At a stakeholder consultation held on 20 October 2026, the European Commission presented plans for the Investment Booster, the first phase of its proposed €100 billion Industrial Decarbonisation Bank, aimed at accelerating investment in low-carbon technologies and strengthening European industrial competitiveness. The Investment Booster, envisaged for 2027–2030, would mobilise approximately €30 billion through EU Emissions … Continue reading Energy in Demand News, October 25-26, 2026
Category: Sustainable development
Less is more: rethinking fashion in an age of overconsumption
In an article on The Conversation website, Cathrine Jansson-Boyd, Professor of Consumer Psychology, Anglia Ruskin University, discusses how sustainable fashion is not simply about buying second-hand clothes, but about buying less, making better choices and getting more enjoyment from what we already own. It also challenges the assumption that enjoying fashion necessarily means consuming more. Five ways to enjoy fashion as a hobby without indulging … Continue reading Less is more: rethinking fashion in an age of overconsumption
New EU-funded project – Ruralise – focusing on European rural communities
Over the past decade, European rural communities have navigated severe demographic shifts and housing pressures that have triggered a rural housing affordability crisis which pushes local youth and vulnerable residents out of their homes. To support rural areas in revitalising their communities, the EU funded Ruralise project will make housing across Europe more affordable, accessible, … Continue reading New EU-funded project – Ruralise – focusing on European rural communities
New EEA report on options to strengthen Europe’s sustainable competi
Europe faces an increasingly competitive and uncertain global environment, shaped by geopolitical change, technological disruption and growing exposure to climate and environmental risks. What strategic choices can Europe make today to remain prosperous, resilient and competitive towards 2040? A new European Environment Agency (EEA) report explores the forces likely to shape Europe’s future and identifies … Continue reading New EEA report on options to strengthen Europe’s sustainable competi
Wastewater is too valuable to waste
In an article on The Conversation website, Isabell Fritz, PhD Candidate, Water and Environmental Engineering, Lund University and Ashley Hall, PhD Candidate in Water and Wastewater Treatment, Lund University, show how wastewater is not simply waste. As climate change increases pressure on Europe’s water supplies, we may be overlooking a valuable resource that flows away … Continue reading Wastewater is too valuable to waste
New EEA briefing on progress towards sustainability by exploring rapidly developing digital trends and technologies
Europe’s progress towards sustainability requires new means of consumption and production with significantly lower impacts. This horizon scan explores those rapidly developing digital trends and technologies, and some of the opportunities and risks they present for sustainability. EEA-Eionet horizon scan – emerging trends in production and consumption Key messages Digitalisation and artificial intelligence (AI) … Continue reading New EEA briefing on progress towards sustainability by exploring rapidly developing digital trends and technologies
Energy in Demand News, September 20-21, 2026
Multilateral development banks are under pressure from the United States to scrap climate finance targets. “The UN agreement to provide $1.3tn in climate finance is under threat, as multilateral lenders are expected to follow the World Bank in dumping green targets after intense US pressure,” the Financial Times reports. “At least two multilateral development banks, … Continue reading Energy in Demand News, September 20-21, 2026
When homes are protected as assets but not as homes
On the World Sufficiency Lab website, Yamina Saheb raises some fundamental points about the European Commission's proposed Affordable Housing Act. The article is making a much larger argument than the Affordable Housing Act itself. Its central idea is that Europe’s legal architecture gives strong protection to markets, capital and property while social needs such as … Continue reading When homes are protected as assets but not as homes
COP31: The EU says climate promises are no longer enough
Marta Pacheco writes on the Euronews website that the draft EU position for COP31 says that current implementation is insufficient and calls for concrete progress on renewables, energy efficiency, electrification and moving away from fossil fuels. EU heads to COP31 with a blunt message: climate pledges are no longer enough EU ambassadors want COP31 … Continue reading COP31: The EU says climate promises are no longer enough
How a distant war reached the kitchens of Nairobi
In an article on The Conversation website, Matthew Shupler, Postdoctoral Research Associate in Environmental Public Health, Harvard University; University of Liverpool, discusses hidden connection between distant geopolitical conflict and everyday energy and food poverty. The striking finding is that families in Nairobi responded to higher prices not simply by switching fuels, but by cooking less, … Continue reading How a distant war reached the kitchens of Nairobi
