Member states should take more responsibility for meeting the targets of the EU buildings directive

Aneta Zachová writes on the EURACTIV website about the views of energy-saving construction expert Petr Holub that the onus for meeting targets from the EPBD should be on member states and not individual owners. Do you have any views on this? Czech expert: EU Building Directive targets should be met by states, not owners … Continue reading Member states should take more responsibility for meeting the targets of the EU buildings directive →

What the new head of the World Bank needs to cope with

Rachel Kyte, Dean of the Fletcher School, Tufts University, writes on The Conversation website about what the next head of the World Bank needs to do to address our climate and debit crises. It should be noted that Ajay Banga is the only candidate for World Bank president. Can this former CEO fix the … Continue reading What the new head of the World Bank needs to cope with →

A political battle over firewood’s future in the EU’s energy transition is playing out in Brussels

As Europe races to replace Russian fossil fuels with cleaner power sources, EU lawmakers are weighing up the future of firewood as a renewable energy source. The debate is getting heated. In an article on the Deutsche Welle website, Sarah Steffen and Tamsin Walker discuss latest developments. EU weighs up future of wood-burning as … Continue reading A political battle over firewood’s future in the EU’s energy transition is playing out in Brussels →

“We are not fully in agreement yet” – Germany facing a growing backlash inside the EU over its U-turn on a law to phase out the combustion engine in new cars by 2035

The row is a further signal of tensions over the green deal landmark proposals to tackle climate crisis. In an article on the Guardian website, Jennifer Rankin and Philip Oltermann discuss what happened in this week’s meetings in Brussels. Germany faces EU backlash over U-turn on phasing out combustion engine Germany is facing a … Continue reading “We are not fully in agreement yet” – Germany facing a growing backlash inside the EU over its U-turn on a law to phase out the combustion engine in new cars by 2035 →

A pact to phase out fossil fuels in November’s UN climate talks is the only credible response to the warnings of scientists

Simon Lewis, professor of global change science at University College London and University of Leeds provides an opinion piece in the Guardian giving two reasons why the just published IPCC synthesis report is crucial for the upcoming COP28 in November-December. What are your views? The IPCC’s climate report has drawn the battle lines for … Continue reading A pact to phase out fossil fuels in November’s UN climate talks is the only credible response to the warnings of scientists →

New EEA briefing on the way we see ourselves in relation to nature

Can the way we see ourselves in relation to the natural world create a greater sense of responsibility and stewardship towards nature? Global awareness about the degradation of nature, climate change and unsustainable resource use is increasing and our responses to these challenges need to accelerate. A new European Environment Agency (EEA) briefing, published this … Continue reading New EEA briefing on the way we see ourselves in relation to nature →

The EU’s plans to reduce GHG emissions are still not in line with the 2015 Paris Agreement

Science says it loud and clear that the EU’s plans to reduce emissions are not in line with the Paris Agreement. The question is whether EU member states will set things right and shoot beyond the minimum ambition with their National Climate and Energy Plans, write Brigitta Bozsó and Klaus Röhrig, policy experts at Climate … Continue reading The EU’s plans to reduce GHG emissions are still not in line with the 2015 Paris Agreement →

The EU Net Zero Industry Act must not be protectionist

How the EU might respond to clean teach subsidies, in the form of a leaked draft law entitled the Net Zero Industry Act (NZIA), is deeply worrisome. Niclas Poitiers, André Sapir, Simone Tagliapietra, Reinhilde Veugelers and Jeromin Zettelmeyer explain their views in an article on the Breugel website. Bruegel is the European think tank that … Continue reading The EU Net Zero Industry Act must not be protectionist →

Time for a reality check: latest IPCC synthesis report coming next week

Nerilie Abram from Australian National University writes on The Conversation website about what we are to expect from the upcoming IPCC synthesis report. With the scheduled end of IPCC-58 looming, delegates worked intensively this week to review and approve the proposed text of the Summary for Policymakers. What can we expect from the final … Continue reading Time for a reality check: latest IPCC synthesis report coming next week →

The challenge for making the EU Green Deal industrial plan as effective as possible

In the race to avoid climate breakdown, talk of a subsidy race with the United States is misplaced. EU leaders would be better off focusing on making the Green Deal Industrial Plan as effective as possible to ensure win-wins, write Jakob Hafele and Jonathan Barth, co-founders of the ZOE Institute for Future-fit Economies, in an … Continue reading The challenge for making the EU Green Deal industrial plan as effective as possible →