Jessica Shankleman writes on the BusinessGreen website how the British Prime Minister protected national interests by ensuring that there is no binding EU energy efficiency target and the one for renewable energy is only binding at the EU level. The Prime Minister referred to avoiding binding ‘diktats’. One wonders what the real national interest is. … Continue reading ‘Diktats’ on renewable energy and energy efficiency?
Author: Rod Janssen
European Environment Agency assesses how EU meeting 2020 climate and energy targets
The European Environment Agency recently published a set of documents assessing the EU’s progress in meeting 2020 climate and energy targets Policies put the EU on track to meet its 2020 climate and energy targets but bigger push needed for 2030 European Union (EU) greenhouse gas emissions fell almost 2 % between 2012 and … Continue reading European Environment Agency assesses how EU meeting 2020 climate and energy targets
More assessment on how the global insurance industry is prepared for climate change
Following the actions of the Bank of England, there is more analysis on the insurance industry. This article by Jacqueline Nelson in Canada’s Globe and Mail reports on recently published analysis. Insurers lack ‘preparedness’ in climate cases, study finds The effects of climate change could lead to stormy conditions for global insurers – and … Continue reading More assessment on how the global insurance industry is prepared for climate change
UK’s central bank contacts insurance companies about assessing risk from climate change
Pilita Clark writes in the Financial Times about the Bank of England’s effort to contact the major insurance companies about their views on climate change the viability of their current business models. This is good to see and it will be interesting to see if other central banks do likewise. BoE demands climate answers … Continue reading UK’s central bank contacts insurance companies about assessing risk from climate change
Financing resource efficiency
It is good to see that the international financial institutions are starting to look more broadly and start financing for resource efficiency. EBRD signs its first resource efficiency credit line in Turkey The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is extending its first credit line under its Sustainable Resource Initiative (SRI) with a … Continue reading Financing resource efficiency
Important comment on the 27% energy efficiency target
Ian Cheshire, CEO at the Kingfisher Group in the UK (although with many shops throughout the continent) writes a powerful comment on last week’s Council decision on a 27% energy efficiency target for 2030. He says that we need to create a market for energy efficiency to drive demand, and he is so right. EiD … Continue reading Important comment on the 27% energy efficiency target
Increasing the effectiveness and efficiency of product energy policy
EiD would like to congratulate Hans-Paul Siderius of the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO.nl), well known to many of you, for obtaining his PhD recently. Hans-Paul is one of the leading figures in product policy related to Ecodesign and energy labelling and it is no surprise that his thesis was on this topic. His thesis, entitled … Continue reading Increasing the effectiveness and efficiency of product energy policy
Comparing the US to Germany’s energy transition
Umair Irfan writes an interesting article in E&E Publishing that looks at Germany’s energy transition in comparison to what is happening in the US. Because of different consumption patterns, despite a vast gulf in energy prices, households in both Germany and the United States spend a comparable amount on electricity. It is good to see … Continue reading Comparing the US to Germany’s energy transition
No sign of reducing our dependence on fossil fuels
Henry Foy writes in the Financial Times about the factors that will lead us to continue or dependence on fossil fuels. Does anyone have a comment? Hopefully, the new overall 2030 target for GHG emissions will have more of an impact than the two energy targets will. Several factors conspire to increase fossil fuel … Continue reading No sign of reducing our dependence on fossil fuels
Europe less enthusiastic than America about fracking
Michael Kavanagh writes a good article in the Financial Times explaining the differences in opinion between Europeans and Americans over establishing a shale gas industry. The Polish are the least hostile, in large part to reduce dependence on Russian gas. Hostility limits growth of fracking in Europe As the US shale revolution continues to … Continue reading Europe less enthusiastic than America about fracking
