Sabine Mauderer, first deputy government of the Deutsche Bundesbank, argues in the Financial Times, that more clarity is needed on the energy transition. The recent disruption in the Strait of Hormuz, she says, highlights how dependence on fossil fuels remains a major economic and geopolitical vulnerability, reinforcing the need to accelerate the global energy transition. Despite political headwinds, investment in clean energy, electric vehicles and renewables continues to grow rapidly, but governments must provide greater policy certainty to reduce climate risks, strengthen energy security and support a stable, orderly transition away from fossil fuels. “The forces moving the world off fossil fuels need more policy certainty.” So true.
Six EU member states “urged the EU to shield their heavy industries from carbon costs, warning that the bloc’s climate policy must adapt to geopolitical crises and ‘exceptionally high’ energy prices,” the Financial Times reported this week. In a letter seen by the FT, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Poland, Romania, Greece and Slovakia have called for an increase of permits for industries to emit carbon under the bloc’s emissions trading system.” The article goes on: “The European Commission is currently reviewing the ETS to extend the policy to reach carbon neutrality by 2050. Officials plan to give more free allowances for industries but have said this would require more ‘conditionality’ for industries to report how they were reinvesting in decarbonisation… In their letter, the member states criticised a decision to cut the amount of allowances for the heat and fuel sectors — key for heavy industry — by 50 per cent. ‘This adjustment alone could inadequately increase the effective carbon costs borne by a broad range of industries… in a situation where they already face serious challenges caused by extraordinary energy prices and global competition,’ they said.” No one said the climate and energy transition would be easy.
The New York Times reports on growing political support for renewable energy. A clean energy political action committee (PAC) has emerged as a new force in U.S. politics, spending more than $1 million to help defeat a prominent Republican opponent of renewable energy in Texas and signalling its intention to back candidates from either party who support clean energy. The group argues that protecting and expanding renewable energy investment requires active political engagement and plans to use its growing financial resources to influence key races across the country. The PAC is funded by renewable energy developers and philanthropists. It appears they have $15 million to fund their activities. Let’s see how effective they become.
Check out Jigar Shah’s LinkedIn post: Europe is about to choose how it builds data centers. It should learn from the US, not copy it. There definitely are some lessons from America.
In planning travel over the upcoming weeks, here are some useful ideas to help you along:
- Check out the Good Night Train website for the unique way to travel through Europe while you sleep. Check out this video: Sleeper trains — the future of travel? A Berlin startup is developing compact sleeper cabins, designed to make night trains cheaper and greener. Check out this week’s post on night sleepers.
- World Walks provides us with walking holidays in Europe.
- Cycling for Softies provides us with the 15 best cycling holidays in Europe in 2026.
- In May 2026, the European Commission proposed new rules to make seamless travel across Europe a reality. The three proposals will simplify planning and booking for regional, long-distance and cross-border travel, particularly for rail journeys involving multiple operators, and ensure better protection for rail passengers for the entire journey.
Charles Péguy (1873-1914), a French poet, essayist, and editor whose two main philosophies were socialism and nationalism, gives us his views on truth: “He who does not bellow the truth when he knows the truth makes himself the accomplice of liars and forgers.”
EiD welcomes your views about this week’s selection of posts on the zero-carbon energy transition:
- World Urban Forum backs ‘Baku Call to Action’ on global housing crisis
- Why scientists removed the worst climate scenario
- The public has connected the dots: fossil fuels mean vulnerability
- Blog by Jane Marsh – thermostat replacement as a gateway efficiency upgrade: why small changes matter for home decarbonisation
- “They (the tech bros) love nuclear, and they’re going to be very angry when they discover what everybody discovers, which is nuclear is kind of expensive and long and complicated”
- In Barcelona, the reign of banana trees is coming to an end
- Lower bills, more renewables: Victoria’s energy transition pays off
- Cooling cities means tackling traffic as well as buildings
- Systems are made of people: rethinking climate action
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 