Sunday
25th Sep 2022
While a cap on revenues from renewables is aimed at redirecting excess profits from low-cost electricity generation back to consumers, analysts and industry groups argue such measures come with risks — and at a bad time.
From 2050 onwards, the EU should remove more greenhouse gases than it emits — a great challenge. Are the member states ready for this challenge? The answer is no.
Civil society organisations are taking legal action against the European Commission for the inclusion of gas and nuclear in the EU taxonomy.
The current energy crisis is a good example of "emancipatory catastrophism" — the idea that humanity only moves forward out of fear for a catastrophe. Sometimes one needs a looming disaster to change what should have been changed long ago.
Germany has confirmed the nationalisation of Uniper, the country's largest gas-importer — in a bid to secure operations and prevent supply shortages following Russian supply cuts.
Climate change, food insecurity and seasonal shortages have triggered calls to loosen regulation for genetically-modified food and seed technologies in the EU.
France has increased projected public expenditure for 2023 with another €7.5bn compared to the last draft in August.
The EU has lifted some restrictions on the trade and financing of Russian coal and chemical to avoid an energy and food security crisis in poorer countries, but the upcoming ban on oil may have an even deeper impact.
Just as Europe is planning another massive bail-out of the economy, the European Central Bank is retreating into monetary austerity.
The European Parliament agreed on higher renewable and energy-saving targets for energy consumption in the EU — amid an energy crisis which has prompted the EU to put forward unprecedented measures to curb high energy prices.
To deal with the energy and climate crisis, EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen announced new spending rules which are going to be "more flexible."
Crisis measures include imposing cuts in power-consumption across the bloc, a cap on the excess revenues made by renewable and nuclear energy, and a "solidarity mechanism" to channel the massive and unexpected profits of fossil fuel firms to citizens.
Instead of suppressing the entire economy to tackle inflation, the economist Isabella Weber says a less damaging way to address it is by directly controlling the price of essential resources — like gas and energy.
EU energy ministers met for an extraordinary council meeting to discuss a unified European response to the energy crisis — but no decision was reached, with negotiations likely continuing until the end of September.
National capitals' failure to meet EU rules ends up costing €55bn per year, the European Commission warned, adding that there is an investment gap of up to €110bn per year to back up the green transition.
Green MEPs are pushing to increase the share of renewables in the EU's final energy consumption mix to 56 percent by 2030, at the revised renewable energy directive plenary vote next week.
The European Central Bank has raised interest rates by a historic 0.75 percent in an effort to bring down inflation.
Instead of programming structural investments to achieve energy independence and shatter the oligopoly of big energy companies, the EU delayed any kind of statement or intervention that could reveal that the Emperor — the market — has no clothes.
The new energy plan includes a mandatory target to reduce peak electricity consumption, a cap on excess revenues by renewables and nuclear firms, a solidarity mechanism to channel fossil fuel companies' profits to citizens, and a temporary state aid framework.
Selling more carbon credits to industry — as EU Commission plans have proposed — could increase pollution and "undermines" trust in the bloc's carbon markets, Dutch finance minister Sigrid Kaag warned.
European efforts to protect households and businesses against high power prices have been "uncoordinated" and have prioritised national security over cooperation, Bruegel experts warn.
The unprecedented forest fires in the EU and UK this summer released the highest carbon emissions into the atmosphere for 15 years.
While rushing to replace Russian gas, EU policymakers next week should ensure they keep biomethane in its sustainable niche, not use it as a bandage for a broken status quo.
Europe's energy supply from both hydro power and nuclear is down by double-digit percentages so far this year, despite the need to diversify from interrupted Russian gas supplies.
The EU mulls measures to cut electricity demand, as part of its efforts to tackle skyrocketing energy prices, after focusing efforts on reducing gas consumption amid concerns that Russia could further curb gas flows.
The period between 2021 and 2022 saw record-breaking catastrophic disasters in all corners of the world. Some 10,000 people lost their lives, but in a new report UN researchers write much of this can be prevented.
The price of food, alcohol and tobacco also rose with a rate of 10.6 percent compared with 9.8 percent in July, with the recent heatwaves and drought in Europe adding to the price increase.
As a Green MEP, ex-environment minister and former vice prime-minister of Sweden, Isabella Lovin spent many years advocating for ocean conservation and the welfare of fisheries dependent communities. The UN Ocean Conference in Lisbon was all words, no action.
Germany voiced optimism over energy security, while Spain promises to help countries who are suffering from "Putin's energy blackmail".
The EU is working on an "emergency intervention" plan to stem surging energy prices, which may require "structural reform of the electricity market" Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said.
UN inspectors are expected to arrive at Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia plant later this week, after months of seeking access to the site.
Electricity to Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant was cut off for hours which could have resulted in nuclear disaster, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said.
A draft document seen by Reuters says the European Union is urging major economies to ramp up their climate ambitions ahead of November's COP27 summit in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.
