly to declare climate emergency at the next plenary session in November. "It would be important to do it at that time," he told EURACTIV in a wide-ranging interview.

To understand its full methane emission footprint and its impact on the climate, Europe needs to assess oil and gas imports from countries such as Algeria, Russia and Qatar, for which no data is available yet, says Stefan Schwietzke.

A sustainable deal would tackle not only CO2 emissions but also the social and economic development of Europe and the countries where raw materials are mined, says centre-right MEP Daniel Caspary.

Europe has to get serious about the hydrogen economy if it really wants to reach net-zero emissions as quickly as possible, says Nils Anders Røkke. This is why decarbonised natural gas, using carbon capture and storage (CCS), will be crucial to ramp up hydrogen production in the short term, he argues.

The European Parliament's transport committee head, Karima Delli (Greens), spoke about the need to completely overhaul the transport industry to combat climate change, the next transport Commissioner and France's pick for EU internal market chief, in an interview with EURACTIV Slovakia.

In an interview with EURACTIV Germany, Matthias von Randow, the Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Association of the German Transport Industry, spoke about carbon-neutral aviation fuels and the difficulties of rolling them out on a mass scale.

The solar thermal complex at Noor Ouarzazate in the Atlas mountains is at the heart of Morocco's renewable energy drive, producing over 580MW of electricity. Mustapha Bakhouri explains the country's plans to develop its renewable energy programme and build energy connections with Europe.

Companies and lawmakers must take more responsibility in helping to solve issues related to buildings, including reducing carbon emissions and improving health standards, according to Velux CEO David Briggs.

The Yellow Vest movement has actually boosted France's ambition to be a building renovation champion as it positioned the economy front and centre in the debate, the government's 'co-pilot' for the project told EURACTIV.

Incoming EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen should take an extra month or two to negotiate a coalition agreement with the European Parliament, including a new finance-climate pact to support the energy transition, says Pierre Larrouturou, adding he will not vote for the new Commission without additional climate cash.

In an interview with EURACTIV Germany, Karsten Neuhoff, a climate expert and professor, spoke about Germany's hotly-debated climate protection bill, stressing that a clear regulatory framework with "clear and credible paths for reducing emissions" is attractive for businesses.

In an interview with EURACTIV, Paris Agreement key architect Laurence Tubiana gives her take away of the UN Climate Action Summit and the role of the European Union ahead of the next European Council meeting 17-18 October.