The European Commission will table a package of energy and climate laws on July 14th aimed at reaching the EU’s 2030 goal of cutting emissions by 55%, and putting it on track to hit net zero by 2050. Kira Taylor and Sean Goulding Carroll write on the EURACTIV website to give you the lowdown on … Continue reading The EC’s “Fit for 55” out soon: here’s what to anticipate
Category: EU policies
From the EEA: waste generation and decoupling in Europe
Between 2010 and 2018, total waste generation increased by 5% (114 million tonnes) in the EU-27 according to the European Environment Agency (EEA). When major mineral wastes are excluded from the total, it increased by 7% (50.3 million tonnes). This means that the EU-27 is not on track to meet its policy goal of reducing … Continue reading From the EEA: waste generation and decoupling in Europe
New data from EEA on emissions of newly registered passenger cars and vans in Europe in 2020
The European Environment Agency (EEA) has published its provisional data about the emissions of newly registered passenger cars and vans in Europe in 2020. For cars, the data show a 12 % decrease in average carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, compared with 2019. Average van emissions also decreased slightly, by about 1.5 %. Sharp decrease … Continue reading New data from EEA on emissions of newly registered passenger cars and vans in Europe in 2020
Leaked EU policy document designed to cut carbon emissions in shipping shows plans, will ‘lock in the use of fossil fuels for decades to come and make the EU’s target of net emissions neutrality by 2050 unreachable
Daniel Boffey writes on The Guardian website about a leaked EU policy document that has raised the concerns of NGOs that there will be a lock in the use of fossil fuels in the shipping industry for decades to come. Draft EU policy to cut shipping emissions condemned as ‘disaster’ A leaked draft of … Continue reading Leaked EU policy document designed to cut carbon emissions in shipping shows plans, will ‘lock in the use of fossil fuels for decades to come and make the EU’s target of net emissions neutrality by 2050 unreachable
Wide disparity of national nZEB standards undermines EU climate goals, finds BPIE
A new assessment of national nearly zero-energy buildings (nZEBs) standards, released this week by the Buildings Performance Institute Europe (BPIE), finds a wide degree of disparity in how these are implemented across the EU-27, highlighting a misalignment with EU climate targets. Since the beginning of 2021, all new buildings constructed in the EU must be nZEBs, … Continue reading Wide disparity of national nZEB standards undermines EU climate goals, finds BPIE
Environment campaigners in Italy are suing the government for failing to sufficiently tackle the climate crisis
Plaintiffs want court to order Mario Draghi’s government to adopt more ambitious climate policies. In 2019, Italy set itself a 33% target for carbon emissions reduction by 2030. Campaigners say the ecological objectives outlined in Italy’s recovery plan, which was submitted to the European commission in late April, are not ambitious enough. Angela Giuffrida discusses … Continue reading Environment campaigners in Italy are suing the government for failing to sufficiently tackle the climate crisis
Latest EEA data on average car emissions increasing in 2019
Average emissions from new passenger cars in Europe increased for the third consecutive year in 2019, reaching 122.3 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometre (g CO2/km), according to the European Environment Agency’s (EEA) final data. Data about newly registered vans show a stable trend. New EEA data set baseline for emission reductions in heavy-duty vehicles. Average … Continue reading Latest EEA data on average car emissions increasing in 2019
There is a lot of low-hanging fruit that the EU can pick when it comes to making waste rules more effective
Sam Morgan writes on the Engineering & Technology website about the current situation in the EU concerning e-waste and what can be done to improve effectiveness. View from Brussels: Make e-haste not e-waste EU efforts to collect and recycle electronic waste are among the most effective in the world but there is plenty of … Continue reading There is a lot of low-hanging fruit that the EU can pick when it comes to making waste rules more effective
CEN and CENELEC held a webinar on Connecting European Sustainable Finance to Standardisation
On Tuesday 20 April, CEN (the European Committee on Standardization) and CENELEC (the European Committee on Electrotechnical Standardization) held an online webinar dedicated to exploring the role standards can play in scaling up the implementation of sustainable finance for the transition to a climate neutral economy and a more sustainable world. The desired outcome of … Continue reading CEN and CENELEC held a webinar on Connecting European Sustainable Finance to Standardisation
Carbon performance a necessary complement to energy performance: EU buildings’ policy should address the carbon footprint of construction, says BPIE
The EU’s forthcoming revision of legislation for buildings and construction is a critical opportunity to create policy and investment certainty on how energy performance requirements will be supported by carbon performance rules, says BPIE. New research from BPIE shows that while some EU Member States have introduced comprehensive policy action to reduce the carbon footprint of buildings … Continue reading Carbon performance a necessary complement to energy performance: EU buildings’ policy should address the carbon footprint of construction, says BPIE
