The worrying backlash to the European Green Deal

Many of the European Union's heads of state and government leaders have called for a 'regulatory pause' on climate and environmental issues. They are concerned about the consequences of measures designed to lead the EU-27 to carbon neutrality. Many Le Monde correspondents (Virginie Malingre, Thomas Wieder, Allan Kaval, Anne-Françoise Hivert, Sandrine Morel, Cécile Ducourtieux, Hélène … Continue reading The worrying backlash to the European Green Deal →

Romania takes steps to increase its efforts to deploy renewable energy

A new revised code of good practice for renewable energy is an important step to show the need to accelerate investment in the sector. A news item on the Energy Industry Review website explains latest developments. Mechthild Wörsdörfer, Deputy Director-General DG Energy at the European Commission stated: “Romania needs to set more ambitious national targets … Continue reading Romania takes steps to increase its efforts to deploy renewable energy →

Lego ditches oil-free brick in sustainability setback

World’s biggest toymaker says new material made from recycled bottles would have bigger carbon footprint. Latest analysis shows using recycled polyethylene terephthalate (RPET) would have led to higher carbon emissions over the product’s lifetime as it would have required new equipment. Noor Nanji discusses latest developments in an article on the BBC News website. … Continue reading Lego ditches oil-free brick in sustainability setback →

The new EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive: “We do not want to be crushed and knocked out” by burdensome regulations, say French SMEs

The Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive would extend the scope of companies’ environmental, social and governance (ESG) reporting obligations to inform investors, banks and insurance companies better. The new rules would also apply to SMEs. In an article on the EURACTIV website, Théo Bourgery-Gons discusses how French SMEs argue that new regulations are so onerous that … Continue reading The new EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive: “We do not want to be crushed and knocked out” by burdensome regulations, say French SMEs →

Summary of UN Summits Week 2023

Last week, the UN Headquarters was busy with the General Debate of the 78th session of the General Assembly together with summits on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and on climate change. The Earth Negotiations Bulletin of the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) does an incredible job … Continue reading Summary of UN Summits Week 2023 →

Highways still favoured over rail networks in Europe

Research commissioned by the European Mobility4All campaign provides disappointing reading for those who thought that our governments had turned a corner and were giving more attention to our rail systems. Rail networks in most countries have been starved of funding while motorways lengthen, the study shows. Ajit Niranjan explains in an article on the Guardian … Continue reading Highways still favoured over rail networks in Europe →

New study shows that people who work remotely all the time produce less than half the GHG emissions of office workers

In an article on the Guardian website, Patrick Barkham discusses a recent study in the US that shows one day a week of remote working cuts emissions by just 2% but two or four days lowers them by up to 29%. People who work from home all the time ‘cut emissions by 54%’ against … Continue reading New study shows that people who work remotely all the time produce less than half the GHG emissions of office workers →

Forecasts call for an increasing demand for oil even though electric vehicles are growing faster than expected around the world

Robert Brecha, Professor of Sustainability at the University of Dayton questions on The Conversation website why the US is still forecasting oil demand growth, when so many of the indicators lead in the other direction. EV sales growth points to oil demand peaking by 2030 − so why is the oil industry doubling down … Continue reading Forecasts call for an increasing demand for oil even though electric vehicles are growing faster than expected around the world →

British PM and the net zero transition – lessons from history about flip-flopping on the environment

This has been a very interesting week in climate policy in Britain, with the British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, defied official advice and rolled back on the net zero timetable. Marc Hudson, Visiting Fellow, Science Policy at the University of Sussex writes on The Conversation website giving us a history lesson on the experience of … Continue reading British PM and the net zero transition – lessons from history about flip-flopping on the environment →

Energy in Demand News, September 17, 2023

The Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTI) is undergoing some changes. SBTI show companies how much and how quickly businesses need to reduce their GHG emissions to prevent the worst impacts of climate change, leading them on a clear path towards decarbonisation. By guiding companies in science-based target setting, SBTi enables them to tackle climate change … Continue reading Energy in Demand News, September 17, 2023 →