New EEA briefing on the use of “forever chemicals”

Reducing the use of PFAS —known as forever chemicals— in clothing, furniture and other textile products, is important to increase recyclability and the transition to a more circular economy according to a European Environment Agency (EEA) briefing, published this week. Safe and sustainable alternatives could reduce use of PFAS in textiles and enhance reuse … Continue reading New EEA briefing on the use of “forever chemicals” →

New EEA monitoring tool and briefing on plastics circularity

Plastics production and consumption patterns across Europe remain unsustainable and need to be made more circular to reduce waste, pollution, climate change and other negative impacts on the environment according to a European Environment Agency (EEA) briefing published this week. The briefing also highlights the introduction of a new monitoring tool where people, policy makers … Continue reading New EEA monitoring tool and briefing on plastics circularity →

New way to recycle cement from demolished concrete buildings

In an article on the BBC News website, Justin Rowlatt discusses a new way to recycle cement and massively reduce its carbon footprint. What are your views? UK breakthrough could slash emissions from cement Scientists say they've found a way to recycle cement from demolished concrete buildings. Cement is the modern world's most common … Continue reading New way to recycle cement from demolished concrete buildings →

New briefing by EEA on current state of textile waste in Europe

Starting next year, EU Member States must put separate collection systems in place for textiles. The European Environment Agency’s briefing, published this week, shows that most textile waste in Europe currently ends up in mixed waste and that sorting and recycling capacity need to be urgently scaled up to ensure better and more circular use … Continue reading New briefing by EEA on current state of textile waste in Europe →

Europe needs €800bn to meet 2030 climate targets, says industry

The Brussels-based European Round Table for Industry this week published two new reports by the Boston Consulting Group that lay out the state of play and articulate the challenges in Europe’s energy transition. As the countdown continues to the European elections and appointment of the next European Commission later this year, the European Round Table … Continue reading Europe needs €800bn to meet 2030 climate targets, says industry →

Energy in Demand News, March 24, 2024

"The state of the climate in 2023 gave ominous new significance to the phrase ‘off the charts.'" That quote introduced the World Meteorological Organization’s latest annual report. It confirms that 2023 was the hottest year on record by a clear margin. Records were broken for ocean heat, sea level rise, Antarctic sea ice loss and … Continue reading Energy in Demand News, March 24, 2024 →

New EEA report on the circular economy in Europe

Despite legislative steps forward over the past five years, efforts to transform Europe’s largely linear, ‘throw-away’ economy into a circular one will require further bold action and strong implementation of existing measures. Decisive action is essential to drastically reduce waste, prioritise reduction of resource use, improve recycling rates and improve the introduction of products that … Continue reading New EEA report on the circular economy in Europe →

Energy in Demand News, March 10, 2024

The World Trade Organization's Thirteenth Ministerial Conference (MC13) recently took place in Abu Dhabi (February 26-March 2). In its energy update, the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) wrote that “fossil fuel subsidy reform conversations have made marked progress at the WTO. Last week, the Fossil Fuel Subsidy Reform initiative—comprised of 48 members—delivered a new … Continue reading Energy in Demand News, March 10, 2024 →

New EEA briefing on environmental impact of textile consumption in Europe

Textile consumption in Europe causes significant pressures on the environment and climate. Part of these pressures comes from returned and unsold textiles that are destroyed and never used for their intended purpose. A new European Environment Agency (EEA) briefing looks at the issue and estimates the share of returned and unsold textiles that are destroyed … Continue reading New EEA briefing on environmental impact of textile consumption in Europe →

New EEA briefing on the ‘just transition’ to sustainability

What do we mean by a ‘just transition’ to a sustainable future? A European Environment Agency (EEA) briefing, published this week, looks into how a shift to a greener, climate-neutral, circular economy will impact our society and describes how policies must be informed by concepts of justice and fairness if they are to succeed. … Continue reading New EEA briefing on the ‘just transition’ to sustainability →