More support being given to SMEs in Europe to become more energy efficient

It was a big day for energy efficiency financing this week. Importantly, the European Investment Bank (EIB) Group, supported by the European Commission announced a new financing initiative at a meeting that brought together a wide range of experts, including Rod, representing Energy Efficiency in Industrial Processes (EEIP). You can check out the EEIP LinkedIn … Continue reading More support being given to SMEs in Europe to become more energy efficient

Energy in Demand News, August 31, 2025

The expression Energy Efficiency 1st is not just a PR slogan. This week, 67 Industry players and 26 national and EU industry associations wrote to the EU’s Danish Presidency, concerned about the draft compromise text on the EU Climate Law from 31st July, which removes explicit references to the Energy Efficiency First (EE1st) principle. The … Continue reading Energy in Demand News, August 31, 2025

America’s climate transition: a moment of crisis for the environmental community

As President Trump dismantles the country’s efforts to fight climate change, environmental groups are back on their heels. In an article on the New York Times website, David Gelles, Claire Brown and Karen Zraick discuss latest developments. While not mentioned, the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) and the Alliance to Save Energy (ASE) … Continue reading America’s climate transition: a moment of crisis for the environmental community

The EU’s non-financial reporting (NFR) regulations relating to sustainability have strong implications for the Majority World, the countries and territories outside Europe and North America where most people live

In an article on The Conversation website, Mira Manini Tiwari, Research Associate at the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies, European University Institute discusses the impact of the EU’s NFR regulations, at a time when global, systemic policy effects are more important than ever   EU efforts to measure companies’ environmental impacts have global effects. … Continue reading The EU’s non-financial reporting (NFR) regulations relating to sustainability have strong implications for the Majority World, the countries and territories outside Europe and North America where most people live

China has updated its green taxonomy as part of the country’s efforts to strengthen its net-zero transition ambitions

In an article on the Green Central Banking website, Moriah Costa writes about latest developments in China to update its green taxonomy, which comes into effect in October. The catalogue defines which economic activities and investments qualify as green or environmentally sustainable across a wide variety of industries.   China updates green taxonomy to increase … Continue reading China has updated its green taxonomy as part of the country’s efforts to strengthen its net-zero transition ambitions

Energy in Demand News, July 27-28, 2025

It is summer time in Europe but the news has not slowed down. The post below on the IEA is disturbing and we can all hope that the US remains a member of the IEA in order to make a valuable contribution to our sustainable energy future. There is a good report from SciencesPo on … Continue reading Energy in Demand News, July 27-28, 2025

The Science Based Targets initiative says that, to be 1.5C-aligned, financial institutions must stop funding firms that are expanding fossil fuel production and use

This week, the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) launched a net zero standard for banks, asset managers and insurance companies, which requires them to end financing for firms that are expanding coal projects immediately and for those expanding oil and gas projects by 2030. In an article on the Climate Home News website, Joe Lo … Continue reading The Science Based Targets initiative says that, to be 1.5C-aligned, financial institutions must stop funding firms that are expanding fossil fuel production and use

New report from SciencesPo on the EU taxonomy in practice

Titouan Chalavon, Clara Klint and Barbora Rapantova have written a report for the SciencesPo European Chair for Sustainable Development and Climate Transition on how the EU taxonomy has helped drive energy efficiency investments. The following is the abstract for the report.   The EU taxonomy in practice: driving energy efficiency investments? Mapping insights from stakeholders … Continue reading New report from SciencesPo on the EU taxonomy in practice

The pullout of ArcelorMittal from the German green steel plan highlights the risk for companies to fully embark on a green transition course

Insa Wrede writes on the Deutsche Welle website about ArcelorMittal’s new plans. Despite being offered billions in subsidies, steel giant ArcelorMittal has suspended plans to transition to green steel production in Germany. Is this an isolated case — or a warning sign for the entire industry?   ArcelorMittal's pullout plunges German green steel in doubt … Continue reading The pullout of ArcelorMittal from the German green steel plan highlights the risk for companies to fully embark on a green transition course

Energy in Demand News, June 1-2, 2025

Austria and Slovenia are the only European countries whose defence ministries have committed to reaching net zero military emissions, according to an analysis of 30 European countries (EU 27 plus Norway, Switzerland and UK). An article in the Guardian on the analysis added that only about one-third have worked out the size of their carbon … Continue reading Energy in Demand News, June 1-2, 2025