New EEA report on European air quality health assessment

Air pollution in Europe remains well above recommended World Health Organization (WHO) levels, posing a significant threat to our health. According to the latest European Environment Agency (EEA) air quality health assessment published this week, 253,000 deaths could have been avoided in the EU if the fine particulate matter concentrations had met WHO recommendations. Exposure … Continue reading New EEA report on European air quality health assessment

New publication – EU Buildings Climate Tracker: A call for faster and bolder action

Buildings represent a significant potential for GHG emissions mitigation and the EU has many policies in place to help promote the improved energy performance of buildings. The policy foundation is the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive that is currently being revised. In fact the next negotiations (the trialogue) between the European Council, European Parliament and … Continue reading New publication – EU Buildings Climate Tracker: A call for faster and bolder action

Backed by the EU, Namibia has a $20 billion plan to export green hydrogen

For Namibia, green hydrogen could be transformative. Backed by the EU, Namibia has a $20 billion plan to export green hydrogen. A secretive tender process raises concerns for nature and citizens. In an article on the Climate Home News website, John Grobler, Joe Lo and Matteo Civillini discuss how the EU is supporting the development … Continue reading Backed by the EU, Namibia has a $20 billion plan to export green hydrogen

New EEA briefing on benefits of nature-based climate adaptation

Nature-based solutions, such as restoring wetlands in flood-prone areas or green infrastructure to reduce heat island effects in cities, need to be scaled up and expanded to help Europe better cope with the impacts of climate change. A European Environment Agency (EEA) briefing, published this week, assesses the current state of such climate adaptation projects … Continue reading New EEA briefing on benefits of nature-based climate adaptation

New EEA report on the urgent need to prioritise the use of biomass

There are increasing and competing demands for using biomass in the EU, using it for bio-based products in sectors such as construction, energy, transport, furniture and textile industries, but also reserving it for nature conservation and carbon sequestration. The European Environment Agency (EEA) report, published recently, stresses that there is an urgent need to prioritise … Continue reading New EEA report on the urgent need to prioritise the use of biomass

New EEA briefing on the benefits of investing in clean technology and a green industry in Europe

Europe has committed to ambitious sustainability targets in the coming decades, including achieving climate neutrality by 2050. This transition requires large investments while public budgets are under increasing pressure from security needs, inflation, ageing population, and other priorities. Published this week, a European Environment Agency (EEA) analysis looks at this challenge and identifies investments in … Continue reading New EEA briefing on the benefits of investing in clean technology and a green industry in Europe

Energy in Demand News, November 5th, 2023

The negotiations taking place before a climate conference are always complicated. This is proving true this year as well. The Financial Times reports (behind a paywall) that western countries have clashed with Saudi Arabia over the role it should play to “kick-start a UN fund to help poorer countries deal with the loss and damage … Continue reading Energy in Demand News, November 5th, 2023

New EEA briefing on the assessment of EU national adaptation actions

Climate risk assessments that take account of threats like heatwaves, droughts, floods and wildfires are increasingly being used to inform and improve national adaptation policies according to the latest European Environment Agency (EEA) assessment of national adaptation actions published recently.    Heatwaves, droughts, other extreme weather events increasingly influencing adaptation policies The EEA briefing ‘Is … Continue reading New EEA briefing on the assessment of EU national adaptation actions

The EU’s European Innovation Council Tech Report 2023 is published

The European Innovation Council operates at the forefront of scientific and technological developments. This ambition is underlined by the EIC Tech Report 2023 highlights novel technologies and innovations submitted to the EIC under Horizon Europe. The report has an emphasis on early-stage research projects, funded following extensive independent expert review. It also includes some areas … Continue reading The EU’s European Innovation Council Tech Report 2023 is published

State of the Energy Union 2023: EU responds effectively to crisis, looks to the future, and accelerates the green transition

In the State of the Energy Union Report 2023, published this week, the European Commission looks back on the EU response to the unprecedented energy crisis of the past two years, assesses the state of play with the green transition at national, European and global level, and sets out the challenges and opportunities ahead as … Continue reading State of the Energy Union 2023: EU responds effectively to crisis, looks to the future, and accelerates the green transition