Energy in Demand News, April 6-7, 2025

Let’s start this early spring week with some background music for you to enjoy reading this week’s newsletter.

Everyone is still trying to come to grips with the “Liberation Day” tariffs that we’ve all been saddled with. The Guardian reports  that there have been some exceptions. “Trump’s new 10% universal tariffs – which are higher for many major economies – are wreaking havoc on the global economy and are expected to increase consumer prices in the US. But the levies will not apply to many fossil fuel products, including liquefied natural gas imports, crude oil from Canada, and materials needed for making petrochemicals.” The Guardian continues: “Oil interests celebrated the carveout: “We welcome President Trump’s decision to exclude oil and natural gas from new tariffs, underscoring the complexity of integrated global energy markets and the importance of America’s role as a net energy exporter,” Mike Sommers, head of the top US fossil fuel lobby group, the American Petroleum Institute, wrote in a social media post. “We will continue working with the Trump administration on trade policies that support American energy dominance.” There were no exceptions for energy-efficient technologies, it appears.

The Financial Times (FT) reports that European airlines have called on the EU to cut back on its environmental rules, in a significant shift in tone for an industry struggling to decarbonise. Airlines blamed oil majors for cutting back on the supply of renewable fuels. There are concerns that targets for Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) for 2030  won’t be met. “The EU should delay rules that require fuel companies to provide airlines with an increasing amount of SAF each year. The requirement is for airlines to use 2 per cent this year, and rising to 6 per cent by 2030.” Alas, “they are far more expensive than fossil fuels and in short supply.” Well, there are ways to solve that . . .

In a sign of the times, the FT reports that BP is “shutting down its low-carbon mobility team in the energy major’s latest retreat from its five-year-old attempt to diversify away from oil and gas.” The unit was responsible for developing electric, hydrogen and other low-emission solutions for vehicles, particularly trucks.” In a separate FT article, BP has rushed to calm investors with new gasfields since its clean energy retreat. BP has started up two of its promised 10 major projects in the past seven weeks!

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.
• World Walks provides us with the top spring 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.
• Torino (Italy) is embracing a new era, transforming from an industrial powerhouse into a flourishing tourism destination: Torino Named European Capital of Smart Tourism 2025.

John Updike (1932-2009), an American novelist, poet, short-story writer, art critic, and literary critic, provides a good quote this week: “We take our bearings, daily, from others. To be sane is, to a great extent, to be sociable.”

Time for a game at Easter! On Monday, 14th April, EEIP is starting an Easter promotion on their fast-paced mobile quiz game enerwhizz.app and for the first time ever you can win new ETcoins…  There is no download needed, just add username and play! And wait for the Easter Bunny Avatar!  To understand more about energywhizz, check out these recent articles on energy efficiency and renewable energy

EiD welcomes your views about this week’s selection of posts on the zero-carbon energy transition:

• New EEA report on food waste prevention measures across the EU
• What the EU’s Clean Industrial Deal means for Europe’s energy transition
• How organisations can align their energy efficiency with their corporate vision to help achieve their future goals
• “We successfully increased people’s opposition to new fossil fuel projects by simply asking them to imagine a sustainable world”
• EU delays 2040 climate target release until ‘before summer’
• Breakthrough agreement set to accelerate renewable energy rollout across Europe
• Blog by Ellie Gabel – Passive cooling strategies: designing buildings for natural temperature regulation
• Data centres are the backbone of digital economies but come with a huge environmental cost
• European carmakers fined for anti-recycling cartel
• US EPA causing serious problems for Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund

Please send your comments on any of the posts. Please recommend EiD to your friends and colleagues.

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