About: 2030 climate and energy targets
IEA: Renewables set to attract 70% of global energy investment in 2021
Global energy investment is likely to rebound to pre-pandemic levels this year, with most finance going towards renewables - but, ultimately, the new generation capacity financed will not be compatible with long-term climate goals.
Sustainable renovation is key to green recovery, industry says
Building renovation is a good way to spend the EU’s recovery fund and help Europe build a sustainable economy after the COVID-19 pandemic, but it must be done sustainably, industry representatives say.
Spain positions itself to be Europe’s green hydrogen hub
Spain has the “best conditions” to become Europe’s green hydrogen hub, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Monday, EURACTIV’s partner EFE reported.
LEAK: EU set to maintain national CO2 targets for non-ETS sectors
EU countries are likely to reaffirm national emissions goals for sectors like buildings, transport, and agriculture, when EU leaders meet for a summit scheduled on 24-25 May.
Eleven EU countries call to ban fossil fuels from trans-European energy infrastructure
Eleven EU countries have signed a declaration calling on the European Union to stop funding fossil fuels under its trans-European energy infrastructure regulation (TEN-E), which is currently under revision.
It’s time to put climate targets first
Legally binding reduction targets for member states should be the unequivocal starting point of making EU laws fit for new EU climate targets. Based on a new distribution formula, national targets should continue until climate neutrality is achieved in 2050, argue Nils Meyer-Ohlendorf, Michał Kaminski, and András Huszár.
US vows to cut its emissions at least 50% by 2030 ahead of climate summit
The US has vowed to cut its planet-heating emissions by at least half by the end of the decade, in a ramping up of ambition aimed at rallying other countries to do more to confront the climate crisis. EURACTIV's media partner, The Guardian Environment, reports.
Breakthrough as EU negotiators clinch deal on European climate law
European Union negotiators reached a deal on the European Climate Law after fourteen hours of talks on Wednesday (21 April), allowing the EU to arrive at the US-hosted climate summit tomorrow with an agreement on the bloc’s 2030 target.
EU leaders are prioritising climate heroism over ambitious policies
EU leaders are focused on the spectacle of arriving at the US climate summit on Thursday (22 April) with an agreement on the EU climate law and 2030 target, but risk sacrificing the quality of the legislation, argue Adélaïde Charlier and Chloé Mikolajczak.
EU countries clinch new mandate for talks on climate law, raising hopes of a deal
EU member states have adopted a revised mandate for negotiating the European climate law, including a new stance on the 2030 target that retains the net 55% reduction objective but limits the role of carbon sinks, according to documents seen by EURACTIV.
Space experts: Cheaper ‘real-time data’ needed for earth monitoring services
Satellites can help track things like extreme weather, forest stocks and methane emissions, but more and cheaper "near real-time data" is needed for next generation applications to emerge, say Miguel Bello and Ricardo Conde.
Europe risks €87 billion in stranded fossil gas assets, report reveals
Europe is already building or planning to build €87 billion worth of fossil gas infrastructure in a continued expansion of pipelines and LNG terminals, despite the need to halve its emissions by 2030, according to a new report published on Thursday (8 April).
EU countries dig in heels over 55% climate target for 2030
Environment ministers from the 27 EU member states confirmed they would continue to push for a 55% net greenhouse gas reduction target by 2030 during a meeting of the environment council on Thursday (18 March), despite calls from Parliament to increase the EU's ambition.
EU’s green building push risks driving homelessness, activists warn
The European Commission must ensure that plans to price carbon emissions in the building sector does not lead to growing rates of homelessness, campaigners said on Wednesday (17 March).
How carbon pricing is driving the renovation of Czech homes
Like other European countries, the Czech Republic’s buildings are in need of renovation. Unlike others, it partly funds renovation programmes with revenues generated from the emission trading scheme (ETS), an experiment that could be replicated across the EU.
‘Very big tasks ahead’ in EU climate law negotiations
There are still many outstanding issues, particularly on climate ambition, after the fourth round of negotiations on Europe’s climate law closed on Friday (12 March), according to Jytte Guteland, the lead negotiator from the European Parliament.
US envoy promotes climate alignment with Europe
The EU and Washington need to align to tackle climate change, US envoy John Kerry said in Brussels on Tuesday (9 March), confirming the new US administration's policy shift away from Donald Trump's roll back of environmental protections.
EU Commission clashes with Parliament over ‘net’ 2030 climate target
Lawmakers have denounced a “loophole” in the European Commission's proposed climate target for 2030 and pointed the finger at the EU executive for its hard negotiation style over the EU climate law.
CO2 pollution bounces back, climate goals at risk: IEA
Global CO2 emissions have returned to pre-pandemic levels, threatening to put climate treaty targets for capping global warming out of reach, the International Energy Agency said Tuesday (2 March).
Climate pledges for 2030 put world far off 1.5C goal, UN warns
Updated plans to reduce emissions, submitted so far by about 75 nations ahead of November's COP26 summit, barely make a dent in the huge cuts needed to meet global climate goals, the UN climate chief said on Friday (26 February), calling for redoubled efforts.
EU unveils data-driven climate adaptation strategy, drawing green criticism
More and better data is needed to improve knowledge of how to adapt to climate change, according to the European Commission's new adaptation strategy, which immediately came under fire from green activists for missing binding targets.
Why the Commission is getting it wrong on climate number-crunching
The European Commission's cost-benefit analysis for its upcoming 'Fit for 55' package of green laws for 2030 is outdated, assuming an eye-watering 10% cost of capital for climate action, writes Brook Riley.
Lawmakers back mandatory targets in EU circular economy action plan
Lawmakers in the European Parliament adopted a set of ambitious proposals on the EU’s circular economy action plan on Tuesday (9 February), including calls to introduce mandatory targets to reduce waste.