Given the important role they play in the rollout of zero-emission mobility and the storage of intermittent renewable energy, batteries are a crucial element in the EU’s transition to a climate neutral economy. Continue reading
The European Union is party to the Aarhus Convention on access to information, public participation in decision-making and access to justice in environmental matters. Continue reading
On 30 December 2020, the European Union (EU) and the United Kingdom (UK) signed a Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA), concluding nearly ten months of negotiations. Continue reading
Blockchain has the potential to promote compliance with traditional ethical principles, especially in the fields of healthcare, supply chain management and food safety. Continue reading
Technological innovation has always been an indispensable part of recovery from economic, social and environmental crises. Continue reading
In a passionate speech delivered recently at Columbia University in New York, the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, described the fight against climate change as the top priority for the 21st century. Continue reading
Covering nearly one third of the land surface of the globe, forests make a wide range of direct and indirect contributions to human well-being. Continue reading
On 10 and 11 December, EU leaders will meet for their 13th meeting of 2020, bringing to a close a year of exceptionally intensive activity for the European Council. Continue reading
The EU’s current greenhouse gas emissions reduction target for 2030, of 40 % compared with 1990 levels, was agreed by the European Council in 2014, along with targets for renewable energy and energy efficiency. Continue reading
The InvestEU programme is a single investment support mechanism for the 2021-2027 period. It would bring together various EU financial instruments for internal policies that are currently supported by different funds and programmes of the EU budget. Continue reading
As ‘green transitions’ become real political goals, what role can artificial intelligence (AI) play in helping to achieve them? Continue reading
International maritime transport is the backbone of the global economy. However, vessels release emissions that pollute the air and contribute significantly to global warming. Continue reading
Household consumption in the EU has major environmental impacts, which in a number of cases exceed planetary boundaries. Two thirds of consumers in the EU realise that their consumption habits have negative effects on the environment, and the solution that they mention most often is to change consumption habits and production patterns. Continue reading
The European Strategy and Policy Analysis System (ESPAS) – the strategic foresight network of the European Union institutions – offers a valuable ‘free space’ in which to conduct a genuine continental, and potentially global, conversation about where the world is heading over the medium to long run. Continue reading
Economical and versatile, palm oil has become the world’s most widely used vegetable oil. Although palm oil can be produced sustainably, rising consumption increases the risk of tropical rainforests being cut down to make way for plantations. Continue reading
During the second October 2020 plenary session – the first at which Members were able to speak remotely, and not only vote, from the Member States – the European Commission presented its 2021 work programme, which Members largely welcomed. Continue reading
The role of the European Council is to ‘provide the Union with the necessary impetus for its development’ and to define its ‘general political directions and priorities’. Continue reading
Parliament’s second plenary session in October will be the first ever to be held entirely virtually, due to the ongoing pandemic. Continue reading
The Just Transition Fund will support European Union (EU) regions relying on fossil fuels and high-emission industries in their green transition. Continue reading
Biodiversity is in crisis across the globe: species extinctions and a loss of nature occurring at rates unprecedented in human history, and with the EU no exception, our biodiversity and the essential value it brings are under threat. Could ‘rewilding’ help restore Europe’s nature? Continue reading