At a lunch debate organised by the European Heat Pump Association (EHPA) on âThe costs of a low level of ambition in greening the heating and cooling sectorâ and hosted by EUFORES President MEP Jeppe Kofod on 30 January, representatives from industry, civil society, the European Commission (EC) and MEPs from several countries and political groups (Jeppe Kofod, Bendt Bendtsen, Theresa Griffin, Jo Leinen, Gesine Meissner and Paul RĂźbig) … [Read more...]
Archives for January 2019
The contribution of the Polish energy sector to the implementation of global climate policy
PKEE is the Polish Electricity Association. Poland is an active party to the UN Climate Convention. It implements commitments to reduce CO2 emissions and supports processes of global and international agreements. For the third time, Poland organizes the Conference of the Parties to the Convention â the first UNFCC Climate Summit in Poland was held in 2008 in PoznaĹ, the second in 2013 in Warsaw. In Poland, since 1990, CO2 emissions have been … [Read more...]
End of the road for the sale of Greeceâs dirty fuel of the past
Greeceâs economy was once powered by lignite. Today, continuing to invest in this most polluting fuel threatens to render Greeceâs energy market uncompetitive, writes Eleni Diamantopoulou and Simon Holmes. Greece is at an energy crossroads. Decisions taken by the Greek government and the European Commission in the coming weeks and months will decide whether Greece is locked into an anti-competitive lignite world until at least 2030, or whether … [Read more...]
Five similar Climate Resolutions for BP, ExxonMobil, Chevron, Equinor, and Shell
In 2019, five oil and gas companies face five similar climate resolutions requesting to set Paris-aligned long-term targets for operations and products. This briefing serves to provide you with an overview of these five resolutions and Follow This' considerations to withdraw resolutions. Shareholder Resolution at the 2019 AGM of BP plc, Royal Dutch Shell plc, and Equinor ASA (âthe companyâ) Shareholders request the … [Read more...]
Online Brine Platform Boosts Circular Economy Solutions for Process Industries
The ZERO BRINE project, which aims to advance circular economy business models by redesigning the value and supply chain of water and minerals through the recovery of resources from brine generated by process industries, has announced the release of its The OBP is an interactive web service that connects brine owners with mineral and water users and technology providers to promote the reuse of secondary raw materials and water. Through the OBP, … [Read more...]
Africa and renewables: the international partnerships bringing 300GW potential to life
Gaining access to energy is vital for Africa's people and national economies so tapping their vast potential for renewables is the obvious solution both for them and the climate. The challenge, as ever, is funding. To solve this, African nations are striking up international partnerships in a bid to unleash the full power of their phenomenal natural assets. … [Read more...]
Solar energy is green. Solar panels are not. AI can revolutionise their design
Solar panels are manufactured at 2,000ËC, a temperature so high it requires fossil-fuel power. They are also made using rare earth elements, the supply of which has both capacity and political issues. A new and global project is using artificial intelligence (AI) to rapidly create new designs with new materials that can make their manufacture greener and cheaper. The new designs may even bring their manufacture back to your home country, says … [Read more...]
EU ETS price contributing to gas demand
Whilst the top-level 40% 2030 emissions reduction target looks relatively safe, share from RES is definitely not. Carbon pricing, in its various forms, is working but, frankly, not in a predictable or even desirable way. A closer inspection of the market-driven EU ETS permit scheme illustrates how and why gas â especially American LNGÂ â is going strong, putting the 32% share of final energy consumption from renewables in doubt. … [Read more...]
Carbon taxes arenât working any more. Only ramping up policies and infrastructure can accelerate the transition
Anthony Patt and Johan Lilliestam of ETH Zurich make the case against carbon taxes. Climate policy is most effective when it helps people use alternative energy sources, rather than when it makes fossil energy more expensive. Fostering an energy system free of fossil fuels requires financial, infrastructure, and institutional support for specific technologies. That requires a different and much braver approach. Reducing or eliminating carbon … [Read more...]
Understanding how consumers engage with energy data is essential for delivering a âClean Energy Package for all Europeansâ
In its new policy framework âthe Clean Energy for All Europeans Packageâ, the European Commission highlights the key and central role of consumers in the global transition to a low-carbon society. It proposes to help consumers save money and energy through better information and give them a wider choice of action when choosing their participation in energy markets. … [Read more...]
Desert solar – the race for the world’s biggest farm
When solar power was first conceived decades ago, the obvious locations for the farms were the worldâs great deserts. Sure enough, the biggest farms are being built there reports Arasan Aruliah. … [Read more...]
What is the demand for EVs â really?
In on-trend California youâll find 10% of the entire worldâs EVs but to achieve their ambitious target of putting 5-million zero-emissions vehicles on the road by 2030 they require subsidies. However, a new report for the US National Bureau of Economic Research, finds the subsidies just save rich people money and don't drive the volume required from average consumers. In addition, by 2025, the scheme will have cost at least 5x more than forecast. … [Read more...]
Renewable jet fuel lands in Europe
If you were trying to find a link between fish farms, saltwater plants known as halophytes and mangrove forests, itâs unlikely that renewable jet fuel would be near the top of your list. … [Read more...]
UK nuclear plans are in tatters. But current incentives help gas, not wind and solar, step into the gap
The scrapping of plans for a new nuclear power station in Cumbria and the suspension of work on another in Anglesey have put the brakes on the UKâs nuclear future. But the government appears more keen to fill the gap with gas rather than renewables. David Toke of Aderdeen University criticises the current incentives and regulations and makes the case for wind and solar. … [Read more...]
Shipping: regulations facilitating switch to LNG
How do we solve shippingâs âchicken-and-eggâ dilemma: LNG producers wait for enough ships to run on LNG, while shipping companies wait for producers to increase their supply? The âvirtuous circleâ of steady growth in LNG shipping in the North Sea/Baltic Sea area can provide an important case study for the rest of the world, according to a reportby the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies. It concludes that LNG will grow as a shipping fuel … [Read more...]