Read all about it – important new publications

New JRC report – Prosumerism and energy sustainability This report from the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre develops a sociotechnical understanding of energy prosumerism to investigate how energy prosumerism can lead to actual reductions of energy and resource demand. The report starts out by explaining what a sociotechnical and broad understanding of prosumerism means. Thereafter, … Continue reading Read all about it – important new publications →

Ranking the 12 most effective measures that European cities have introduced in recent decade

Kimberly Nicholas, Associate Professor of Sustainability Science at Lund University, in an article on The Conversation website, provides the results of latest research to provide evidence-based ways to reduce car use in cities. 12 best ways to get cars out of cities – ranked by new research Question: what do the following statistics have … Continue reading Ranking the 12 most effective measures that European cities have introduced in recent decade →

New EEA briefing: Europe’s air quality status 2022

Ninety-six percent of Europe’s urban population was exposed to fine particulate matter above the health-based guidelines set by the World Health Organization (WHO), according to the latest annual European Environment Agency (EEA) air quality assessment published this week Vast majority of Europe’s urban population remains exposed to unsafe levels of air pollution Despite a … Continue reading New EEA briefing: Europe’s air quality status 2022 →

A “solar-canal solution” is about to be tested in California

While there have been solar panels installed over canals before in other countries, two academics explain how they could provide many benefits to California’s climate change objectives. Roger Bales, Distinguished Professor of Engineering at the University of California, Merced updates a post on EiD from May 2021 on The Conversation website. First solar canal … Continue reading A “solar-canal solution” is about to be tested in California →

New EEA briefing on breaches of EU air quality standards

Breaches of EU air quality limits for nitrogen dioxide across Europe were predominantly due to road traffic, while domestic heating lay behind the majority of exceedances for particulate matter, according to a European Environment Agency (EEA) assessment on air quality plans published this week. Emissions from road traffic and domestic heating behind breaches of … Continue reading New EEA briefing on breaches of EU air quality standards →

New EEA reports on key role of cities in Europe’s transition to sustainability

Most Europeans live in cities and cities are Europe’s economic, cultural, and political hubs. Cities face environmental and climate challenges but also hold keys to realise Europe’s sustainability ambitions. Two new assessments on urban sustainability, published by the European Environment Agency (EEA) today, combine several environment and climate themes, calling for better integration of policies … Continue reading New EEA reports on key role of cities in Europe’s transition to sustainability →

New EEA report on analysis of air quality in Europe

The vast majority of Europe’s urban population is exposed to levels of air pollutants above new World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines, according to an updated European Environment Agency (EEA) analysis on air quality in Europe released this week. Europe’s urban population remains at risk due to levels of air pollution known to damage health … Continue reading New EEA report on analysis of air quality in Europe →

The UN’s intergovernmental panel on climate change advocates for an approach to passenger transport planning called “Avoid, Shift, Improve”

Although EVs certainly help address increasing transport emissions, simply focusing on replacing conventional cars with EVs is a missed opportunity for countries to develop alternative means of transport beyond car dependency. Vera O'Riordan, PhD Researcher in Marine and Renewable Energy at the University College Cork writes on The Conversation website about the need to develop … Continue reading The UN’s intergovernmental panel on climate change advocates for an approach to passenger transport planning called “Avoid, Shift, Improve” →

New EEA report shows cleaner air could have saved significant number of lives in Europe

Air pollution continued to cause a significant burden of premature death and disease in Europe in 2019. A European Environment Agency (EEA) analysis, published this week, shows that improving air quality to the levels recently recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) could prevent more than half of the premature deaths caused by exposure to … Continue reading New EEA report shows cleaner air could have saved significant number of lives in Europe →

New EEA briefing on counting the cost of industrial air pollution

Emissions of air pollutants and greenhouse gases from large industrial sites in Europe cost society between €277 and €433 billion, in 2017, according to a European Environment Agency (EEA) analysis, published this week. About half of the annual cost is caused by just 211 facilities, around 2 % of the largest industrial sites in Europe. … Continue reading New EEA briefing on counting the cost of industrial air pollution →