Commissioner Connie Hedegaard of Climate Action presented the new EU strategy to the EU Parliament on March 9 indicating that international negotiations must ensure that the future global agreement will have a high level of environmental integrity and will actually keep warming below 2°C. The EU sees the Kyoto...
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The Europe 2020 Strategy, launched by the Commision on March 3 should steer Europe out of the crisis and prepare EU economy for the next decade. The Commission identifies three key drivers for growth, to be implemented through concrete actions at EU and national levels: smart growth (fostering knowledge,...
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The EU Competitiveness Council on March 1 invited the Commission to develop an Action Plan for Clean and Energy-efficient vehicles (including the growing role of fully electric cars and plug in hybrids) that will:
a) encourage the development of the necessary infrastructure in Europe for new mobility technologies, in particular...
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EU Industry Commissioner Antonio Tajani met with ministers in charge of industry on 19 February identifying green technologies as a strategic medium-term perspective for the industry to improve its competitiveness. “A European strategy on Clean and Energy-Efficient Cars should be developed and implemented that sets out the necessary actions...
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EU Member State experts on February 2 approved a proposal on how to use 300 million emission allowances from the EU Emission Ttrading Systems ‘new entrants reserve’ to finance projects in renewables and CCS (Carbon Capture and Storage). The final adoption of the decision, expected in May, will see...
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Climate change Commissioner-designate, Connie Hedegaard, said she sees herself as a horizontal coordinator, with the task of mainstreaming climate action into all EU policies, during her three-hour hearing in the European Parliament on Friday (15 January).”It is not going to be easy to reconstruct [the climate directorate-general],” Hedegaard admitted. “Climate can be almost...
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Spain’s Prime Minister Zapatero unveiled the priorities for their Presidency of the Counci lbefore the European Parliament on Wednesday, 20 January. The Spanish leader, whose country currently holds the EU’s six-month rotating presidency, said the 27-member union should take measures to promote electric car production in Europe.
“The other day...
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The EU Commision published Recommendation 2009/1020/EU of 21 December 2009 on the safe implementation of the use of low sulphur fuel by ships at berth in Community ports. Art. 4b of Council Directive 1999/32/EC relating to a reduction in the sulphur content of certain liquid fuels provides for the...
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A draft plan of the Commission , sent to member states the last week of the new year , sets out the rules on allocating the 300 million allowances of the ‘new entrants reserve’ of the EU ETS to CCS and renewable projects. At a carbon price of €20...
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At the occasion of the COP 15, Siemens presented the European Green City Index, a study on the environmental sustainability of 30 major cities in 30 European countries in which it emerges that Copenhagen is the “greenest” major city in Europe, followed by Stockholm, Oslo, Vienna, and Amsterdam.
The evaluation...
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After the deceiving non binding targets deal obtained at Copenhagen, EU officials tried to be rather optimistic and wanted to see the first step of a more ambitious agreement. They also pointed to EU’s contribution of €30 bln to a UN Technology Transfer fund to support developing countries to...
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The level of innovation in regions varies considerably across almost all EU countries. This is one of the main findings of the 2009 Regional Innovation Scoreboard (RIS), published on 14 December 2009 by the Institute for the Protection and Security of the Citizen (IPSC), one of the seven institutes...
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The Commission approved on 9 December, 15 energy projects which will significantly contribute to the economic recovery of the EU, while increasing security of energy supply and substantially reduce CO2 emissions. With this decision, the Commission grants €1 billion to six Carbon Capture and Storage projects and €565 million...
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José Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission, has announced, on 27 November 2009, the portfolios responsibilities for the next Commission. They will take office in January, after the audition of each member by the European Parliament, from 11 to 19 January 2010.
Changes in the Portfolio
The new College will...
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On 20 November 2009 the EHA attended the EU confernece “A Sustainable Future for Transport conference”, organized by DG TREN to prepare a new Transport White Paper covering the period 2010 – 2020 which should be published for the second semester of 2010. This conference was part of the...
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The proposal for the new Energy Efficiency Plan sets binding energy efficiency targets for Member States. The draft, entitled “7 Measures for 2 Million New EU Jobs”, aims to simplify the 2006 Efficiency Action Plan, by focusing on a range of binding and effective measures. It also acknowledges that...
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Following the re-election of José Manuel Barroso at the head of the European Commission for the next five years on, September 16 by the EU Parliament, the outline of the new Commission is excepted to be established at the end of October. However, sources in the European Commission indicated that...
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The European Commission, along with leaders from 22 world countries, explored on 13 October 2009, the best ways to accelerate the commercialisation of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) at the 3rd Ministerial Meeting of the Carbon Sequestration Leadership Forum (CSLF), an international climate change initiative focussed on the development...
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The European Commission recently launched an online Strategic Energy Technologies (SET-Plan) Information System, “SETIS”, which provides the latest research results on the status, forecasts and R&D investment figures for low-carbon technologies. It underpins the effective strategic planning, conception and implementation of EU energy technology policy and serves notably to...
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A long awaited communication of the European Commission on the financing of the EU Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET-Plan) came out on October 7th indicating a need to increase EU annual private and public investment from €3 to €8 billion. The SET Plan is regarded the technology pillar of...
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The European Commission’s Urban Mobility Action Plan was presented on 30 September in a move designed to help local and national authorities make urban travel ”easier, greener and better organised”. The action plan encourages cities to exchange information and good practices, eventually leading to a “set of voluntary commitments”. The plan proposes 20 actions, divided among...
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The EU’s bid for leadership in green technologies will focus on developing a network of “smart cities” to demonstrate renewable and other low-carbon energies in Europe, according to draft European Commission proposals. The recommendations are featured in a draft communication setting out funding for the EU’s Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET...
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The European Institute for Innovation and Technology has appointed its first director. The EIT Governing Board has appointed Gérard de Nazelle as the first director of the Institute. Mr de Nazelle will play a key role in guiding the EIT and its Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs) towards full...
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As the architecture of the new Commission is expected to be established at the end of October, this next Commission will have to translate tougher climate commitments into policies. This was what Commission President José Manuel Barroso emphasized when he detailed his priorities for the next five years to the European Parliament. Thus,...
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The post-holiday relaunch of the European Parliament was committed to the priorities of Swedish Presidency at the Council of the European Union and the audition of three new commissioners.
The topics dominating this week agenda were institutional/power-oriented and concerned climate talks, the EU strategy to United Nations Climate Change Conference...
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On 5th August 2009, President Obama announced 48 new advanced battery and electric drive projects that will receive $2.4 billion in funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. These projects, selected through a highly competitive process by the Department of Energy, will accelerate the development of U.S. manufacturing...
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On July 30, 2009 the European Commission published new Energy and Transport Calls as part of the Seventh Research Framework. The topics include those that support the recently established Pulic Private Partenrships under EU Economic Recovery Package: Green Car Initiative, Energy Efficiency in Building and Factories of the Future....
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Following the first session of the newly-elected European Parliament in Strasbourg on July 14-16, the chairs of the committees and the key positions have been granted. German MEP Herbert Reul from the centre-right European Peoples Party (EPP) was elected chairman of the Industry, Research and Energy committee while the...
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On the eve of the first anniversary of the launching of the Union for the Mediterranean (Paris, 13 July 2008), the European Commission announced an additional contribution of €72 million, for 2009-2010, to the areas identified as priorities by the Euro-Mediterranean Heads of State and Government in Paris. Work...
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A report by the Stockholm Environment Institute, entitled ‘A European Eco-efficient Economy’, will provide a basis for discussions during an informal meeting of energy and environment ministers in Åre on 23-25 July. Thus, Sweden, which took over the EU’s rotating Presidency on July 1st, has pledged to put energy...
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This is the first step in providing practical guidance to Covenant Signatories. The SEAP template will help the Covenant signatories to structure their actions and measures, and to follow up implementation. At the same time the template is a valuable tool for collecting key information from the Sustainable Energy...
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With the publication on July 2, 2009 of the second call for proposals of the EU Joint Undretaking for fuel cells and hydrogen (JU FCH) Europe stays on course to realise the full potential of fuel cell and hydrogen technologies and to create a cleaner energy system for...
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In reference to our earlier annoucements the second Call for proposals of the Joint Undertaking for fuel cells and hydrogen (JU FCH) is expected to come out the second week of July. Please check the latest updates at the JTI...
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The Environment Council on June 25, 2009 agreeed to more flexibiliy for Member States in implementing the IPPC Directive. According to Directive proposal put forward by the Commission in 2007 52,000 industrial operators will need to obtain permits from national authorities to release pollutants into the air, soil or...
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A public consultation on rules to govern the future auctioning of emission allowances under the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) has been launched by consultants working for the European Commission. The consultation forms part of the Commission’s preparation of a Regulation on auctioning of allowances with respect to...
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The European Commission has published an online consultation to seek input on the review of the Action Plan for Energy Efficiency (EEAP). EU Heads of States and Governments have endorsed an ambitious European Energy policy which seeks to enable the European Union to reduce greenhouse gases by at least...
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The European Energy Programme for Recovery, EEPR, regulation establishes a financing instrument for the development of projects
in the field of energy in the EU. By providing a financial impulse it will contribute to economic recovery, the security of energy supply and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
It establishes sub-programmes...
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Earth’s median surface temperature could rise 5.2 degrees C) by 2100, the scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology found, compared to a 2003 study that projected a median temperature increase of 4.3 degrees F (2.4 degrees C). The new study, published in the American Meteorological Society’s Journal of...
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The European Investment Bank (EIB) on May 12 approved €750 million in loans to European-based automotive companies worth to develop cleaner vehicles. DAF trucks in the Netherlands will receive €150 million for a research and development project and Ford will receive loans worth €400 million for the construction aplant...
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The EU Parliament, on the day before MEP’s will be on their election campaign trails, approved funding for several energy projects to be initiaited before the end of 2010. The projects are part of a €5 billion economic recovery plan which also includes €1.02 billion to broadband Internet connections and rural...
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Om March 30, 2008 the Council of the EU adopted a Directive (COM 2007/475) to promote energy efficient road transport vehicles in public fleets. The Directive aims to stimulate the market for clean and efficient vehicles and to prompt developments and investments by the industry. Increased sales will help...
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Through the Eco-innovation funding scheme, the EU supports innovative products, services and technologies that can make a better use of our natural resources and reduce Europe’s ecological footprint. With its objective to bridge the gap between research and the market, CIP Eco-innovation contributes to the implementation of the Environmental...
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The Czech EU Presidency and the Parliament’s negotiators endorsed the list of eligible energy projects agreed by EU heads of state and government in March, including initiatives on Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS), offshore wind or the Nabucco gas pipeline, will now also be open to energy-efficiency measures and...
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The EU published the IEE Call 2009 dedicating Euro 65 mln to energy effciency and renewable energy projects. The transport part (STEER) features funding for electric vehicles this year. The section Integrated initiaitves includes funding for communites to help them join the Convenant of the Mayors. Cogeneration projects are...
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The objective of European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), established last September in Prague is to be a key driver of sustainable European growth and competitiveness through the stimulation of top class innovations with a positive impact on economy and society. As the first major step in developing...
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The EU Parliament adopted on March 24 for a resolution calling on the European Commission to ensure “the best use of European funds available in support of jobs” to train and retrain workers in the car industry. It states that governments should provide the industry with faster and simpler access...
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The Council of the EU’s leaders on March 19 – 20, 2009, approved six Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) projects as part of the EU Economic Recovery Plan, that will use pre- combustion technology, allowing the production of hydrogen as a by product. The projects approved are located in...
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European Commissioner for Regional Policy, Daniela Hübner announced on March 9, 2009 that €105 billion will be invested in the “green economy” through the EU Cohesion Policy. The funding represents more than 30% of the regional policy budget for 2007-2013. Commissioner Hübner said: “Support for the green economy and...
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On the occasion of the Motorshow in Geneva the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), the International Energy Agency (IEA), the International Transport Forum (ITF) and the FIA Foundation launched the ‘50 by 50′ Global Fuel Economy Initiative to promote the development of a global car fleet that runs on 50% less fuel...
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The European Commission launched a new proposal (COM 2009/82) to strengthen disaster prevention capacities and increase cooperation with developing countries. In addition to natural disasters triggered partly by climate change, manmade disasters such as oil spills and radioactive contamination, threaten the environment and health. The EU proposal should improve...
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The EU Regulation on type-approval of hydrogen vehicles has been published in the Official Journal of the European Union on 4 February. This is an important milestone on the way to homologation in many EU Member States. The EHA is participating in the Hydrogen Working Group of the Directorate...
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At a big ceremony hosted by the European Parliament on Febraury 10 more that 350 cities across Europe have committed, by signing the Covenant of Mayors, to go beyond the EU’s energy objective of reducing 20% CO2 emissions by 2020. With this initiative of the European Commission in partnership...
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Regional Policy Commissioner Danuta Hübner addressed the “European Urban Day” conference in Prague on February 6, 2009 . The event, backed by the Czech Presidency of the European Union, is an opportunity to evaluate the urban dimension of the EU’s Cohesion Policy, which provides €30 billion in support for...
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The Commission unveiled a € 3,5 bln proposal for a Regulation to grant Community support to strategic energy projects that is part of its Economic Recovery Plan . A total of € 3.5 billion is proposed for investment in carbon capture and storage (financial envelope: €1,250 million), offshore wind...
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The EU Parliament Environment Committee approved a report on the new Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC) Directive on Janaury 22, 2009 , that will require at least 52,000 industrial operators, including hydrogen production installations to obtain emission permits. In the proposed directive all hydrogen production installations require the...
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The EU Commission Vice President Antonio Tajani, in charge of Transport announced today the action plan at EU level to tackle the chronic problems created by transport in Europe’s towns and cities. Speaking at the CIVITAS II Final Conference, held in Toulouse on January 21, 2009, he noted that...
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In a own intiative report on the EU’s Second Strategic Energy Review that was proposed by the European Commission in November 2008 and includes Energy policy priorities up to 2050 as security of supply, energy efficiency and renewable energy, the European Parliament Industry Committee voted to cut greenhouse gas emissions...
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Last november The Commission has issued a Green Paper “Towards a secure, sustainable and competitive European energy network” and opened a consultation to gather input for its further actions. The consultation is open till March 31, 2009. The Commission invites views on what the EU should do to stimulate...
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EU Commissioner for Regional Policy, presented the findings of a new report on the future challenges facing regions in Europe. The Regions 2020 provides input into the ongoing debate on the future of EU cohesion policy which was launched by the publication of the Fourth Cohesion Report in May...
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After eleven months of legislative work, the European Parliament gave its backing to the EU’s climate change package which aims to ensure that the EU will achieve its climate targets by 2020: a 20% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, a 20% improvement in energy efficiency, and a 20% share...
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EU’s 27 Member States reached an agreement on the EU Climate Action Package, including the dedication of part of the revenues of the Emission Trading System to Carbon Capture and Storage as the EU Parliament requested. Several adaptions to coach reluctant Memebr States towards the agreement have been made:
1....
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The EU-27 urban development Ministers met in Marseille to discuss how different policies can contribute to sustainable urban development. As a follow-up to the May 2007 Leipzig Charter on integrated sustainable urban development, ministers committed to building a reference framework for sustainable cities. The framework would outline the general principles of a sustainable city: an...
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The EU Parliament (EP) and national parliamentarians discussed Europe’s future energy supply, the promotion of energy innovation and the EU’s role in international climate negotiationsat a two day meeting in Strasbourg.
“It is important that we Europeans now agree on a common position”, stressed European Parliament President Hans-Gert Pöttering outlining...
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MEPs discussed Europe’s car industry as Industry Commissioner Günter Verheugen indicated that sales could fall by up to 1 million cars next year. Around 15 million Europeans are employed in the motor industry and one of the main names – Opel (Vauxhall in the UK) – is in difficulty due to...
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The European Commission on November 13 proposed its second Strategic Energy Review to build up energy solidarity among Member States and a new policy on energy networks to stimulate investment in more efficient, low-carbon energy networks. The Review includes a new new EU Energy Security and Solidarity Action Plan...
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In the Second Strategic Energy Review that the European Commission presented on November 13 a five-point EU Energy Security and Solidarity Action Plan is proposed, focusing on:
Infrastructure needs and the diversification of energy supplies;
External energy relations;
Oil and gas stocks and crisis response mechanisms;
Energy efficiency: with a reference to a...
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The leaders of the main political groups in European Parliament have committed to a review of its output of greenhouse gasses in order to cut its carbon footprint by 30% by 2020. Around 2/3 of the Parliament’s footprint comes from the use of electricity, gas and transport. Buildings and...
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At a conference in Madrid, 51 states laid the foundations and agreed on the text of the Statute of IRENA, the International Renewable Energy Agency, that will be signed at an official ceremony on 26 January 2009 in Bonn. IRENA will support industrialised and developing countries in expanding renewable...
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France - who is holding the EU presidency till this December and one of the EU’s largest car producers in Europe together with Germany, Italy, and the UK - has tried to convince EU governments to water down the proposals and give industry more time and flexibility to meet the targets ”There is...
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The non binding declaration signed by 130 cities in 34 EU countries, includes guidelines for implementing local policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by involving all local actors, better urban planning, transport and mobility, renewable energy and diversified energy production.”Cities are best placed to speak with their citizens on global matters such as climate...
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Car emissions in 2015 will have to be reduced by 18% by a gliding scale of annual emission reduction. The month of November saw a intensive discussion in the ‘trialogue’ discussions between Parliament Commission and Council; a French proposal was adopted on December 1 to gradually limit CO2 emissions to 120 g/km...
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An agreement was reached between the EU Parliament, Commission and Council on November 25 on the content of the new EU Fuels Directive. The Parliament and the Council have agreed on a 6% mandatory lifecycle GHG reduction target for fuel suppliers by 2020 as well as intermediate targets of...
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The EU Parliament approved a compromise report on the promotion of clean and energy efficient road vehicles. The Directive will include mandatory criteria for public procurement of vehicles including CO2 and other emissions. The Directive will be discussed in the Council of the EU this December. The EHA is...
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More regulatory and standardisation efforts are needed to help translate research results into new products and services, concludes an independent evaluation of the European technology platforms (ETPs).
It is clear that the 30-odd ETPs launched by the EU since 2003, including the Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology Platform, have contributed to more R&D...
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The much anticipated BP Statistical Energy Review was presented in Brussels a week before the Emission Trading System votes in the EU Parliament. Global energy markets are heavily affected by a “massive shift” in the composition of global economic growth, according to Cristof Rühl BP’s chief economist. Non-OECD (Organisation...
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The EU Parliament Environmental Committee approved its report on the proposed Directive on Carbon Capture and Storage referring to the need to include all three CCS technologies, including pre combustion in which hydrogen is produced, in the proposed 12 zero emission power plants in Europe. Funding for the twelve...
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A higly anticipated vote on the major EU Energy and Climate dossiers took place in the EP Environment Committee on October 7. The Committee approved the Emission Trading System report of rapporeur Avril Doyle including the amendment to earmark o50% of the ETS auction revenues to development of clean...
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The EU poll showed that after poverty, climate change is seen as the most serious problem Europe faces. The survey also found that 61% of people had taken some personal measure to cut CO2. A quarter of those asked said they had altered their buying habits and used the...
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The EU Parliament Industry committee backed a report by MEP Claude Turmes that calls for a 5% share of renewables in transport fuel by 2015 and a 10% target by 2020. specifying that at least 20% of the 2015 target and 40% of the 2020 goal must be met from...
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The EP Industry Committee adopted the report of MEP Lena Ek on the Emission Trading System (ETS). In the event that international climate talks later in 2009 in Copenhagen are not successful, the report of EU Parliament rapporteur Lena Ek on the Emission Trading System (ETS) calls on the...
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The European Regions and Municipalities Partnership for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells will hold its first General Assembly on October 15, 2008 during the launch event of the Joint Undertaking for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells in Brussels. The EHA is coordinating the secretariat of HyRaMP. Regions active in hydrogen and...
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An interconnected offshore grid of North Sea wind farms with an output of 68,400 megawatts could serve up to 70 million households by 2030. Constructing such a grid, as outlined in a new commissioned by Greenpeace, would cost around €15-20 billion. “Building a North Sea grid is not just a pipe...
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The Belgian institute’s briefing 19 “The Policy Framework for the Promotion of Hydrogen and Fuel Cells in Europe: a Critical Assessment* highlights the failure of EU policy to create “a strong push factor” for hydrogen development, asserting that while EU regulatory policies have had “a weak but positive impact,”...
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MEP’s voted to change Commission proposals requiring manufacturers to cut their vehicles’ average CO2 emissions from current levels of around 160g/km to 120g/km by 2012. Instead, it proposed that carmakers would only be required to ensure that 60% of their fleet meets the target by 2012, with 70% compliance by 2013,...
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Car manufacturers only reduced their CO2 emissions by 1.7% over the past year, compared to the average 17% cut they will have to achieve within the next four years to comply with planned European legislation, according to data published by Transport & Environment. German carmaker BMW achieved a 7.3% cut...
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In a letter to EU Energy Commissioner Piebalgs, a group of eight trade associations representing sectors as diverse as building insulation, light-bulb manufacturers and household appliances is calling for greater recognition of efficiency measures in the EU’s Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET Plan). The group urges greater recognition of...
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Over 1,000 delegates from 160 countries gathered at the opening of the third conference of the International Panel for Climate Change in Accra, Ghana. to “reach agreement on the rules and tools” that developed nations can use to reach their emission reduction target. Among the proposals is the Japanese-led...
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The Commission presented a plan to open access to EU project results to boost research in Europe and to help researchers to maximise their impact by disseminating their results to the widest possible audience. It also hopes to trigger increased business interest for the development and commercialisation of practical...
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The new 18 member Governing Board of the EIT will identify, select and launch the first EU “innovation hubs” before the end of 2009, expected to cover the fields of climate change, renewable energy and ICT. The board’s inaugural meeting in Budapest on 15 September 2008 will mark the official start to the agency’s operations. Its first...
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Researchers at MIT, Prof. Daniel Nocera and Dr. Matthew Kanan, have developed a new water-splitting catalyst consisting of cobalt and phosphorous that operates in pH neutral water at room temperature and 1 atm pressure. A report on their discovery was published online 31 July 2008 in the journal Science....
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