About: Paris Agreement

A new European agenda for climate resilience

As the 2019 EU elections loom and a new European Commission takes office, climate action can become a key driver of a reformed EU project for more solidarity, protection and innovation, writes Luca Bergamaschi.

Some order in the multiple definitions of refrigeration

People are often confused by the multiple definitions of refrigeration, published in different sources, which are mutually overlapping but never identical. Some order was recently achieved and it is also needed at EU level, writes Kostadin Fikiin.

Belgium opens way toward fair tax on aviation pollution

Belgium’s proposal for Europe to tax aviation is most welcome and could address the current measures that are inadequate to address climbing emissions, writes Bill Hemmings.

Four things the EU should do to strengthen climate action before this mandate ends

EU institutions still have time for a series of concrete actions to strengthen climate policy before their mandate ends and get their successors off to a flying start, write Sanjeev Kumar and Edward Robinson.

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.

Three ways companies and cities are taking the lead on climate change

As the COP24 drew to a close last weekend, it was hard not be concerned by the political rifts the process has revealed, notably regarding the IPCC’s 1.5C report. But in the real economy there are clear reasons for optimism, writes Nicolette Bartlett.

Climate change is a problem of politics, not science

The scientific, economic and social arguments for aggressive action on climate change are powerful. Our political leaders are now at a fork in the road and our children and grandchildren are watching, write Valérie Masson-Delmotte and Jiang Kejun.

To beat back climate change, the EU must help China – and itself

In the fight against climate change, the EU must tackle two gigantic tasks: slash its own emissions, and help China do the same, writes Bernard Durand.

What will make a difference at COP24?

As thousands of delegates and observers are preparing to head to the small Polish mining town of Katowice, Jennifer Tollmann looks at what will make a difference at the 24th United Nations climate talks (COP24).

EU bioeconomy strategy and IPCC – planets apart

The latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) indicates that biofuels will need to rise 260% by 2030 and 750% by 2050 in order to contain global warming below 1.5°C. Yet, the EU Bioeconomy Strategy, published days after, seems to ignore this, writes James Cogan.

The good, the bad and the ugly: The IPCC special report on global warming of 1.5°C

The latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) shows keeping global warming below 1.5°C is necessary, feasible and beneficial. Rich countries must now commit to ensure their economies reach net zero emissions before 2050, writes Nick Mabey.

Stricter CO2 standards for vehicles are not the reason for job losses

Despite negative media reports, environmental regulation cannot be blamed for the coming upheavals in the automobile sector. Daniel Rieger explains.

EU should aim for net-zero emissions by 2040 to fight global warming

Keeping global temperature rise to 1.5°C is critical - and still possible. But it means the EU should aim to reach net-zero emissions by 2040, writes Andrea Kohl.

China and EU can lead on climate action

An upcoming EU-China summit in Beijing will be yet another moment for both economies to show leadership on climate action, following the United States' surrender of influence under Donald Trump, writes Professor Zou Ji.

Climate action should be a condition for future EU trade deals

The European Union should support France’s proposal to add compliance with the Paris Agreement as an essential element of EU trade accords, writes Steve Herz.

A ”facelift” to the EIB: the EU financial arm needs forward-looking reforms

The European Investment Bank (EIB) celebrates this year its 60th anniversary. But the 1958-founded EU body and bank should now look forward and commit to becoming a more sustainable, accountable and transparent institution, writes Xavier Sol.

The EU needs to walk the talk on the Paris Climate Agreement

The EU’s Energy Union Governance Regulation is not an EU-level invention or a bureaucratic imposition from Brussels. Instead, it is to a large extent an attempt to translate what several of the EU’s individual member states are already doing on climate and energy policy, writes Lola Vallejo.

Without ambitious energy efficiency goals, the EU will fail Paris targets

The Paris Climate Agreement’s entry into force has clearly not yet spurred policymakers to charge toward the goal of limiting climate change to “well below 2°C” and targeting 1.5°C, warn Dr Jan Rosenow and Stefan Scheuer. Energy efficiency remains the key to success.

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.

How to save the transatlantic alliance

To save the transatlantic alliance, it is essential for the EU to deal with its internal problems in order to become a more reliable and credible partner for the US in the future, writes Fraser Cameron.

EU budget: Where’s the climate and environment?

Discussions on the EU's post-2020 accounts have begun. But it seems like climate, energy and the environment itself have already been forgotten in the talks, warns Damien Demailly.