UAE names oil chief to lead COP28 climate change talks

The head of one of the world's biggest oil companies has been named to lead the COP28 global climate talks in Dubai, later this year.  Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber is currently the chief executive officer of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company. He is also the minister for industry and advanced technology for the … Continue reading UAE names oil chief to lead COP28 climate change talks

New Eurobarometer survey shows large majority are positive about recent EU actions addressing energy crisis

A new Eurobarometer survey released in December shows that the large majority of EU citizens are positive about recent EU actions to tackle the energy crisis. In particular, More than 8 in ten EU citizens (82%) agree that the EU should continue to take actions to reduce its dependency on Russian fossil fuels. An overwhelming … Continue reading New Eurobarometer survey shows large majority are positive about recent EU actions addressing energy crisis

The climate priorities for the Swedish Presidency of the EU Council

With European economies severely affected by the war, the green and energy transitions take centre stage, with the ‘Fit for 55’ package setting the framework for climate action. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson recognises the EU’s climate leadership and declared Sweden’s intention to strengthen this position during the Presidency.  The Bellona  Foundation, an independent non-profit … Continue reading The climate priorities for the Swedish Presidency of the EU Council

The World Bank’s new mission is expected to “emphasize the importance of sustainability and resilience to reflect more clearly that our mission includes global public goods (GPGs), such as climate change”

A draft document suggests the bank will broaden its “twin goals” of boosting prosperity and ending extreme poverty to encompass climate action. Joe Lo writes on the Climate Change News website about the draft new mission.   World Bank moots stronger strategic focus on climate action The World Bank is considering making climate action more … Continue reading The World Bank’s new mission is expected to “emphasize the importance of sustainability and resilience to reflect more clearly that our mission includes global public goods (GPGs), such as climate change”

The EU’s new carbon market includes a reformed Emissions Trading System (ETS)

The European Union has negotiated its "biggest climate law" ever. With emitters forced to pay more, billions of euros are expected to go toward a climate social fund. Tim Schauenberg takes a closer look in an article on the Deutsche Welle website.   EU reforms Emissions Trading System: What you need to know The European … Continue reading The EU’s new carbon market includes a reformed Emissions Trading System (ETS)

The European Commission has outlined possible “transition pathways” to address the environmental impact of the construction sector

Europe’s construction ecosystem employs approximately 24.9 million people but it is also extremely fragmented with 99.9% of the companies being SMEs. Nikolaus J. Kurmayer discusses on the EURACTIV website the plans of the European Commission to transform the sector and that digitalisation could be the silver bullet to address all the problems – lack of … Continue reading The European Commission has outlined possible “transition pathways” to address the environmental impact of the construction sector

New EEA briefing on impact of plastic packaging

Plastics are used across Europe in everything from construction materials to consumer products. Recent policy actions on plastic packaging at EU and national level have established collection schemes and introduced waste prevention measures. However, according to a European Environment Agency (EEA) briefing, published this week, a significant fraction of Europe’s total plastic consumption is outside … Continue reading New EEA briefing on impact of plastic packaging

“…humanity needs to make peace with nature, because we are out of harmony with nature”

With those words, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres opened the UN Convention on Biological Diversity conference in Montreal this month. Alexandra Zimmermann, Senior Research Fellow at the University of Oxford writes on the Conversation website asking what living in harmony with nature looks like.   UN biodiversity conference: what does living in harmony with nature … Continue reading “…humanity needs to make peace with nature, because we are out of harmony with nature”

New report on saving energy for Europe – contrasting EU states’ measures

Research from the European Environmental Bureau (EEB) indicates that the measures to reduce gas and electricity consumption taken so far by EU states are insufficient to meet EU targets. EU targets may be reached if high prices lead to large consumers reducing their consumption. Measures to reduce energy usage also reduce the pressure on rising … Continue reading New report on saving energy for Europe – contrasting EU states’ measures

New EEA report assesses the state of national adaptation actions in 2021

EU Member States recognise the importance of adapting to impacts of heatwaves, droughts, floods, heavy precipitation and changing temperatures and of mainstreaming climate change adaptation to a wide range of affected areas like agriculture, or water and disaster risk management. These are key findings of a European Environment Agency (EEA) report published this week which … Continue reading New EEA report assesses the state of national adaptation actions in 2021