About: European Green Deal
COVID-19 health crisis threatens EU’s green objectives, says IEA
While the COVID-19 crisis has had a positive impact on the energy sector by reducing emissions of polluting gases, it has also hampered green investments, making it difficult to implement the EU climate programme. EURACTIV's partner EFE reports.
EU recovery fund leaves €1.6 trillion investment gap towards climate targets, experts say
Calculations by experts now show that the EU's planned economic rescue package, worth €750 billion, is nowhere near enough to achieve the bloc's climate targets. Even in the best-case scenario, only one-third of the costs would be covered. EURACTIV Germany reports.
European energy decarbonisation: reinforcing the EU’s 2050 climate goal through a green recovery
Decarbonising the energy sector in Europe by 2050 is an ambitious, yet achievable objective.
Thermal power plants must shut down early to meet climate targets, says study
Coal and gas-fired power plants would have to shut down 10 to 30 years sooner than their usual 35 to 40-year lifespan so that climate targets can be met, a study reveals. EURACTIV's partner le Journal de l'environnement reports.
German cabinet agrees CO2 price of €25 from January 2021
Germany's cabinet agreed on Wednesday (20 May) on changes to the climate package launched last September, and it is now certain that from January 2021, a price of €25 per tonne of CO2 will apply to the heat and transport sectors in Germany. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Merkel and Macron roll out €500 billion COVID-19 recovery initiative
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron announced their joint proposal for a €500 billion European recovery programme following a virtual conference on Monday (18 May). The initiative seeks to bring Europe out of the crisis “united and in solidarity,” and prepare the EU for future challenges. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Environmental NGOs launch appeal for green reconstruction
An association of ten major European environmental organisations today (14 May) launched an appeal to the European Union to come up with a green and fair reconstruction plan. Today, the EU Parliament will vote on its position on this issue. EURACTIV Germany reports.
German CDU/CSU climate paper: A stab in Merkel’s back?
In a position paper, Germany's conservative CDU/CSU parliamentary group opposed increasing the EU's climate target to 55% by 2030. While this has been the cause for much criticism from other parties, Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats do not believe this contradicts her words. EURACTIV Germany reports.
The Green Transition at the heart of the EU Recovery Fund
EU leaders have tasked the European Commission with drafting a trillion-euro recovery fund to restart the economy after the coronavirus crisis. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has since pledged to put the green and digital transitions at the heart...
Farm to Fork: Consumer power
Our collective survival cannot depend on individual consumer choices. Food policy is too important to be left to the companies that make and market our food. Real change will only come through clearer, bolder EU-wide targets and measures to lessen the environmental and health impacts of what we eat, writes Thilo Bode.
Austria’s Greens defend airline bailout climate-strings against EU Commissioner
A state aid request by Austrian Airlines could be an opportunity to make the carrier more sustainable. But climate conditioning bailouts was recently given short shrift by the EU's transport Commissioner, who is "undermining the Green Deal", according to Austria's Greens. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Industry calls for 10% ‘renewable gas’ target in Europe
The Gas for Climate industry consortium has called on the European Commission to introduce a legally-binding target for the production of gas from renewable sources, saying incentives are necessary to grow Europe’s fledgling market.
EU and COVID-19: Time to think outside the box
The Eurogroup’s decisions taken on 9 April were a necessary and overdue collective EU response, as well as a welcome but flawed and incomplete compromise. If European leaders are to save the EU economy when they meet on 23 April, they need to think outside the box, write Carlos Closa, George Papaconstantino, and Miguel Poiares Maduro.
Von der Leyen: ‘We now need to build a resilient, green, and digital Europe’
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen believes the “real Europe is standing up” to the coronavirus crisis now. In a written interview with EURACTIV's media partner Efe, she spoke about a broad range of issues, from the challenges facing the Eurogroup earlier this month to the expectations for the summit of European leaders this week.
COVID-19 doesn’t prevent Azerbaijan from looking at future with optimism
Azerbaijan’s strong standing before the Covid-19 outbreak as an energy and reformer state offer reasons for optimism that the country could quickly return back to normal, writes Esmira Jafarova.
Flanders chooses EU Green Deal as battleground between regions
Belgium will not join more than a dozen member states in insisting the Green Deal must serve as a basis for the coronavirus recovery, after a dispute among the three regional parliaments and the government nixed the chances of a common position.
German trade unionist: Stronger worker participation helps in times of crisis
The coronavirus pandemic has caused a rapid transformation of the workplace at a time when digitalisation and the Green Deal were beginning to restructure entire industries. In an interview with EURACTIV, trade unionist Karin Erhard describes how workers should go forward in these uncertain times and how a strong system of codetermination can help chart the way.
EU farm chief: Post-coronavirus recovery should be green and sustainable
The Green Deal remains a flagship policy of von der Leyen Commission and the EU should aim for a post-COVID-19 recovery that is green and sustainable, Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski told EURACTIV.com in an exclusive interview.
Transitional CAP puts back bloc’s ‘green’ ambition in farming, warn auditors
Bridging measures are necessary to prevent farmers from being financially exposed until the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is agreed, but they may hold up the Commission’s ambition to make the farming sector more environmentally sustainable, the EU auditors warned in their latest opinion.
Czech PM urges EU to ditch Green Deal amid virus
The Czech premier, whose country depends on nuclear energy and coal, said Monday (16 March) the European Union should ditch its landmark green law seeking carbon neutrality as it battles the novel coronavirus.
The EU Climate Law explained
The European Commission tabled its much-awaited Climate Law in March this year, in a bid to carve into stone Europe’s objective of becoming the first climate-neutral continent in the world by 2050. EURACTIV explains what the Climate Law does, how it works and what its criticisms are.
What does the EU Climate Law mean for Germany?
While the European Commission is working on a new climate target for 2030, initial reports on Germany's climate package show that the current targets are already being missed. Although it is undeniable that these climate targets will be increased, how will it be possible to reach them? EURACTIV Germany reports.
European Commission to present offshore wind strategy in October
While the European Commission readies its new industrial strategy for Tuesday (10 March), it is also working on plans to promote wind farms at sea – an area where Berlin is keen to make quick progress. EURACTIV Germany reports.