About: 2030 climate and energy targets
Energy efficiency: Getting the full picture
The Energy Efficiency Directive (EED), adopted in 2012 and currently under review, has been a key milestone to help deliver energy savings in Europe. But the reality is that we are not there yet in terms of primary energy savings, writes Hans Korteweg.
What the UN deal on shipping emissions means
Last week’s difficult deal on shipping emissions at the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) brought some good news. The not-so-good news is that there is far too little acceptance of the need for immediate action, writes Bill Hemmings.
New climate strategy will set out a pathway to meet higher targets
Last week, EU leaders sent a clear message to the European Commission to ramp up its work to implement the Paris Agreement and accelerate the ongoing transition away from fossil fuels, writes Wendel Trio.
Breaking the glass ceiling of EU climate policy
The request from EU leaders to see an update of the European Commission's 2050 low-carbon roadmap mandates a higher level of ambition from Europe on meeting climate goals also in 2030, writes Brook Riley.
Seán Kelly MEP: Gas is ‘preferred option’ as back-up for renewables
Intermittent renewable electricity will need backup for at least the next 20 or 30 years, says Irish MEP Seán Kelly. As the least dirty among fossil fuels, natural gas is probably the most cost-effective and “preferred option,” he argues.
Germany solidifies top ranking in EU wind power league
Germany installed 42% of the EU’s new wind power capacity in 2017, a year that saw the industry installing more supplies than any other form of energy across the European Union, according to fresh industry statistics published on Tuesday (13 February).
Brussels muddies waters on state aid for coal power
A European Commission decision on Wednesday (7 February) to approve state aid for emergency power plants – often gas or coal-fired – has been accused of complicating ongoing negotiations in the European Parliament.
Parliament rubber-stamps EU carbon market reform
European lawmakers voted in favour of a deal to reform the EU’s carbon market after 2020 on Tuesday (6 February), as well as bolstering prices in the bloc’s flagship tool for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Diesel to petrol shift poses ‘serious challenge’ to CO2 reduction
Falling demand for diesel-powered cars is having a “brutal” impact on carmakers while the EU’s CO2 reduction policy is jeopardising a fragile recovery in sales, the president of the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA) told reporters on Wednesday (31 January).
Parliament backs ‘net-zero’ carbon emissions by 2050
Green lawmakers have hailed a “great victory for the climate” as a proposal to bring down to zero the amount of greenhouse gases that can be emitted in the atmosphere by 2050 received unexpected backing from the European Parliament yesterday (17 January).
Avoiding common traps in energy savings (mis)calculation
Inconsistencies in the calculation of energy savings could derail global sustainability efforts, warn Tom Machinchick and Dr. Andreas Hermelink. Together, they investigate the effect of non-persistence in energy conservation measures on meeting the Paris Agreement and other carbon emissions goals.