EU walks back 2035 all-electric target, permitting some new combustion engine cars

A last-minute deal in Berlin ensured the death of the combustion engine ban — a previously unthinkable outcome. Jordyn Dahl writes on the Politico website about the Commission’s latest plan that now goes to the European Parliament and Council. Also, check out the latest article by Monica Frassoni. She argues why the electric transition is … Continue reading EU walks back 2035 all-electric target, permitting some new combustion engine cars

France updates its 2050 carbon neutrality roadmap

To mark the 10th anniversary of the Paris Agreement, France released on Friday a revamped climate plan promising to phase out oil and gas and sharply increase electricity use. The following is an AFP news item from the France24 website.   France updates net-zero plan, with fossil fuel phaseout The updated strategy was unveiled on … Continue reading France updates its 2050 carbon neutrality roadmap

New report from CAN Europe: Small Modular Distractors: Why a European SMR strategy hinders the energy transition

Small modular reactors are not a viable solution to decarbonising our energy system and supporting a transition to net zero. The technology has not been demonstrated at any sort of scale, with great unknowns when it comes to design. CAN Europe’s latest report details how SMR projects have been shown to be significantly delayed compared to … Continue reading New report from CAN Europe: Small Modular Distractors: Why a European SMR strategy hinders the energy transition

How digitalisation and energy-as-a-service are accelerating the building transition

In an article on the Facilitate Magazine website, Bradford Keen discusses a new Siemen’s report that shows more organisations now regard facilities and buildings as critical assets for emissions reduction and operational competitiveness.   Energy Efficiency Tops Corporate Infrastructure Priorities Energy efficiency in buildings has become the leading infrastructure priority for organisations globally, rising from … Continue reading How digitalisation and energy-as-a-service are accelerating the building transition

Energy in Demand News, December 7-8, 2025

A World Meteorological Organization study finds that the Arab region is warming at twice the global average, reports the Financial Times. “The study found extreme events last year affected 3.8mn people and led to more than 300 deaths, mainly from heatwaves and floods. . . . The region covering 22 countries — stretching from the … Continue reading Energy in Demand News, December 7-8, 2025

New UN ECE publication on energy efficiency

The UN Economic Commission for Europe has published a new report that reframes the policy questions from  “Which energy efficiency technologies should be deployed?” to “How to design the system, so that proven measures scale, persist, and stay affordable?” It firmly positions energy efficiency as a first-order system resource and a cornerstone for achieving sustainable … Continue reading New UN ECE publication on energy efficiency

Energy in Demand News, November 30, 2025

There is a fascinating news item from New York., reported in a Financial Times newsletter this week. “New York City’s top finance official has urged three of the city’s biggest pension funds to drop BlackRock as a manager of more than $42bn, as the metropolis looks to use its weight in markets to tackle climate … Continue reading Energy in Demand News, November 30, 2025

Fossil fuel-producing nations are derailing world climate targets, report says

The Production Gap Report from the Stockholm Environment Institute, Climate Analytics, and International Institute for Sustainable Development, finds that 10 years after the Paris Agreement, governments plan to produce more than double the volume of fossil fuels in 2030 than would be consistent with limiting global warming to 1.5°C, steering the world further from the … Continue reading Fossil fuel-producing nations are derailing world climate targets, report says

Energy in Demand News, November 23-24, 2025

Two years ago, at COP28 in the Dubai, countries agreed on the need to "transition away from fossil fuels in energy systems." This was essentially the first time that official documents in the UNFCCC process made reference to fossil fuels. COP30 was extended from the planned closing on Friday because of a deadlock over fossil … Continue reading Energy in Demand News, November 23-24, 2025

World off track from 2030 energy efficiency goal, says IEA

In an article on the Sustainability Magazine website, Jasmin Jessen discusses the IEA’s Energy Efficiency 2025, its annual analysis of latest global trends in energy efficiency. The rate of global improvement in energy efficiency has been largely lacklustre since 2019, averaging around 1.3% per year. That’s down significantly from the average of around 2% per … Continue reading World off track from 2030 energy efficiency goal, says IEA