While the focus in the EU is on the New Green Deal and making sure that the policies and regulatory framework are in place to help the EU members on the pathway to net zero, on the EU’s borders the commitment to renewables and decarbonisation is less clear, writes Jock Mendoza Wilson. To the east…
Environment
Time Runs Out For Empty Words on Climate Crisis
Global Witness warns of unthinkable catastrophe unless urgent and systemic action is taken to keep fossil fuels in the ground, end deforestation and hold corporates to account for their impact on the environment and human rights. Following today’s stark warning by the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Global Witness is calling for world leaders…
EU Climate Change Strategy
The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) says the new EU Strategy on Adaptation to Climate Change is a crucial step towards achieving climate neutrality and resilience by 2050. European civil society strongly supports the Commission’s commitment to strengthening efforts on climate proofing, resilience building, prevention and preparedness. The floods occurring in Western Europe, just weeks after a…
Nuclear insists it has key role in meeting world’s energy needs
Nuclear energy is an issue like few others, dividing opinion in the extreme over its safety and role in the energy mix. But construction work on new nuclear plants continues apace, with the latest being in Belarus with the Astravets nuclear power plant (NPP). Building work on the twin-reactor plant is coming to an end…
Has indoor air quality worsened during the pandemic?
Has indoor air quality worsened during the pandemic and what factors such as potential health risks from mineral wool insulation can be addressed? The recent Clean Air Day had the aim of increasing awareness and understanding of air pollution, its effects on both climate change and public health and what needs to be done to…
Understanding and Protecting Our Planet
On July 17, 1991, Ariane 4 launched not just a satellite but a whole new perspective on how we can understand and protect our planet. At the time of its launch on Ariane Flight 44, ERS-1, the first European Remote Sensing satellite, was the most sophisticated Earth observation spacecraft developed and deployed in Europe. It…
EU Green Bond Standard
The Commission has put forward a new proposal for a regulation on a EU green bond standard together with a communication on the Renewed Sustainable Finance Strategy. The Renewed Strategy builds on the Action Plan 2018 on Sustainable Finance and covers several areas, from continuing the work on Taxonomy, to climate and sustainability risks in…
Morocco and the EU to Establish “Green Partnership”
The Kingdom of Morocco and the EU have launched a joint political declaration of their intention to establish a “Green Partnership” initiative. The declaration was announced at a high level event bringing together Mr. Nasser Bourita, Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccans residing abroad, Mr. Mohamed Benchaâboun, Minister of the Economy, Finance and…
Private jets: can the super-rich supercharge zero emission aviation?
CO2 emissions from private jets in Europe increased by nearly a third (31%) between 2005 and 2019, rising faster than commercial aviation emissions, finds a new report from campaign group Transport & Environment (T&E). The report, Private jets: can the super-rich supercharge zero emission aviation?, reveals the climate impact of private jets across Europe. It finds that private jetsare 10 times more carbon intensive than…
Lockdown Effect on Commuting
Months of pandemic restrictions have triggered a major shift in public expectations for urban space and commuting. Europeans are crying out for a fairer share of public space for public transport, cyclists, and pedestrians, according to an online survey of 10,050 residents in 15 European cities polled by YouGov The survey was commissioned by the Clean Cities…