About: 2030 climate and energy targets
In the right direction but lacking ambition: The Spanish Climate Change and Energy Transition Bill
If the European Green Deal is going to be EU’s recovery strategy from the coronavirus crisis, the Spanish climate and energy bill is not ambitious enough, writes Ana Barreira.
EU lawmakers debate 65% climate target proposal
The European Parliament's environment committee discussed for the first time on Thursday (28 May) a proposal by Swedish MEP Jytte Guteland to set an EU-wide CO2 reduction target of 65% by 2030. EURACTIV Germany reports.
EU lawmaker puts 65% emissions cut on the table
The European Parliament is gearing up for tough talks on the EU’s climate target for 2030, with a 65% emissions cut now firmly on the table.
How the coronavirus outbreak affects the EU’s 2030 climate targets
Ultimately, the coronavirus pandemic may slow down initial plans to adopt the European Climate Law and a number of other climate-related policy proposals, writes Robert Jeszke.
‘We won’t slow down’ on climate: EU reacts to COP26 postponement
The European Commission “took note” of the UK’s announcement to postpone this year’s UN climate summit but stressed its “strong commitment” to the global climate agenda, as nations grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic.
EU cost-benefit study seen backing 55% emissions cut by 2030
In the middle of the COVID-19 outbreak, the European Commission published last week what would have otherwise been a high-profile initiative: the launch of a cost-benefit analysis of increasing the EU’s climate ambition for 2030 in view of reaching net-zero emissions by mid-century.
Why number crunching can make or break Europe’s climate ambition
After the EU committed to climate neutrality by mid-century, the European Commission is now busy performing a detailed cost-benefit analysis of raising the bloc’s climate target for 2030. Brook Riley peaks into the EU's modelling engine room to decipher the assumptions behind the figures.
Eleven million jobs at risk from EU Green Deal, trade unions warn
The European Green Deal risks deepening economic and social divisions between east and western EU countries, trade unions say, warning the 27-member bloc risks imploding before it reaches its 2050 climate neutrality goal.
Thunberg warns EU ministers about world’s declining carbon budget
Teen activist Greta Thunberg reminded EU ministers on Thursday (5 March) about the rapidly declining amount of carbon dioxide that world nations are still allowed to emit before the rise in global temperatures risks hitting dangerous levels.
Green transition will require ‘Herculean effort’, EU admits
The European Union will need to “re-orient most, if not all” of its policies in order to protect vulnerable regions and workers in industries affected by the transition to a green economy, the EU Commission’s vice-president Frans Timmermans has said.
Pascal Canfin MEP: EU Climate Law must stick to 2030 timeline
The European Commission must publish its impact assessment on the EU's 2030 climate target in June – not in September like is currently mentioned in the draft Climate Law, MEP Pascal Canfin told EURACTIV in an interview.
Electricity boss: ‘EU climate law should be kept short and simple’
As the European Commission prepares its proposal for a landmark EU Climate Law, Eurelectric boss Kristian Ruby urges policymakers to keep it simple and focus on the long-term.
LEAK: EU’s draft climate law leaves 2030 target up in the air
The European Commission’s Climate Law will confirm on Wednesday (4 March) that EU countries will need to become climate neutral by 2050. But plans for 2030 leaves Europe little time to get ready for the UN climate summit in November, with twelve EU member states pushing for an accelerated timeline.
EU way off the mark on energy savings goal, latest figures show
The EU’s statistical office, Eurostat, published new figures on energy consumption for 2018 this week (4 February). As expected, they weren’t good, with the EU as a whole set to miss its 2020 energy efficiency objective by a margin of up to 5%, in what campaigners called the "biggest miss" of all EU climate targets.
Glass industry boss: Replacing old windows can bring huge energy savings
If Europe goes climate neutral, it will consume more flat glass, predicts Christian Quenett. And the benefits could be huge: simply doubling the replacement rate of windows, in line with the European Green Deal, would achieve 20% of the EU’s energy efficiency targets for 2030, he says.
EU to name and shame climate plan laggards ‘in the coming days’
Just over half of European Union countries have submitted their final national energy and climate plans (NECPs) to the European Commission by the 1 January deadline, a senior official has said, warning that the EU executive will soon publish the full list of countries online.
Industrial decarbonisation and the EU Green Deal: The case for bold action
The green deal is a credible first step to decarbonise energy-intensive industries such as steelmaking and chemicals. However, the transition to climate neutrality will also depend on the development of a comprehensive, integrated industrial strategy, writes Gauri Khandekar.
Germany’s new coal phase-out plan: Lots of money, little climate ambition
An agreement reached in the early hours of Thursday (16 January) between the federal government and representatives of the four German coal states won't bring the country much closer to reaching its climate goals, analysts said.
Time for a new deal for our planet, our communities and our future
The transition to net-zero emissions by 2050 is a massive challenge, but also a huge opportunity – a chance to design a socially inclusive, clean future, argue Sharan Burrow, Paul Polman and Laurence Tubiana.
Massive rise in EV charging points needed to reach EU climate goals, analysis finds
Europe needs fifteen times more electric vehicle public charging points by 2030 to support the EU’s goal of becoming “climate neutral” by mid-century, according to new research published today (8 January).
Germany missed EU deadline to submit national climate plan
All EU member states should have submitted their climate protection plans for the coming decade to the European Commission by 31 December 2019. But some missed the deadline, including Germany. EURACTIV.de reports.
2020: A test year for Europe’s much-vaunted Green Deal
Ursula von der Leyen, the new president of the European Commission, surprised even environmentalists when she announced she would make climate policy the “hallmark” of her five-year mandate. Now comes the hard part: the delivery.
UK’s Brexit election explained: ‘There will be one less pro-climate vote in the EU’
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.