Critics of renewable energy have mocked the Energiewende, claiming that it has led to an increase in coal power and related CO2 emissions in Germany. But Conrad Kunze and Paul Lehmann of the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ show that this is a myth. German coal generation and CO2 emissions rose not because of but in spite of the Energiewende. They would have been even higher if Germany had not phased out its nuclear power and … [Read more...]
viEUws VIDEO: latest EU news on shale gas, biofuels, emission trading, climate change
In this Brussels Briefing on Environment for viEUws.eu, correspondent Sonja van Renssen provides an overview of the latest EU environment policy developments. … [Read more...]
The Energy Union: “a holistic approach to the energy transition”
The EU’s great new project of an “Energy Union” will represent “for the first time a holistic approach to how we need to achieve the energy transition,” said the man in charge, Commissioner Maroš Ĺ efÄŤoviÄŤ, at a press conference in Brussels last week. His colleague, Climate and Energy Commissioner Miguel Arias Cañete, at a grand Energy Union in Riga on Friday, revealed a long list of actions to be subsumed under the Energy Union concept, but with … [Read more...]
viEUws VIDEO: Top 5 Environment – All you need to know for the Latvian EU Presidency
In this special briefing for viEUws.eu, Brussels-based journalist Sonja van Renssen identifies the top 5 environment issues that will be discussed by the European institutions under the Latvian EU Presidency. … [Read more...]
Emission trading now a major new source of low-carbon finance in the EU – but will it stay that way?
Last year for the first time many of the CO2 allowances in the EU Emission Trading Scheme (ETS) were auctioned rather than handed out for free. Surprisingly perhaps, the EU member states used much more of the ETS revenues for low-carbon development than EU law suggests they should. This suggests that the ETS could become a major source of low-carbon finance in the future, writes Emil Dimantchev, senior analyst at Thomson Reuters. But Dimantchev … [Read more...]
EXCLUSIVE – new Vattenfall CEO Magnus Hall: “What is true for Eon, is pretty much true for us”
Vattenfall’s CEO Magnus Hall likens the selling of its lignite operations in Germany to Eon’s recent split in two. “The problem we needed to solve was the CO2 issue,” says Hall in an exclusive interview with Energy Post. The new chief of the Swedish state-owned company has abandoned the idea of splitting up the company geographically. Its future lies in sustainability, says Hall, e.g. in offshore wind. He notes the European market is distorted by … [Read more...]
viEUws VIDEO: Brussels Briefing on Environment – All you need to know for December 2014
In this Brussels Briefing on Environment for viEUws.eu, Sonja van Renssen provides an overview of the latest EU environment policy developments, including the current status of talks around the EU Emission Trading Scheme and biofuel regulations. … [Read more...]
The Five Energy Labours of Juncker
The new team heading the European Commission in Brussels is lucky. Its predecessors closed two sensitive deals before the reshuffle: a European energy and climate strategy for 2030 and a gas winter package between Ukraine and Russia. On top of that, outgoing Energy Commissioner GĂĽnther Oettinger finished off a thick report on the way forward for a European energy market. The new Commission will follow up on these three dossiers, plus two more … [Read more...]
IPCC: climate change can be limited, pricing carbon can be effective
Human influence on the climate system is clear and growing, with impacts observed on all continents. However, options are available to adapt to climate change and implementing stringent mitigations activities can ensure that the impacts of climate change remain within a manageable range. … [Read more...]
The EU's great 2030 energy and climate compromise
European leaders agreed new climate and energy targets for 2030 of “at least” 40% greenhouse gas emission reductions, 27% renewables and 27% energy efficiency at a summit in Brussels on 23 October. Central and Eastern European countries led by Poland succeeded in getting substantial financial concessions in return for signing up to the package. Stakeholder reaction ranged from bitter disappointment among NGOs and energy efficiency advocates to … [Read more...]
Save the EU Emissions Trading Scheme: set a price band
The Market Stability Reserve proposed by the European Commission will not be sufficient to reform the EU Emission Trading Scheme (ETS). If the ETS is to be saved, EU policymakers must instead take the bold step of establishing a price band for CO2 emission rights, argue Brigitte Knopf of the Potsdam-Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and Ottmar Edenhofer of PIK and the Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change … [Read more...]
Brussels reveals: public support for renewables hardly different from non-renewables
For the first time ever, the EU Commission has mapped out how much public money flows to the energy sector in Europe and where it goes. According to a new report prepared by consultancy Ecofys, Europe spent €113 billion on energy subsidies in 2012. Remarkably, public support for coal is equal to that of onshore wind and total support for renewables is not much higher than for non-renewables. Also remarkably, the estimated “levelised costs” for … [Read more...]
VIDEO: Latest news on Environment and Energy from Brussels
In this latest Brussels Briefing on Environment from viEUws.eu, Sonja van Renssen provides an overview of the latest developments in the field of European environment policy. … [Read more...]
Carefully prepared Cañete dogged by conflict of interest
The candidate for EU Climate and Energy Commissioner, Miguel Arias Cañete from Spain, demonstrated an impressive grasp of his subject matter at his hearing at the European Parliament on Wednesday night in Brussels. But he failed to answer repeated questions about his brother-in-law’s involvement in two oil-related companies. Today, his future hangs in the balance as he becomes a hostage in a fight between the Parliament’s different political … [Read more...]
Why Brussels is reluctant to adopt an energy efficiency target that’s good for the EU economy
Within weeks, the European Commission will propose an energy efficiency target for Europe for 2030 that is substantially lower than what many stakeholders and policymakers believe is feasible. It will even be lower than what the Commission’s own impact assessment concludes is beneficial for the economy. And it will probably be non-binding although the impact assessment says a binding target would be more effective. Why this reluctance from … [Read more...]
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