Energy Transition in Europe | www.energy-cities.eu

The findings contained in this report suggest that decarbonisation in new buildings in the EU is happening too slowly and inconsistently. A reasonable conclusion to draw from this is that Europe’s 2050 decarbonisation objectives will be at high risk unless MS building policies can be made to provide stronger support. Government policies differ in several important ways when it comes to “moving the needle” on new building standards, both in terms of being consistent with the NZEB definition as laid out in the EPBD, and in terms of ambition levels on building-sector decarbonisation.

The European Commission on Wednesday (15 December) unveiled a package of gas legislation that aims to steer Europe away from fossil gas towards more sustainable energy sources, like renewable and low-carbon hydrogen

To reach its aim of net zero emissions by mid-century, Europe needs to drastically increase the level of electrification across the economy, but the European Commission says there will still be a need for gas in certain sectors that are difficult to electrify, like heavy industry and transport..

The New European Bauhaus launched by the European Commission last year will see scientists, designers, architects, engineers, and students exchange ideas this week on green projects that will help put Europe on a path to reach carbon neutrality by 2050, writes Florika Fink-Hooijer.

European Union member states have agreed to reach climate neutrality by 2050 and increase their level of ambition for 2030. This means Europe needs to amend all its climate policies, including its Emissions Trading Scheme, the EU's climate chief, Frans Timmermans, told EURACTIV in an exclusive interview.

Les réductions des émissions de gaz à effet de serre et des particules résultant du remplacement de tous les moteurs thermiques par des alternatives sobres en carbone ne seront pas assez rapides pour faire la différence dans les quelques années qui nous restent.
Pour s’attaquer aux crises du climat et de la pollution atmosphérique, il faut réduire au plus vite tous les transports motorisés, voitures particulières en tête.
Or, en se concentrant uniquement sur les véhicules électriques, on ralentit la course vers une baisse drastique des émissions.

Helsinki continues to invest in energy efficiency of municipal buildings as part of efforts to reach carbon neutrality by 2030.

Under Mayor of Helsinki Juhana Vartiainen, city authorities noted that the move will help to reduce energy consumption and cut greenhouse gas emissions.

68% of the world’s population is projected to live in urban areas by 2050, according to the UN, a significant increase on the 56% who did in 2020, but the rates at and success with which cities are incorporating digital technologies into their fabrics vary substantially. 

Net zero will not be possible without urgent changes to national planning, a new report claims.
Countryside preservation charity CPRE has conducted the research, sifting through 24 different local net zero plans outside of London adopted since 2019.
The report states that these plans are not ambitious enough, claiming that government inspectors must do more to make having a concise plan to tackle climate change a necessity.

La nouvelle coalition allemande a défini la politique énergétique du pays. L’éolien et le solaire représenteront 80 % de la production d’électricité en 2030. Et la neutralité carbone est visée en 2045.

Berlin (Allemagne), correspondance

C’était une promesse des Verts allemands durant la campagne électorale. La sortie du charbon, initialement prévue en 2038, sera avancée à 2030, selon le contrat de coalition présenté mercredi 24 novembre par les futurs dirigeants outre-Rhin : les sociaux-démocrates du SPD , (...)

The theme for 2021's UN-Habitat World Habitat Day recognizes that "cities are responsible for some 70 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions with transport, buildings, energy, and waste management accounting for the bulk of urban greenhouse gas emissions." Even though most governments, organizations, and communities agree on ambitious, global, collaborative actions must be unfolded in order to lessen the climate crisis, the content of those actions —and who should take action— isn't that clear. Architects and designers have embraced this challenge by pondering their roles and exploring their own practical approaches.

The number of countries announcing pledges to achieve net-zero emissions over the coming decades continues to grow. But the pledges by governments to date – even if fully achieved – fall well short of what is required to bring global energy-related carbon dioxide emissions to net zero by 2050 and give the world an even chance of limiting the global temperature rise to 1.5 °C.
This special report is the world’s first comprehensive study of how to transition to a net zero energy system by 2050 while ensuring stable and affordable energy supplies, providing universal energy access, and enabling robust economic growth. It sets out a cost-effective and economically productive pathway, resulting in a clean, dynamic and resilient energy economy dominated by renewables like solar and wind instead of fossil fuels. The report also examines key uncertainties, such as the roles of bioenergy, carbon capture and behavioural changes in reaching net zero.

This report assesses the potential of zero carbon supply chains via a case study of the freight transport chain linked to the port of Hamburg. It analyses the initiatives taken by selected main stakeholders to decarbonise freight transport. In addition, it offers recommendations on how the move towards zero carbon supply chains could be accelerated.

The targets of the new climate protection law are ambitious. For example, CO2-emissions from the energy industry must fall to 108 in 2030 instead of 175 million metric tons (Mt) as previously planned. Energy Brainpool’s latest modelling shows that such a reduction can only be achieved with an early coal phase-out. In this article, we take you through the key findings of the calculations.

After the Federal Constitutional Court declared the previous Climate Protection Law partially unconstitutional at the end of April 2021, things suddenly moved very quickly. As a result, the federal cabinet passed an amendment to the Climate Protection Law just two weeks later on May 12, 2021.

Ireland’s coalition government has approved a climate bill that enshrines emissions reduction targets in law and puts the country on a path to carbon neutrality by 2050.

The proposed law would commit Ireland to cutting its emissions by 51% between 2018 and 2030 and to net zero no later than 2050. Government is pushing it through parliament as priority legislation.