It is welcome news that, as of last week, the Baltic States joined the European continental electricity grid after fully disconnecting from Russian and Belarussian networks. Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania successfully integrated into the EU internal energy market by joining the European continental network via Poland. According to a Commission press release, “The success of this EU-backed project is a testament to the dedication of all EU Member States involved, especially the three Baltic States and Poland, together with the businesses, investors and transmission system operators, who worked together to bring the project to fruition 10 months ahead of schedule.” Bravo!
The Financial Times (behind a paywall) writes about investors in the fossil fuel company BP calling for a vote on any rowback on climate goals. “A group of 48 institutional investors has called on BP to give shareholders a vote on any plan by the oil major to row back on its climate goals, setting up a potential clash with US activist hedge fund Elliott Management.” Will we see similar investor action in other oil companies?
We know how important the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has been in driving global climate action and influencing policies at national and international levels. It also plays a vital role in climate negotiations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The IPCC is in its seventh assessment cycle and will soon meet in Hangzhou China to plan this next phase. Climate Home News reports, however, that governments “are expected to face fraught discussions next week over the timeline of several key climate science reports and the fallout of a reported US exit.” The reports are scheduled for release in 2029. We definitely need that analysis undertaken. Can we hope for miracles?
In planning travel over the upcoming weeks, here are some useful ideas to help you along:
- Country Living Magazine provides 3 European train routes set to transform travel in 2025.
- Much Better Adventures provides us with 10 of the best winter walks in Europe.
- For those who want to combine hiking with food and wine in Europe and Australia, check out the Hedonistic Hiking website.
- Cycling for Softies provides us with the 15 Best Cycling Holidays in Europe 2025.
- Travelling in 2025? Here’s how to become a ‘regenerative’ tourist.
- Visit Wels, Austria in early March and attend World Sustainable Energy Days (WSED) (see post).
Don’t forget: There’s still time to register to attend the Energy Efficiency Conference at World Sustainable Energy Days, March 6-7, Wels, Austria.
Ansel Adams (1902-1984), an American landscape photographer and environmentalist known especially for his black-and-white images of the American West, gives us an important message on life: “Life is your art. An open, aware heart is your camera. A oneness with your world is your film. Your bright eyes and easy smile is your museum.”
EiD welcomes your views about this week’s selection of posts on the zero-carbon energy transition:
- New EEA monitoring report on Europe’s climate, environment and sustainability objectives
- Given the shift in public priorities and the state of politics, should climate advocates just stop talking about climate change?
- Macron’s new crusade against European green rules is causing outrage
- Two of Britain’s biggest banks are to remove climate targets from their annual bonus schemes for senior executives
- Blog by Jane Marsh – Battery Metals and the Green Transition: Can Europe Compete in the Global Market?
- Recommendation algorithms like YouTube’s could help us build climate bridges across political divides, promote action and raise awareness
- ‘Women in Solidarity for Energy’ (WISE) taking action to address energy poverty among women-led households
- “Try to be coolheaded about climate risk, and even conventional estimates of damage will overwhelm you”
- The Trump administration is stripping away support for scientific research in the US and overseas that contains a word it finds particularly inconvenient: “climate”
Please send your comments on any of the posts. Please recommend EiD to your friends and colleagues.
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Energy in Demand - Sustainable Energy - Rod Janssen 