Energy
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.
Europe’s new Climate Law: Leaving no-one behind?
When she took the European Commission's helm in December, Ursula von der Leyen pledged to deliver the EU's first Climate Law within the first 100 days after taking office. The proposal, due on 4 March, aims to enshrine into hard legislation the bloc's objective of becoming the world's first climate-neutral continent by 2050.
Bioeconomy in the CAP’s nine objectives
Bioeconomy will play a crucial role in delivering the European Union's environmental and climate neutrality agenda. The farm sector is no exception and at least half of the nine objectives of the post-2020 EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) relate directly to this concept.
Ukraine gas transit: What’s at stake
By building the Nord Stream 2 and Turkish Stream gas pipelines, Russia is seeking to circumvent Ukraine for the transit of billions of cubic meters of gas bound to European countries. EURACTIV looks at the issues Europe faces with gas transit at its border.
COP25: Countries pressed to deliver
The COP is meant to pave the way for countries to raise their climate ambition before the end of crucial year 2020. Climate negotiators know that they are under tight scrutiny from stakeholders, first and foremost cities, businesses, and Fridays for Future.
Raw materials: Aiming for sovereignty
In face of fierce global competition, how can Europe secure access to key raw materials for the future of its industry?
Energy supply and end-use integration (sector coupling)
Sector coupling is the new energy buzzword in town. In essence, it means bringing energy supply closer to large consuming sectors such as transport, buildings and industry in search of greater efficiency, more renewables and lower carbon emissions.
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.
Biomethane 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.
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.
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...
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?
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.
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.
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....
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.
Road to COP24: A just energy transition ahead?
The Polish city of Katowice will host the United Nations climate summit in December for a make-or-break attempt to make the Paris Agreement a reality. EURACTIV looks at where the global climate action effort stands at the moment, and what may lie in wait in southern Poland.