Climate change
Commission to tease carbon tax and nuclear treaty overhaul
The European Commission will make the case later on Tuesday (9 April) for scrapping national vetoes on environmental tax changes and for finally updating the bloc’s venerable nuclear treaty, last amended in 1957.
EU hits pause on helping farmers fight climate change
The farming sector is often blasted for its contribution to climate change. But it also has unique potential to capture and store carbon, write Imke Lübbeke and Andreas Baumüller.
Exxon lobbyists allowed to keep EU access badges
The heads of political groups in the European Parliament have failed to reach a decision on whether to strip ExxonMobil lobbyists from their EU access badges, leaving some activists bitterly disappointed and others reflecting about future engagement with the oil and gas industry.
Will there be a minimum price on carbon in Germany? And how?
In Germany, calls for introducing a CO2 emission tax are getting louder. Yet, the German government continues to be divided on the matter with the French ‘gilet jaunes’ appearing to be quite the deterrent. What would a socially acceptable price of CO2 look like? EURACTIV Germany reports.
Clean energy transition ‘is a social policy issue’, Poles insist
The social policy dimension was largely overlooked when the European Union decided energy and climate change objectives for 2030, Poles have warned, calling on policymakers to endorse a “just transition fund” to support the country's coal phase-out.
Forget Brexit. Why the next hundred days can be decisive for EU climate action
As EU leaders convene today to discuss the way forward for Britain’s departure from the European Union, they shouldn’t forget about the future ahead of them – including the all-important question of climate change objectives for 2050, writes Brook Riley.
Energy Union ‘completed’, as Commission’s final stocktake debuts
EU officials are satisfied with how the bloc’s internal energy market has taken shape over the last five years, but will acknowledge in a final stocktake due later on Tuesday (9 April) that energy efficiency and renewables targets still need work.
Google meets Commission to discuss data access in energy markets
Google’s global chief for Energy Market Development will on Tuesday (9 April) meet with senior European Commission officials to stress the importance of data access in the digital transformation of the energy sector, as stricter EU rules entered into force last December.
Battery manufacturers of Europe unite!
As electric vehicles begin to soar in popularity, one of the key members of the European Commission's in-house think-tank, Sami Andoura, asks: does Europe want to take the lead on electro-mobility or not?
ExxonMobil misled the public. Now they’re trying to mislead the European Parliament
Last month, US oil giant ExxonMobil was invited by the European Parliament to testify publicly about the history of climate change denial. But instead of responding transparently, they tried behind the scenes to discredit the peer-reviewed research conducted by Harvard University researchers, writes Geoffrey Supran.
‘Historic breakthrough’: Norway’s giant oil fund dives into renewables
Norway’s $1tn oil fund, the world’s largest sovereign wealth fund, is to plunge billions of dollars into wind and solar power projects. The decision follows Saudi Arabia’s oil fund selling off its last oil and gas assets. EURACTIV's media partner, The Guardian, reports.
Fiat Chrysler to pay Tesla for CO2 emissions credits
Fiat Chrysler (FCA) confirmed Sunday (7 April) that it is to pay hundreds of millions of dollars to Tesla, the zero-emissions electric carmakers, to avoid getting hit by European Commission fines.
11 EU countries snub Romanian Presidency’s gas declaration
The European Commission, backed by 11 EU member states, refused to sign a declaration on “sustainable and smart gas infrastructure” tabled by the Romanian Presidency earlier this week because the text wasn’t ambitious enough on climate change, EURACTIV has learned.
Chinese Balkans investments disrupt EU objectives, Commission warns
Some Chinese investments entail “macro-economic imbalances and debt-dependency” risk in the Western Balkans and impact EU objectives in the region, an EU spokesperson has said in light of a controversial energy project in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Eickhout: Next step for Europe is a ‘Green New Deal’ for industry
Europe must adopt an ambitious industrial policy aligned with its climate agenda by investing in clean technologies, and introducing a carbon tariff at the EU’s external border in order to protect industries against environmental dumping, says Bas Eickhout, the lead candidate for the Greens in the European elections.
Antarctica: A historic opportunity for the EU to act for the planet
The EU has a historic opportunity to protect the Southern Ocean at the upcoming EU-China summit, write Geneviève Pons and Pascal Lamy.
Extreme weather cost Europe nearly half a trillion euros so far
Floods, droughts, heatwaves and other climate-related extremes caused economic losses of €453 billion between 1980 and 2017, claiming the lives of more than 115,000 people across Europe.
‘No future’ for fossil gas in Europe, Greens insist
Natural gas of fossil origin has “no future” in Europe, Greens have warned as EU energy ministers prepared to sign a declaration on Tuesday (2 April) promoting “smart gas infrastructure” as part of a low-carbon energy mix for 2050.
Ryanair joins EU’s top polluter club
Low-cost carrier Ryanair has earned the dubious accolade of joining the list of Europe’s top 10 carbon emitters, after fresh data showed the airline now ranks as high as the continent’s coal power plants in terms of pollution.
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.
German transport commission feels the pressure
EU Commission department for mobility and transport (DG MOVE) presented its progress report this week but critics see the proposals as insufficiently ambitious. Hardly surprising when the Working Group responsible was under serious pressure, said an attendant. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Nuclear power excluded from EU’s green investment label
The European Parliament voted on a proposed classification for sustainable assets on Thursday (28 March), voting to exclude nuclear power from receiving a green stamp of approval on financial markets.
Feeling the heat: Why EU climate targets depend on ditching fossil fuel boilers
The European Union has set a target of increasing renewables in heating and cooling by 1.3% every year starting in 2021. Given the pervasiveness of gas heat, it may be a struggle.
Romania pilloried for coal power leniency
Romania could face legal action after environmental groups lodged a complaint with the EU over allegedly lax penalties against coal power polluters in the Eastern European country.