EU
How ‘green’ the EU recovery is depends on member states
A 7-year EU budget and coronavirus recovery plan agreed this week calls for climate-friendly spending, but the details have been left to national capitals
Renewables overtake fossil fuels in EU electricity generation
Wind and solar produced a record fifth of the European Union’s electricity during the first half of the year – a trend accelerated by the coronavirus pandemic
Poland bails out coal, yet wins access to EU climate funds
Warsaw can get EU money allocated for greening the economy, despite having no plan to exit coal or commitment to the bloc’s 2050 net zero emissions goal
Vulnerable states urge EU to link recovery funds to tougher 2030 climate target
In a rare intervention in EU politics, poor and small island nations urged leaders to rebuild the economy in line with a 55% emissions cut by 2030
Portugal ends coal burning two years ahead of schedule
Portugal is the third EU country this year to announce early closure of its last coal plants, as rising carbon costs and competition from gas and clean energy bite
Not all biomass is carbon neutral, industry admits as EU reviews policy
The EU is working on stricter sustainability criteria for bioenergy, posing a challenge for the industry and several member states
Big nations aid fossil fuels more than clean energies amid pandemic, researchers find
US, Russia are among many G20 nations helping coal, oil and gas more than clean energy as part of recovery packages, a major study will show
EU to make big push for hydrogen, despite green concerns and infrastructure gaps
Hydrogen is a clean fuel when burned, making it attractive for heavy industry, but most is derived from fossil fuels not renewable energy
Hungary sets 2050 climate neutrality goal in law, issues green bond
Headline target aligns with EU goals but short term action does not measure up, experts say, with green funds earmarked to keep trains running
EU €750 billion Covid recovery fund comes with green conditions
A quarter of spending has been earmarked for climate action and a ‘do no harm’ clause rules out environmentally damaging investments
Coal generator uses investment treaty to fight Netherlands coal phaseout
Uniper is using a controversial investor dispute system to claim up to €1 billion compensation for being forced to close a coal power station early
Denmark proposes two huge ‘energy islands’ to meet 2030 climate target
With a total capacity of 4GW, offshore wind power hubs in the North and Baltic Seas are to help the country cut emissions by 70% in the next decade
EU plans to protect 30% of land and seas by 2030 for biodiversity
The European Commission set out a strategy to overhaul farming and strictly protect carbon-rich forests and wetlands, to benefit wildlife
Spain unveils climate law to cut emissions to net zero by 2050
The government hopes the draft law, which would ban all new coal, oil and gas projects with immediate effect, will shape the recovery effort to Covid-19
Watchdog: Germany must reach net zero emissions by 2038
An independent advisory body on environmental policy warned Germany risks exhausting its carbon budget by 2029 without robust climate action
How the coronavirus recovery effort can support a European Green Deal
Making old buildings more energy efficient is an obvious target for public investment to stimulate EU economies after Covid-19 and meet climate goals
German environment minister defends airline bailout, promises green recovery
The immediate priority is to protect workers, argued Svenja Schulze, resisting calls to impose green conditions on a €10 billion support package for Lufthansa
France calls for minimum carbon price to counter oil crash
Oil prices of around $20 a barrel do not reflect the cost for the climate, the French government argued ahead of a meeting of EU energy ministers
Four more EU nations back a green post-coronavirus recovery
Ireland, Slovakia, Slovenia and Malta join call by 13 other nations to put the European Green Deal at the heart of the economic response to Covid-19
Citizens’ assemblies on climate change seek to shape the post-Covid recovery
French and British initiatives to involve ordinary people in climate policy are adapting their work in light of the coronavirus pandemic