Oil and Industry
Energy efficiency – a game changer for Europe, a responsibility for industry
EU efforts to increase energy efficiency are now entering the sharp end of the legislative process, as trilateral talks ramp up. Nadezda Kokotovic explains what role industry should play in energy saving.
Europe must regain the lead in clean automotive innovation
The EU must adopt policies that put European manufacturers on the right track to compete with the global shift to low carbon transport, writes Andrey Kovatchev.
Are electric vehicles cleaner? The evidence points firmly in one direction
Opponents of electrification will continue to misuse lifecycle analyses to discredit battery electric vehicles. But they need to be increasingly ‘creative’ to do so, writes Julia Poliscanova.
Is deep-sea mining worth the risk?
There is no evidence that deep-sea mining will reduce our dependency on land-based mining. We need to end business as usual and act to reduce the demand for these raw materials by making the transition towards a circular economy, write a group of Greens/EFA MEPs.
EU need not fear new Russian gas pipeline
Europe’s continuing need for Russian gas – for reasons of proximity and price – is a reality, but it need not leave the EU over a barrel, writes Noah Gordon.
Synthetic fossil fuels: A dieselgate 2.0 in the making?
Audi, the German car manufacturer, is pitching ‘e-fuels’ as a clean alternative to produce petrol, diesel or gas, without having to extract fossil fuels. Sounds splendid but unfortunately too good to be true, warns Jonas Helseth.
Common failures in predicting future oil demand
In a world where technologies are evolving at a blistering pace, many are struggling to make smart choices, especially in the area of transport, writes Pete Harrison.
Fair fuel pricing: A test for Europe’s climate ambitions
Is the EU committed enough to increase taxes on fossil fuels? That is a question that needs to be raised now considering the long-running debate on the best measures, including energy taxation, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, write Kai Schlegelmilch and Zoltán Szabó.
Climate change fight is great opportunity for Europe’s labourers
For decades, labourers were presented with a false choice: good jobs or a clean environment. They were told that efforts to cut pollution would kill jobs—that they had to choose between clean air and the economy. Now we know better, insists Kathleen Van Brempt.
Smoke, mirrors and coal dust
Making coal power look like a worthy candidate for taxpayer support in a Europe moving to low carbon generation is no easy trick. A recent study tried to pull off this illusion and failed miserably, explains Dave Jones.
Will new EU buildings law help pave the way for an electro-mobile future?
The ongoing reform of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) offers a once-in-a-decade opportunity to make European buildings and cities of today fit for the low pollution, electric transport of tomorrow, writes Teodora Serafimova.
Poland’s cherry picking of EU energy rules makes no sense
When it comes to EU energy policy, Warsaw does not always adhere to the letter and the spirit of EU law and tends to select rules a la carte, adapting them to Poland's narrowly-defined interests, writes Danila Bochkarev.
Western Balkans cannot track climate action without appropriate monitoring
The European Commission has just announced it will drop a mechanism to monitor progress in limiting greenhouse gas emissions in the Western Balkans. The decision will make it difficult to track and manage the climate goals in a region that is highly vulnerable to climate change impacts, warns Dragana Mileusnić.
Wind of optimism blows on global climate politics, in spite of Trump
Despite Donald Trump's decision to pull the United States out of the Paris Agreement, it is hard not to feel a sense of optimism on global climate politics as world leaders gather in Hamburg for the G20, writes Taylor Dimsdale.
A reality check on power-to-liquids: How not to use renewable energy
By encouraging the use of clean energy sources to produce fossil fuel for cars, the proposed revision of the EU Renewable Energy Directive (RED II) opens the door to massive public subsidies for costly, inefficient and polluting ‘solutions’, warns Jonas Helseth.Promoted content
Gas is one of the safest bets for EU’s energy and climate success
Europe will need gas to make renewables work. One of my principal aims as the new president of GasNaturally will be to engage with our partners and policymakers and explain why gas is one of the safest bets if we want EU energy and climate policy to be a success, writes Marco Alverà.
Britain’s gas: Let’s focus on efficiency, not fracking
The closure of the UK’s largest gas storage facility along with disruption to Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) supplies this month puts UK energy at a crossroads, writes Joseph Dutton. Rather than focus on imports or fracking, Britain should pay more attention to decreasing demand and renewable energy, he argues.
Drivers are the top consumers of palm oil in Europe
As millions of European hit the roads this month for a well-earned summer break, most won’t know what they’re driving on, writes Laura Buffet.
Merkel vs. Trump at Hamburg G20
As world leaders prepare to descend on Hamburg next week, German Chancellor Angela Merkel hopes to gain sufficient support to isolate US President Donald Trump on trade and climate change, writes Fraser Cameron.
Keeping Europe’s ambition alive on renewable heat
If Europe wants to walk the talk on climate change, it needs to get out of fossil fuels by 2050. And the real ambition must be to drive change towards renewable heat, which is still addicted to fossil fuels, writes Nigel Cotton.
Can the invisible hand guide us towards a decarbonised energy system?
Prices for many sources of energy do not reflect their true environmental and social costs, writes Thomas Nowak who proposes abolishing fossil fuel subsidies as one of four necessary measures to drive the transition to a low-carbon economy.
Sustainable development must be overarching EU objective
The EU should throw its full weight behind the UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and take a global lead in its implementation. Former President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy explains why sustainable development should be the bloc's top priority.
Biomass and biofuels in the EU: Emotion-based policymaking?
The European Commission’s tinkering on biomass policy effectively promotes oil over economically viable and sustainable biofuels, writes Francis X. Johnson.