Initiatives to improve energy efficiency can reduce the EU’s dependence on Russian fossil fuels. They can also help increase the union’s influence in the global south. Mats Engstrom discusses the issues in an article on the European Council on Foreign Relations website. Efficient influence: Energy initiatives for a geopolitical Europe Russia’s brutal war on … Continue reading Calling for greater energy efficiency to reduce EU dependence on Russian fossil fuels
Category: EU policies
New EEA briefings: Europe not on track to reach 2030 targets for municipal waste recycling
The European Union (EU) circular economy action plan aims to halve the amount of municipal waste in the EU that is not recycled by 2030. According to a European Environment Agency (EEA) briefing, published this week, achieving this target requires both reducing waste generation and considerably increasing recycling, possibly even beyond the binding recycling target … Continue reading New EEA briefings: Europe not on track to reach 2030 targets for municipal waste recycling
One MEP makes powerful argument for Europe giving more focus to energy efficiency
modern thermostats, and building insulation - could go a long way toward enabling the EU to cut dependence on Russia’s natural gas and petroleum products. As it is, the EU is the single largest customer for Russia's natural gas and petroleum products. Russia accounts for around 40 per cent of the EU's gas imports and … Continue reading One MEP makes powerful argument for Europe giving more focus to energy efficiency
Putting some urgency into need to deploy heat pumps in Europe
As the European Union tries to free itself from Russian gas, it should offer subsidies and policy supports to boost heat-pump adoption, a new report says. Jeff St. John discusses in an article on the Canary Media website. How to move Europe from gas heat to heat pumps — fast Heat pumps play a major role in … Continue reading Putting some urgency into need to deploy heat pumps in Europe
New EEA briefing: Europe’s air quality status 2022
Ninety-six percent of Europe’s urban population was exposed to fine particulate matter above the health-based guidelines set by the World Health Organization (WHO), according to the latest annual European Environment Agency (EEA) air quality assessment published this week Vast majority of Europe’s urban population remains exposed to unsafe levels of air pollution Despite a … Continue reading New EEA briefing: Europe’s air quality status 2022
European Green Deal: New proposals to make sustainable products the norm and boost Europe’s resource independence
This week the Commission presented a package of European Green Deal proposals to make sustainable products the norm in the EU, boost circular business models and empower consumers for the green transition. As announced in the Circular Economy Action Plan, the Commission is proposing new rules to make almost all physical goods on the EU market more friendly to the environment, circular, and … Continue reading European Green Deal: New proposals to make sustainable products the norm and boost Europe’s resource independence
New EEA briefing that addresses the links between natural resources and Europe’s ambitions in shifting to a sustainable future
Addressing the links between natural resources like food, energy, water, land, materials and ecosystems services is key to supporting Europe’s ambitions in shifting to a sustainable future, according to a European Environment Agency (EEA) briefing published this week. A better understanding of links between natural resources can help the EU’s sustainability drive Europe’s drive … Continue reading New EEA briefing that addresses the links between natural resources and Europe’s ambitions in shifting to a sustainable future
The European Parliament’s lead negotiator has proposed tougher EU targets to reduce energy use this decade
The European Parliament’s rapporteur for the revision of the Energy Efficiency Directive (2018/2002), Niels Fuglsang (S&D, Denmark), has proposed increasing the EU’s energy efficiency target to at least 43% for final energy consumption and 45.5% for primary energy consumption, according to his draft report sent to shadow rapporteurs on Friday 18 February. Kate Abnett writes … Continue reading The European Parliament’s lead negotiator has proposed tougher EU targets to reduce energy use this decade
Discouragingly, the door is open in the EU for more “blue hydrogen” projects
The oil and gas industry is promoting the use of “low-carbon” hydrogen derived from methane that is potentially dirtier than burning fossil gas for energy, scientists and analysts. EU green investment rules facilitate the rollout of blue hydrogen, a fuel that could be more polluting than the fossil gas it is set to replace. Not surprisingly, … Continue reading Discouragingly, the door is open in the EU for more “blue hydrogen” projects
New EEA briefing on breaches of EU air quality standards
Breaches of EU air quality limits for nitrogen dioxide across Europe were predominantly due to road traffic, while domestic heating lay behind the majority of exceedances for particulate matter, according to a European Environment Agency (EEA) assessment on air quality plans published this week. Emissions from road traffic and domestic heating behind breaches of … Continue reading New EEA briefing on breaches of EU air quality standards
Energy in Demand - Sustainable Energy - Rod Janssen 