What engineers – and others – need to know about the EU Ecodesign Regulation

The second phase of the EU’s Ecodesign Regulation raises the bar for electric motor energy efficiency – and the rest of the world is sure to follow. Daniel Eberli from ABB, a technology leader in electrification and automation, discusses ecodesign in an article on the Engineer Live website. Energy efficiency with ecodesign Energy efficiency … Continue reading What engineers – and others – need to know about the EU Ecodesign Regulation →

Britain’s energy and climate transition: is it on track?

The latest progress report from the Climate Change Committee makes grim reading on progress towards net zero. Government inertia and reliance on old ways of thinking are to blame. Andrew Warren, Chairman of the British Energy Efficiency Federation discusses the report in the July issue of Energy in Buildings & Industry. Has the UK … Continue reading Britain’s energy and climate transition: is it on track? →

European Green Deal facing pushback threatening to slow EU efforts to cut GHG emissions

As the center right changes tack on climate, the bloc’s climate coalition is crumbling. It is hard to imagine, given current climate disasters, that there is so much resistance to ramping up ambition to cut GHG emissions even faster. Zia Weise discusses latest developments in an article on the Politico website. Political backing for … Continue reading European Green Deal facing pushback threatening to slow EU efforts to cut GHG emissions →

Paris city hall is to impose higher parking fees on owners of SUVs in its battle to reduce pollution in the capital

The number of SUVs in the city has increased by 60% over the last four years and they now make up 15% of the 1.15m private vehicles parked in Paris every evening. Size, weight and motor will be taken into account city officials plan to increase parking fees as of next January 1st. Kim Willsher … Continue reading Paris city hall is to impose higher parking fees on owners of SUVs in its battle to reduce pollution in the capital →

Blog from Jane Marsh: The Dark Side of Carbon Credits and How We Can Improve Them

Many organizations are making sustainability pledges to help combat climate change. Some companies aim to become net zero — emissions balanced by the amount produced and reduced. However, lowering overall emissions can prove complex and many businesses utilize carbon credits to help them reach this goal. Unfortunately, carbon credits are imperfect and many people believe … Continue reading Blog from Jane Marsh: The Dark Side of Carbon Credits and How We Can Improve Them →

Access to financing and lack of regulatory certainty, including at the EU level, remain key concerns for French SMEs on their green transition path

Théo Bourgery-Gonse writes on the EURACTIV website about what small and medium-sized enterprises need in France to decarbonise. Is it any different in your country? French SMEs asked to decarbonise, want regulatory certainty Access to financing and lack of regulatory certainty, including at the EU level, remain key concerns for French SMEs on their … Continue reading Access to financing and lack of regulatory certainty, including at the EU level, remain key concerns for French SMEs on their green transition path →

Lessons learned from an energy project on SMEs

Having attended a conference this week in Brussels on the EU-funded LEAP4SME project, it was timely to see a blog by the Energy Saving Trust, one of the partners in the project. LEAP4SME aims to support establish or improve effective policies for SMEs to undergo energy audits and implement cost-effective, recommended energy-saving measures through identifying … Continue reading Lessons learned from an energy project on SMEs →

Shipping set to boost climate targets

Matt McGrath and Malcolm Senior write on the BBC News website about an important summit underway in London that will hopefully lead to more ambitious climate targets for the maritime industry. Why shipping faces a showdown over greenhouse gas Ships crisscrossing our oceans give off as much planet-warming carbon through their smokestacks in a … Continue reading Shipping set to boost climate targets →

New Joint Research Centre report on role of heat pumps in our energy transition

Replacing about a third of EU’s 86 million residential fossil fuel boilers with heat pumps could cut those households’ final energy consumption by 36% and their CO2 emissions by 28%. Heating of buildings accounts for almost 40% of final energy consumption and 36% of energy-related GHG emissions in the EU. Within these, residential buildings account … Continue reading New Joint Research Centre report on role of heat pumps in our energy transition →

New EEA briefing on the human element for investing in energy renovations

A better understanding is needed of how owners, construction contractors and installers interact and perceive possible advantages of renovating their houses, apartments and other buildings to improve energy efficiency. This would help bolster European policies to shift the building sector to a carbon-neutral future. A European Environment Agency (EEA) briefing published this week explores the … Continue reading New EEA briefing on the human element for investing in energy renovations →