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

Identify a handful of adjacent city blocks, restrict traffic to the perimeter, and make the interior for walking, biking, and green space. A new study finds it could work even in cities with an irregular street grid.

“Try again. Fail again. Fail better.” Samuel Beckett’s mantra sounds like a perfect fit for the European Union’s latest attempt to revamp its green buildings law, writes Frédéric Simon.

Buildings are accountable for 53% of carbon emissions in the city of Rome, and this is the main issue that needs to be addressed in order to achieve climate neutrality, Rome mayor Roberto Gualtieri told EURACTIV in an interview.

Excess heat produced across Europe could almost power the entire region but preventing this waste is largely being ignored as a solution to the energy crisis, say environmental experts.

The EU has today approved proposals to improve the energy performance of buildings.

Earlier today, a meeting of the European Parliament Industry, Research, Telecoms and Energy Committee was held today in Brussels.

Ghent is continuing to install solar panels on municipal buildings as part of broader environmental efforts.

City authorities headed by Mayor of Ghent Mathias De Clercq pointed out that municipal buildings will cover more than 40% of their energy needs with renewables by the end of the year.

La loi sur le climat, qui inscrit pour la première fois officiellement dans un texte législatif l’objectif d’atteindre la neutralité carbone d’ici 2050, a été présentée lundi par le ministère slovaque de l’Environnement.

Bulgaria's lawmakers have voted to roll back plans to decarbonise the country's energy sector.

The move came on Thursday after as more than 1,500 miners and utility workers demonstrated in front of the parliament in support of the coal industry. They were protesting against plans for an early phase-out of coal-fired power plants.

Across Europe, historic buildings are balancing heritage and climate action by turning to solar power.

Despite the ongoing energy crises, the use of coal and gas over this winter has not increased as much as some feared. Europe is on the verge of breaking its addiction to fossil fuels

Limiting climate change requires tackling emissions from all three fossil fuels. However, our research suggests that a greater focus on cutting oil-and-gas use would not only be more equitable, but also more realistic.

My aim is not to discourage people working toward an energy transition, but to insist that we develop a realistic plan for energy descent, rather than insisting on foolish dreams of eternal consumer abundance by means other than fossil fuels.

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.

Bosnia and Herzegovina’s southern city of Mostar will build a solar power plant for its own needs, in the hope of bringing down electricity prices, Klix.ba reported on Tuesday.

The plant will be the first of its kind in the country, which was granted the status of EU candidate in December.

The European Union needs to reform its electricity market as quickly as possible in order to stabilise prices for consumers and stimulate investment in renewables, EU politicians have told EURACTIV.