Dependence on fossil gas cause soaring energy bills As the world recovers from the pandemic, energy prices in the European Union have surged to record-high levels and the only way forward is renewables. Read more
Editorial: Promising ruling against the Energy Charter Treaty Europe’s top court has ruled that the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT) cannot be used in lawsuits between EU countries. Read more
NGOs demand a fully renewable energy system by 2040 in Europe An initiative of Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe calls for a 100% renewable energy system by 2040 (heat, transport and industry) and 100% renewable electricity by 2035. Read more
Energy sufficiency: a necessary complement to energy efficiency Making the case for energy sufficiency in European policies: the construction of a European sufficiency-based energy transition scenario. Read more
Taxing livestock to reduce nitrogen and GHG emissions A recent report provides three concrete proposals on how livestock could be taxed to reduce ammonia and greenhouse gas emissions, while generating funds for reforms. Read more
Closing the nitrogen cycle with agroecology Study shows that it is possible to halve nitrogen losses in Europe by abolishing synthetic fertilisers, reconnecting livestock and cropping systems and changing diets. Read more
Revising LULUCF regulation could be a chance for both climate and biodiversity The European Union carbon sink must more than double by 2030. The cheapest way to do this is by protecting and restoring forests, peatlands, and other natural ecosystems. Read more
A global roadmap to “climate-smart” offshore renewable energy The Global Wind Energy Council and UN Global Compact launched a roadmap to advance offshore renewable energy on 5 November – “Ocean Day” – at COP 26. Read more
WHO guidelines are based on science – policy should follow Detailed models and data from more parts of the world are behind the lower acceptable levels for particles, ozone and nitrogen dioxide in the new WHO air quality guidelines. Read more
Time to ban climate-threating advertising European NGOs push to prohibit advertising for fossil fuels, fossil-fuelled cars and air travel. Several European cities have taken the lead by introducing local bans. Read more
Solutions to reach 1.5°C still available Study on 1.5 pathways concludes that EU can reduce greenhouse gases by at least 65% by 2030. This means a transition to 100% renewable electricity while reducing energy use. Read more
A different COP – Communities of Practice – encourages offshore cooperation The development of offshore wind farms has gained momentum in the EU but to accelerate deployment the challenge of conflicting interests within marine areas needs to be addressed. A new study examines the potential of so-called Communities of Practice (COPs). Read more
Methane pledge must be followed by a fossil fuel phase-out target The EU needs to improve its methane pledge. Emissions must be reduced by at least 70% by 2030 compared to 1990, in order to provide a fair contribution to the 1.5°C target. Read more
Air pollution in Africa Air pollution in Africa differs from that in developed countries. The main contributors to particle emissions are old vehicles, burning of waste and use of biomass for cooking. Read more
EU institutions ignore latest evidence when evaluating health effects More recent data of PM2.5 show greater effects on mortality. Although some of this research is more than seven years old, it has not been incoporated in currently used models. Read more
Ocean acidification: the “Black elephant” in the Black Sea? The acidification problem is, indeed, a “black elephant” – an obvious, predictable event with enormous consequences, but highly overlooked by many stakeholders, which is also relevant for the Black Sea region. Read more
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