About: coal

Poland should not phase out coal before 2060, unions say

Poland should not phase out coal before 2060, mining trade unions said on Thursday (24 September), as talks with the government continued on the restructuring of the industry, which generates most of the country's electricity.

Berlin refuses to disclose details of €4bn coal phase-out deal with energy firms

German energy companies LEAG and RWE are set to receive over €4 billion for closing their lignite-fired power plants. But nobody knows how the compensation was calculated and the German economy ministry refuses to provide details, citing procedural matters. EURACTIV Germany reports.

New coal law will be ‘canary in a coal mine’ moment for German presidency

As Germany takes the helm of the EU, its problematic coal law risks sending out the wrong signals, writes Riccardo Nigro.

Oil, gas, coal could lose two-thirds of value by 2070, says study

Business in oil, gas and coal is becoming increasingly unprofitable as global fossil reserves could lose around two-thirds of their value in the next 50 years, plummeting from around $39 trillion to $14 trillion, according to a study published on Thursday (4 May) by British think tank Carbon Tracker. EURACTIV Germany reports.

A European Green Deal with justness for all?

A fund originally conceived to convince Poland to sign up to the EU’s 2050 climate target has now turned into one of the most contentious aspects of both the Green Deal and the long-term EU budget.

Challenging Bulgarian coal plants’ new waste burning obsession

On Monday (March 2), a European and a Bulgarian non-governmental organisation, ClientEarth and “For Earth – Access to Justice”, are filing a complaint with the European Commission in an attempt to challenge Bulgaria’s new obsession of burning waste in coal...

Bulgaria wants €33 billion to start implementing the Green Deal

Bulgaria says it needs €33 billion to start meeting the main goals of the EU Green Deal over the next 10 years. The figure comes from government numbers seen by EURACTIV Bulgaria, which are yet to be presented to the European Commission.

Germany needs more LNG to complement renewables, IEA says

The International Energy Agency has praised Germany's push for wind and solar power but urged the country to increase LNG imports in order to reach its 65% renewable energy target for 2030. EURACTIV Germany reports.

German cabinet signs coal phase-out bill

The German federal cabinet signed off on the country's coal phase-out bill on Wednesday (29 January), giving its blessing to billions worth of taxpayer money to compensate for power companies' lost revenues. EURACTIV Germany reports.

Germany’s new coal phase-out plan upsets country’s Coal Commission

Shortly after Germany announced plans to shut down its lignite-fired power plants, eight members of the country's Coal Commission voiced criticism that their work has been discredited and that these plans would result in an additional 40 million tons of CO2 emissions. EURACTIV Germany reports.

Bioeconomy hype shouldn’t put biodiversity preservation at risk, experts say

While experts claim that Poland could become key for the EU’s bioeconomy, scientists are calling for the sustainable use of forest resources in energy production. EURACTIV Poland reports.

Green finance sector expected to discuss issue of climate justice at COP25

Just before the COP25, which will take place in Madrid from 2-13 December, France's leading financial institutions discussed the issue of climate justice and corporate social responsibility at the Climate Finance Day, which took place in Paris on 29 November. EURACTIV France reports.

European coal power output sees ‘unprecedented’ decline

Electricity production from coal is on track to fall by around 3% globally in 2019 – the largest drop on record – with Western European countries leading the charge, according to fresh data published on Monday (25 November).

EU coal power plants incurred €6.6 billion losses in 2019, study reveals

Increasing environmental regulations and fierce competition from renewable energies are increasingly making coal-fired power operate at a loss. According to a British think tank, coal-fired power plants are losing billions of euros every year, but energy companies say this is nonsense. EURACTIV Germany reports.

UN climate summit, day #2: Few announcements in the end – ‘How dare you’

Over this special series on the UN climate action summit (23-25 September), EURACTIV gives you a glimpse into the goings on in New York and what is driving the conversation there. In this edition: An angry Greta Thunberg, a technical Angela Merkel, a passive Donald Trump and four ambitious EU member states.

German coal regions to be allocated €40 billion as part of coal phase-out plan

Germany's federal cabinet has presented a bill to allocate €40 billion to some federal states so they can prepare for structural changes related to transitioning away from coal. However, it remains unclear when the power plants will be shut down. EURACTIV Germany reports.

EU Commission documents reveal fund that pays coal lobby staff

Internal EU documents show that a European Commission fund invests €40 million per year into coal research projects. The money also goes towards personnel costs for Europe's main coal lobby organisation.

Poland under pressure to ‘walk the talk’ on coal phase-out

Environmental activists are raising the pressure on Poland and other EU member states to clarify their coal phase-out plans, saying countries receiving EU energy transition funds cannot “have their cake and eat it”.

Western Balkans pump subsidies worth €1.2 billion into coal

Western Balkan countries, which have set their sights on EU membership, are still propping up coal power with large public subsidies worth more than €1.2 billion, a new report revealed on Monday (25 March). The subsidies are not in line with EU regulations or decarbonisation efforts.

The burden of coal at the doorstep of the Energy Union

At a time when the EU strives to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, coal still represents more than half of electricity across much of the Western Balkans and other EU neighbouring countries, writes Janez Kopač. Making things worse, coal plants are intensively supported by Chinese and US capital, without active opposition of the EU, he says.

Germany’s coal phase out plans must accelerate to meet Paris goals

Germany needs to phase out coal-fired power by 2030 in order to maximise the economic and social benefits of the zero-carbon transition, and deliver its commitment as part of the Paris Agreement, writes Nigel Topping.

Greece gives investors another week for coal plant bids

Greece has given investors another week to 15 January to submit binding bids for three coal-fired power plants and a licence to build another one, a senior energy ministry official told Reuters on Monday (7 January).

COP24: Return of king coal

Poland is hosting lobbying for coal and fossil fuels of a scale that has rarely been seen during an annual UN conference on climate (COP). The EU is turning a blind eye to this new facet of its ‘enfant terrible.’ EURACTIV France reports.