Luxembourg has been aiming to reach its 2020 energy objectives, but there are some difficulties in reducing emissions which come from being a small, transit country. Nonetheless, the government is implementing various strategies to improve efficiency and transportation. Nora Weis has the details.
All posts tagged: European Union
Netherlands: A silver lining for renewables?
Despite its beautiful windmills, the Netherlands doesn’t rank that high for renewable energy production, and might miss its 2020 target. The good news is that it has launched an ambitious campaign for zero-emission public transport by 2025. Henning Twickler and Kathrin Glastra explain how the Netherlands could help pave the way for a transportation transition.
Commission proposal risks giving energy distributor foxes keys to henhouse
Energy distributors will play a crucial role in transforming Europe’s energy system. But as a self-interested industry group, empowering them to write and monitor the rules for it is a ludicrous way forward, warns Josh Roberts.
European environmental rules in the Ukrainian legislation: to be or not to be?
Ukraine has been a part of the EU Energy Community since 2011, but recently the President vetoed two draft laws to protect the environment and citizen health. Does the country risk losing the trust of its European partners? Anastasiya Yermakova takes a look.
Competition economics to the rescue
New nuclear: we know now it’s much more expensive than other options. But Central and Eastern European countries are investing in new projects (and the costs will be subsidized by tax payers). Policymakers argue that on the European grid, these prices make sense–but Jan Ondrich thinks otherwise.
A tsunami in winter: Europe shakes up its energy policy
Temperatures are falling in Europe, and warm thoughts are doing little to help – let alone the European Commission’s proposed legislation. After a long gestation period, the “winter package,” also known as the “jumbo package” and the “tsunami of legislation” has now been unleashed in the framework of the Energy Union. The package of proposed legislation with the promising title Clean Energy for All Europeans stretches to more than one thousand pages. But does the package deliver on its promises?
Citizens could drive Europe’s energy transition
A new study conducted by consultancy CE Delft for four European NGOs finds that practically all households in the EU can play a role in the transition. Craig Morris takes a look.
Developing by inhibiting
Poland’s Plan for Responsible Development is supposed to help Poland escape economic stagnation. But the money recieved from the EU has mostly been spent on upgrading coal plants, and attempts at building renewable plants have fallen flat. Michał Olszewski takes a look.
Success of EU foreign policy hinges on climate and energy security
Europe’s global strategic interests have become inseparable from managing climate risk and the global Energy Transition, write Luca Bergamaschi, Nick Mabey, Jonathan Gaventa and Camilla Born of the independent climate and energy think tank E3G. In a new report, EU foreign policy in a changing climate, they set out how Europe can make these themes a central thread in its foreign policy.
The pellet debate gets weird
After several years of North Americans criticizing EU biomass policy for leading to imports of wood pellets to Europe, the European Union now complains in the other direction—that the US should stop flooding the EU with biomass. Craig Morris explains.