An EU directive, known as the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive, approved in 2024 is causing problems for American oil companies. The New York Times reports that the Executive Director of Exxon, Darren Woods, is now urging Europe to rescind this directive which makes companies track climate pollution. Woods called the EU regulations one part of a “very misguided effort to kill oil.” He went on: “We see this as a really significant impediment to continuing to have operations in Europe and to be a successful business there.” Under the directive, companies operating in Europe must produce a plan to reduce their GHG emissions in line with the Paris Agreement’s goal to limit temperature rise. The rule is in line with the EU’s broader law to neutralize its climate emissions by mid-century.
Meanwhile, the EU is having its own difficulties agreeing on a climate target for 2035 to present at the UN climate summit in New York next week. Environment ministers from the bloc’s 27 countries on Thursday said they would try to reduce emissions by between 66.3 % and 72.5 % by 2035 from a 1990 baseline of carbon emissions. Note that the UK is the global leader with a target for 2035 of 81% below 1990 levels. As the Financial Times notes, the EU will need to agree on a legally binding plan, known as a nationally determined contribution, before the COP30 in less than eight weeks.
The Times had an article about SUVs dominating the market in Britain. They represent 63% of all new registrations in the UK, compared with 54% in the EU. And in Britain, last year 1.2 million cars sold were too big for the typical British parking space. What was eye-popping was seeing the taxes paid, compared to tax rates on the continent. “As well as being Europe’s biggest market for some of the largest SUVs, Britain also taxes them far less than its neighbours. In Britain, the 2.5 tonne BMW X5 costs £3,246 (approximately €3,723) in tax over 10 years, compared with £66,605 (€76,402) in France and £107,486 (€123,297) in Denmark.” Doesn’t anyone buy a small car anymore? Or better still, rent when needed? And, yes, there are other modes of mobility.
Big tax changes are coming to Denmark next January. The electricity tax will be significantly lowered from 1 January 2026 – from the currently planned 72.7 øre per kWh to just 0.8 øre per kWh. EiD understands that the government is lowering the electricity tax to give households financial “elbow room” in a time of rising prices, reduce inequality, and to promote the green transition by encouraging increased use of green power and flexible electricity consumption, which will be easier to see when the tax no longer shadows the electricity price itself. The electricity tax was introduced in 1977 to save energy during the oil crisis and to reduce CO₂ emissions by limiting electricity consumption. Today, the tax is designed to support climate and environmental goals and to influence consumer behaviour to choose greener energy solutions. Will it really? Are you experiencing similar tax changes in your country?
Don’t forget eceee’s Zero Carbon Industry event in Rome in February 2026. The deadline for submitting abstracts has been extended to Monday, September 22nd. Only hours remain!
To ensure that the zero carbon energy transition gains momentum we need a new generation of experts to continue the good work. EiD encourages all young researchers (born after 1990) in energy efficiency and biomass to submit contributions for next year’s Young Energy Researchers Conference next February 24th as part of World Sustainable Energy Days, February 24-27, 2026 in Wels, Austria. Altogether there are five dedicated conferences and a tradeshow packed into the four days. The theme of this year’s energy efficiency conference is “Energy transition = Energy independence.” The young energy researchers conference has 2 tracks, one for energy efficiency and one for biomass. Submissions (in English only) are welcome from all scientific fields (e.g. technology, engineering, economics, social sciences, architecture, law, arts). The deadline for submissions is October 10th.
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.
- Check out the Good Night Train website for the unique way to travel through Europe while you sleep.
- World Walks provides us with walking holidays 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.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld (1613-1680), Prince de Marcillac, an accomplished French moralist of the era of French Classical literature, gives us a lesson on making progress: “Thinkers think and doers do. But until the thinkers do and the doers think, progress will be just another word in the already overburdened vocabulary by sense.”
EiD welcomes your views about this week’s selection of posts on the zero-carbon energy transition:
- Why would oil companies invest in clean energy at all, especially at a time when many federal clean energy incentives are being eliminated and climate science is being dismantled, at least in the United States?
- Latest impact report of Concerted Action on the EU Energy Efficiency Directive
- Blog by Rose Morrison – The Digital Twin revolution: How virtual modelling Is optimising real-world energy systems
- A new study by KPMG reveals that strategic energy management AI models can slash energy use in commercial buildings
- Keeping cool with less environmental damage
- EBRD and EU launch green investments in the West Bank
- Where is the “abundant energy” Trump promised?
- LSE report finds publicly listed companies lack credible climate transition plans
- Military spending surge is critical threat to climate
- Shocking number of households in Britain cannot afford heating this winter
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 