New EEA monitoring tool and briefing on plastics circularity

Plastics production and consumption patterns across Europe remain unsustainable and need to be made more circular to reduce waste, pollution, climate change and other negative impacts on the environment according to a European Environment Agency (EEA) briefing published this week. The briefing also highlights the introduction of a new monitoring tool where people, policy makers … Continue reading New EEA monitoring tool and briefing on plastics circularity →

Energy in Demand News, June 16, 2024

No one said the zero-carbon energy transition would be easy. The world faces a “staggering” surplus of oil equating to millions of barrels a day by the end of the decade, according to the IEA. Growth in the world’s demand for oil is expected to slow in the coming years as energy transitions advance. At … Continue reading Energy in Demand News, June 16, 2024 →

Bonn climate talks preparing for COP29 considered disappointing

Countries expressed disappointment as key negotiations on climate finance and emissions-cutting measures made scant progress at mid-year talks. Megan Rowling and Matteo Civillini review the results of the meeting in an article on the Climate Change News website. UN climate chief warns of “steep mountain to climb” for COP29 after Bonn blame-game UN climate … Continue reading Bonn climate talks preparing for COP29 considered disappointing →

Provisional EEA data on CO2 emissions from new cars and vans in 2023 in Europe

Average CO2 emissions from all new cars registered in Europe in 2023 continued to decrease and were 1.4% lower than in 2022, according to new provisional data published this week by the European Environment Agency. Similarly, average CO2 emissions from new vans continued to fall, and were 1.6% lower than in 2022. The reductions in … Continue reading Provisional EEA data on CO2 emissions from new cars and vans in 2023 in Europe →

New EEA analysis on Europe’s air quality

Air quality has improved considerably in Europe over the past decades, but polluted air is still the biggest environmental health hazard in Europe and globally. According to the European Environment Agency’s (EEA) analysis on air quality data for 2022 and 2023, published this week, Europe’s air quality continues improving but, in many areas, especially in … Continue reading New EEA analysis on Europe’s air quality →

New EEA assessment on Europe’s bathing waters

Just as our thoughts turn to summer, we now get an assessment of bathing water sites in Europe. The vast majority of bathing water sites in Europe met the European Union's most stringent ‘excellent’ bathing quality standards in 2023, according to the latest annual bathing water assessment published this week. This represents 85% of Europe’s popular bathing waters. As much … Continue reading New EEA assessment on Europe’s bathing waters →

New reports paint a troubling picture of Europe’s readiness to handle the effects of climate change over the coming years

Climate-related disasters cost Europe more than €77 billion last year, according to a new report. But costs can be lowered with better data and financing strategies. David Keating discusses warnings from the World Bank about Europe’s preparedness in an article on the Euractiv website. Europe unprepared for climate disaster, warns World Bank A series … Continue reading New reports paint a troubling picture of Europe’s readiness to handle the effects of climate change over the coming years →

The European Commission’s approach to industrial carbon management

In February, the European Commission published its new approach to industrial carbon management. The following is the press release from February 6th (edited by EiD concerning dates). Commission sets out how to sustainably capture, store and use carbon to reach climate neutrality by 2050 The European Union is committed to reaching ‘net zero' CO2 … Continue reading The European Commission’s approach to industrial carbon management →

Energy in Demand News, May 5, 2024

A three year US congressional investigation finds that the world’s largest oil groups had privately acknowledged for decades that burning fossil fuels causes climate change. The findings followed a three-year probe that unearthed internal documents from the major energy companies with evidence of concerted campaigns “to confuse and mislead the public while working unceasingly to … Continue reading Energy in Demand News, May 5, 2024 →

Expected impact of the EU Net-Zero Industry Act

The EU’s Net-Zero Industry Act (NZIA) will have little impact on Europe’s target to produce more technologies needed for the energy transition, experts argue that a new large-scale initiative was necessary after the EU elections. Jonathan Packroff discusses what the experts said in an article on the Euractiv website. Europe’s net-zero industry law will … Continue reading Expected impact of the EU Net-Zero Industry Act →