China struggling to sell electric vehicles in Europe

Chinese cars are facing difficulties in finding buyers in Europe. Some of these cars are spending up to 18 months in port car parks. Tom Stacey, Senior Lecturer in Operations and Supply Chain Management at Anglia Ruskin University discuss why.   Electric cars pile up at European ports as Chinese firms struggle to find buyers … Continue reading China struggling to sell electric vehicles in Europe

“The fossil fuel lobby is holding us back from negotiating a treaty that will end the plastics crisis”

The fourth meeting of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment, is taking place in Ottawa, Canada. This meeting is being held pursuant to the resolution adopted by the resumed fifth session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-5.2), which requests the UN Environment … Continue reading “The fossil fuel lobby is holding us back from negotiating a treaty that will end the plastics crisis”

Energy in Demand News, April 21, 2024

Is it two steps forward and one step back or the reverse. The climate and energy transition is underway. The question is what way? This week in an article on the Financial Times (behind a paywall), the global financial services company J P Morgan said that the world needs a “reality check” on its move … Continue reading Energy in Demand News, April 21, 2024

France is aiming for one million new heat pumps a year to be manufactured in the country by 2027

The French Minister of Economy and Energy, Bruno Le Maire, unveiled on Monday (15 April) the government’s plan to revive its heat pump industry, which comes amidst a slump in European heat pump manufacturing. Paul Messad discusses latest developments in an article on the Euractiv website.   France’s battle plan to produce one million heat … Continue reading France is aiming for one million new heat pumps a year to be manufactured in the country by 2027

New assessment from EEA and ECHA of the drivers and impact of chemical pollution

The transition towards safer and more sustainable chemicals is progressing in some areas, while in others, it is just beginning. This is the finding of a first, joint Europe-wide assessment of the drivers and impact of chemical pollution by the European Environment Agency (EEA) and the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) published this week. The benchmarking … Continue reading New assessment from EEA and ECHA of the drivers and impact of chemical pollution

Europe needs €800bn to meet 2030 climate targets, says industry

The Brussels-based European Round Table for Industry this week published two new reports by the Boston Consulting Group that lay out the state of play and articulate the challenges in Europe’s energy transition. As the countdown continues to the European elections and appointment of the next European Commission later this year, the European Round Table … Continue reading Europe needs €800bn to meet 2030 climate targets, says industry

How industry can address the challenges of the energy transition

By upgrading their energy strategies, industrials can reduce energy costs, accommodate market volatility, and achieve ambitious decarbonization targets. In an article on the McKinsey website Mauro Erriquez, Alvaro Gonzalez, Diego Hernandez Diaz, and Humayun Tai describe how.   Playing offense: Industrials staying ahead in the energy transition The recent market turmoil and ongoing challenges of … Continue reading How industry can address the challenges of the energy transition

Energy in Demand News, March 31, 2024

New oil and gasfields are expected to grow fourfold despite IEA warnings, the Financial Times (behind a paywall) reported this week in their energy newsletter.  At least 20 new oil and gasfields reached final investment decisions worldwide last year and “this figure to grow nearly fourfold by the end of the decade, with another 31bn … Continue reading Energy in Demand News, March 31, 2024

New uncertainties and challenges that stand in the way of Ghana’s latest efforts to develop an integrated aluminium industry

In an article on The Conversation website, Theophilus Acheampong, Associate Lecturer, University of Aberdeen and Matthew Tyce, Lecturer in International Political Economy, King's College London discuss how the clean energy transition is affecting Ghana’s ambitions for industrial development.   Ghana’s decades-old ambition to build an integrated aluminium industry faces a new hurdle: the clean energy … Continue reading New uncertainties and challenges that stand in the way of Ghana’s latest efforts to develop an integrated aluminium industry

Energy in Demand News, March 10, 2024

The World Trade Organization's Thirteenth Ministerial Conference (MC13) recently took place in Abu Dhabi (February 26-March 2). In its energy update, the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) wrote that “fossil fuel subsidy reform conversations have made marked progress at the WTO. Last week, the Fossil Fuel Subsidy Reform initiative—comprised of 48 members—delivered a new … Continue reading Energy in Demand News, March 10, 2024