About: Renewable Energy Directive
EU Ombudsman corners Commission after denial to unveil used cooking oil data
The European Commission has until February 2022 to comply with the EU Ombudsman’s recommendation to provide data related to the origins of imported Used Cooking Oil (UCO) biofuel in the EU, amid concerns over alleged fraud cases.
Community renovation projects are key to supporting the green transition
Both tenants and homeowners need to be involved in renovation programmes to bring Europe's ageing building stock in line with its climate goals. Energy cooperatives could be one way to encourage citizens' support, writes Ciarán Cuffe.
EU’s strict green criteria for biofuels will hinder supply, MEPs warn
The EU’s "restrictive" approach to biofuels sustainability criteria will harm producers’ ability to meet increased demand for green fuels coming from the transport sector, says Henna Virkkunen, a Finnish lawmaker in the European Parliament.OpinionPromoted content
Availability of advanced, second-generation biofuels increases – Policymakers asked to unleash their full potential
Energy prices are soaring and the Commission in its recent communication confirms its determination to stick to its proposed Fit-for-55-package. It concludes that “the clean energy transition is the best insurance against price shocks like the one the EU is facing today”.
Energy ministers to hold first exchange on EU’s 2030 climate laws
In their first meeting since the European Commission tabled an overhaul of climate legislation in July, EU energy ministers are due to discuss two major files that will drive Europe’s push towards clean energy, according to a room document seen by EURACTIV.
EU drops ‘accounting trick’ to boost green fuel in road transport
The biofuels industry has welcomed the European Commission's proposal to end the statistical inflation of waste-based biofuels in the EU's road transport energy mix, a practice they say camouflaged the use of fossil fuels.
EU’s green hydrogen plans hailed as ‘true game-changer’ by industry
The European Commission boosted regulatory support for green hydrogen in its proposed overhaul of climate legislation published last week, with the renewable hydrogen coalition calling it "a true game changer" for the nascent EU industry.
Fit for 55: looking for a hero net zero
The announcement of the package to become fit for 55% CO2 reduction by 2030 was unusual. It took Commission President Ursula von der Leyen longer to come to the press room than ever before. Clearly, a sign that the decision...
Europe fiddles while forests burn
The European Commission's approach to using forest wood for energy could prove a faux pas ahead of the COP26 UN climate summit in November, a dangerous move which contradicts the findings of the EU executive's own research department, writes Peg Putt.
Narrow focus on electrifying vehicles will harm climate efforts, says fuels industry
Favouring electrification while ignoring low-carbon liquid fuels will hinder the bloc's efforts to decarbonise road transport, a prominent industry body has said ahead of the release of the EU's climate law package.
Forestry and carbon sinks: Damned if you do, damned if you don’t
The complex role of forests in regulating the Earth's climate is set to become one of the most contentious issues in the upcoming revision of Europe’s energy and climate laws.
Europe’s ‘Fit for 55’ climate package: What to expect
On Wednesday (14 July), the European Commission is due to table a package of energy and climate laws aimed at reaching the EU's new, more ambitious climate goals. EURACTIV gives you the lowdown on the plan.
Why the European Green Deal needs a 45% renewables target by 2030
Looking at EU member states’ National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs) for 2030, the European Union is far from harvesting its full solar potential, writes Aurélie Beauvais.
Advanced biofuels feedstock list should be enlarged to meet EU target: industry
The list of EU-approved sustainable fuel sources should be expanded to meet the higher targets for second-generation biofuels under the updated renewable energy directive, according to the advanced biofuels industry.
Draft EU renewables law falls short on geothermal
A leaked version of the EU's revised renewable energy directive is falling short of the geothermal industry's expectations when it comes to boosting renewables in heating and cooling.
LEAK: EU’s draft renewable energy law meets criticism from industry, NGOs
A leak of the European Commission’s planned revision of the renewable energy directive has given further indication to the direction that the legislation could take, but it has been criticised by the renewables industry and NGOs for lacking ambition.
Planned revision of EU renewables law opens door to geothermal
A leak of the planned revision for Europe’s key renewable energy legislation bodes well for geothermal energy, but it still does not go far enough to support a full rollout of the technology, according to the industry.
Biofuel makers protest against EU’s green investment taxonomy rules
Biofuels made from food-and-feed crops do not meet the EU’s green taxonomy criteria, according to a European Commission proposal, a move biofuel makers said will hamstring Europe's ability to meet green transport goals.
EU to target industry, transport in renewable energy rules
An upcoming overhaul of European Union renewable energy regulations will include measures targeting transport and industry, where the use of emissions-free energy sources are lagging, the bloc's energy policy chief said on Wednesday (26 May).
Ethanol boss: electric vehicles are not the future, but part of it
Electric vehicles are not the only future option for the decarbonisation of Europe’s transport sector, but all available sustainable solution should be taken into account, Valérie Corre from the European Renewable Ethanol Association (ePURE) told EURACTIV.com in an interview.
We can’t burn our way out of the climate crisis
In its new Net Zero scenario, the International Energy Agency (IEA) maps a 60% increase in bioenergy by 2050. But Swapping burning wood for burning coal won’t save the climate, warns Peg Putt.
EU’s dismissal of crop-based biofuels will impede transport decarbonisation: industry
The EU's decision to cap the share of crop-based biofuels in the bloc’s energy mix risks hampering efforts to decarbonise the transport sector, industry has warned ahead of the revision of the renewable energy directive.
Brussels rebuked over ‘confusing’ draft EU bioenergy rules
The European Commission was sent back to the drawing board on the EU's renewable energy directive overhaul after an internal assessment of its draft proposal concluded that it failed to analyse the potential environmental risks of increased bioenergy use.