In Canada this week, EU Energy Commissioner Dan Jørgensen urged decisive action by quoting a famous hockey credo: "you miss 100% of the shots you don't take." The Trump administration is moving to gut energy efficiency rules for home appliances that are proven to cut demand for power and lower utility bills. The Washington Post … Continue reading Energy in Demand News, July 5-6, 2026
Category: air pollution
New EEA assessment of EU member states progress in meeting national emission reduction targets for key air pollutants
Most EU Member States are on track to meet their 2020-2029 national emission reduction targets for key air pollutants, according to the latest European Environment Agency (EEA) monitoring check-up published this week. Reducing ammonia emissions, however, remains a persistent challenge. The EEA has also updated its city air quality ranking, which focuses on long-term air … Continue reading New EEA assessment of EU member states progress in meeting national emission reduction targets for key air pollutants
Energy in Demand News, June 28-29, 2026
The Financial Times reports that Elon Musk’s SpaceX “was awarded the lowest possible environmental, social and governance rating by index provider MSCI [Morgan Stanley Capital International] ahead of the company’s record $75bn public float this month. The triple C assessment means SpaceX has the same score as that awarded to the Russian state on MSCI’s … Continue reading Energy in Demand News, June 28-29, 2026
The catalytic converter: the environmental technology that changed everything
In an article on The Conversation website, Ann E. Carlson, Professor of Environmental Law, University of California, Los Angeles writes about how California's strict vehicle emissions standards drove the development and adoption of catalytic converters, transforming air quality in the United States and beyond. California’s willingness to maintain strict vehicle emissions standards accelerated the adoption … Continue reading The catalytic converter: the environmental technology that changed everything
The toxic legacy of the global plastic waste trade
Ellen M. Considine, Assistant Professor of Geography and Fellow of the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES), University of Colorado Boulder in an article on The Conversation website connects plastic waste exports, open burning, air pollution and public health, showing how wealthy countries often shift the environmental burden of plastic waste onto developing … Continue reading The toxic legacy of the global plastic waste trade
Cooling cities means tackling traffic as well as buildings
In an article on The Conversation website, Zhonghua Zheng Assistant Professor in Data Science and Environmental Analytics, University of Manchester discusses how traffic is not just a source of pollution and emissions—it is also a significant contributor to urban heat, and reducing vehicle traffic can help cities adapt to climate change. How traffic makes … Continue reading Cooling cities means tackling traffic as well as buildings
European cities are starting to show what happens when streets are built for people
Zeeshan Tirmizi writes on the Deutsche Welle website about a citizen-led campaign in Berlin that is collecting signatures to create a car‑free centre in the German capital. Other European cities also show what happens when streets are built for people. Here's what happens when cities kick out cars Berliners lost 60 hours to traffic … Continue reading European cities are starting to show what happens when streets are built for people
Energy in Demand News, May 3-4, 2026
The big news this week was that more than 50 countries gathered in Colombia to work on trade measures to cut out fossil fuels, as reported below in EiD. The meeting was considered the “coalition of the willing,” and grew out of frustration of the UNFCCC process where there were simply too many fossil fuel … Continue reading Energy in Demand News, May 3-4, 2026
EEA’s latest official reported data on levels of key air pollutants in Europe
Most air quality monitoring stations in Europe achieve current EU legal standards for key air pollutants. However, the levels of key pollutants — like particulate matter, benzo(a)pyrene and especially ground-level ozone — remain a significant problem, according to the latest air quality assessments published this week by the European Environment Agency (EEA). Progress in … Continue reading EEA’s latest official reported data on levels of key air pollutants in Europe
Energy in Demand News, March 8-9, 2026
The war in the Middle East could end up having a devastating impact on our global energy system. Daniel Yergin, the well-known energy analyst who is author of the 1991 ‘The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money and Power’ asks in the Financial Times this week whether the nightmare scenario for global energy is … Continue reading Energy in Demand News, March 8-9, 2026
Energy in Demand - Sustainable Energy - Rod Janssen 