New report from the Energy Efficiency Hub on deep energy retrofits

The Energy Efficiency Hub is a voluntary collaboration among 16 governments seeking to strengthen their effectiveness in deploying energy efficiency. Its secretariat is hosted by the IEA. The Hub recently published a report from one of its task groups, the Energy Efficiency in Buildings Task Group, entitled Deep Energy Retrofit Models: A Global Perspective. The … Continue reading New report from the Energy Efficiency Hub on deep energy retrofits

EEA publishes updated European city air quality viewer: Uppsala is Europe’s cleanest city

Published this week, European Environment Agency’s (EEA) updated European city air quality viewer shows that people in Uppsala and Umeå, Sweden, and Faro, Portugal, can enjoy the cleanest city air in Europe. Three out of four Europeans live in urban areas and most of them are exposed to unsafe levels of air pollution. Improving air … Continue reading EEA publishes updated European city air quality viewer: Uppsala is Europe’s cleanest city

Two new EEA reports on how Europe can respond to the pressing and complex societal challenges while moving towards long-term sustainability goals

Global pandemic, war, inflation and other shocks and crises have tested the European Green Deal and its ambition of building a climate-neutral and sustainable economy. Published this week, two new European Environment Agency (EEA) reports discuss how Europe can respond to the pressing and complex societal challenges while moving towards long-term sustainability goals.   More … Continue reading Two new EEA reports on how Europe can respond to the pressing and complex societal challenges while moving towards long-term sustainability goals

New discussion paper on opportunities and priorities for climate adaptation in the built environment in the EU

The Buildings Performance Institute Europe (BPIE) has recently published a new discussion paper on adaptation in the built environment.  A holistic approach to climate-resilience is needed to reduce the risk of maladaptation, ensure Just Resilience and exploit synergies of adaptation and mitigation efforts at all levels of governance. Just Resilience involves addressing the unequal distribution … Continue reading New discussion paper on opportunities and priorities for climate adaptation in the built environment in the EU

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

New EEA report takes stock of urban adaptation in Europe

Most Europeans live in urban areas and cities play a key role in protecting citizens and improving the resilience of European societies against the increasing impacts of climate change. The European Environment Agency’s report, published this week, takes stock of urban adaptation in Europe, showcasing what actions cities are taking in response to increasing climate … Continue reading New EEA report takes stock of urban adaptation in Europe

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

New global report on renewables from REN21

The Global Overview of the Renewables 2024 Global Status Report was published this week by REN21. It finds that  persistent obstacles are preventing renewables from keeping pace with rising energy demand, leading to increase in GHG emissions. Policy responses to geopolitical developments and global commitments accelerated the deployment and use of renewable energy in 2023, … Continue reading New global report on renewables from REN21

New publication on updating the energy poverty and energy efficiency framework in rural areas across the EU

Energy poverty is a complex and multidimensional phenomenon caused by various factors. It is defined as a situation in which households are unable to access essential energy services and products. Despite widespread recognition and discussion of the topic, there are still several gaps in knowledge and practice. One aspect of energy poverty that remains largely … Continue reading New publication on updating the energy poverty and energy efficiency framework in rural areas across the EU

New EEA report on the circular economy in Europe

Despite legislative steps forward over the past five years, efforts to transform Europe’s largely linear, ‘throw-away’ economy into a circular one will require further bold action and strong implementation of existing measures. Decisive action is essential to drastically reduce waste, prioritise reduction of resource use, improve recycling rates and improve the introduction of products that … Continue reading New EEA report on the circular economy in Europe