By the end of the year, EU countries will have to submit their final National Energy and Climate Plans to present how they will contribute to the EU’s 2030 climate and energy targets. A new report released last week indicates how much progress has been made since the European Commission published its recommendations on each…
An arctic expert has warned that some of the impact of climate change will be “unforeseeable and intangible.” Einar Gunnarsson was speaking at an arctic symposium in Brussels with other specialists. He is Ambassador Arctic Affairs and Chair of the Senior Arctic Officials with the Arctic Council. He said, “Warming climate is having unprecedented influence worldwide and it is…
Conservative MEPs have blasted the European Union’s “hypocrisy” in claiming to combat climate change while maintaining the dual seat system for the European Parliament. They are challenging member state Governments to scrap the so-called travelling circus that sees the legislature and its staff shuttle back and forth every month between parliament buildings and suites of offices hundreds of…
Scrapping nuclear power would make the fight against global warming impossible to win, a senior UK Conservative MEP is warning. Anthea McIntyre spoke out after a move by Greens and Left-wingers inserted a call to ban nuclear power into an otherwise constructive set of goals for the forthcoming Climate Summit in Spain. The West Midlands MEP…
A European Citizens’ Initiative has been launched to phase out synthetic pesticides by 2035, support farmers, and save bees and nature. If it gathers one million signatures by September 2020, the EU Commission and Parliament must consider turning the campaign’s demands into law. The aim of the ECI is to bring the European Commission to propose…
They are the climate champions who are flying the flag for innovation around the world. A ‘mini army’ of exciting entrepreneurs have been honoured at a prestigious event designed to promote the best in global greentech. Organised by EIT Climate-KIC, the finals of “ClimateLaunchpad”, the world’s largest green start-up competition, were held in Amsterdam on…
The upcoming COP25, the new European Commission, the EU member states, and the governments of all African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries can “no longer turn a blind eye” to the urgent need to immediately put into practice concrete and decisive common actions to tackle climate change, and to fairly combine development with sustainability That is the message from…
EU greenhouse gas emissions data is reported in line with international requirements and inventories of emissions have improved over time, according to a new report from the European Court of Auditors. However, better insight is needed into specific sectors such as agriculture and forestry, say the auditors. They also suggest further improvements to reporting on…
CEPI, the European association representing the paper industry, has established a new alliance called 4evergreen. The aim of the alliance is to boost the contribution of fibre-based packaging in a circular and sustainable economy that minimises climate and environmental impact. It is not specifically aiming to compete with the plastics industry, but it will…
The OCEAN2020 project, managed by a 42 partner consortium from 15 EU countries, has successfully launched its first sea demonstration in the Gulf of Taranto, Italy. The OCEAN2020 Live Sea Demonstration involves a total of 9 unmanned assets and six naval units from Italy, Spain, Greece and France. The deployment of manned and unmanned systems,…
