English Blogactiv Posts - EU Blog Platform

Archives for Sustainability

Flemish couple receives a fine for equivalent to 400 euro per tonne CO2

February 26, 2009

Is this fine by the Flemish government appropriate? As of January 2009, all new residential houses in Flanders must be audited by the Flemish Energy Agency (VEA). This is to ensure that energy use is kept within appropriate limits. Houses are rated according to their so-called E-level, which must be less than 100 to receive… » read more

buildings, electricity, energy efficiency, English, Sustainability, Sustainable Dev.

EU climate lead in peril

November 12, 2008

For how long will the EU’s self-acclaimed “climate leadership” survive the Obama revolution? Could a “green” Obama administration pose a bigger challenge to the EU’s climate credentials than the temporary backlash of the financial crisis? Who will win the race for the new “eco-competitiveness”? These questions are hard to answer for the moment but there… » read more

Climate change, energy security, Sustainability, US climate policy

A President for “Hard Times”?

November 4, 2008

Whoever wins the US Presidency today will be facing the ultimate challenge: steering a self-destructing Western-based economic growth model through a painful transition towards a new global sustainability. This is a task far beyond any past Apollo project. These are indeed historical elections and it is appropriate that the whole world is watching. Although the… » read more

Climate change, energy security, Sustainability

Europe’s climate and energy debate keeps on living in Disneyland

October 30, 2008

Friends of Europe’s annual energy summit (held on 30 October) saw tough exchanges between CCS defenders and the renewable energy sector but kept dodging the real question: can we solve the climate/energy crisis without questioning our economic growth and development paradigm? Energy commissioner Andris Piebalgs, as expected, defended his commission resolve not to “deviate” from… » read more

China, Climate change, energy security, Sustainability

Stop blaming the bankers

October 24, 2008

In times of crisis, people always need scapegoats in order to avoid having to look at one’s own responsibilities and this financial crisis is no different. But blaming bankers is a bit too easy when one looks at this crisis from a systemic and sustainability point of view. We have all enjoyed living beyond our… » read more

Climate change, financial crisis, Sustainability

Strengthen climate/energy policies to avoid the Great Depression

October 22, 2008

Spending on “green infrastructure” will be the key to avoiding a severe recession according to a new study published by Deutsche Bank’s Asset Management division. The report will scare the climate sceptics who are still hoping that the financial crisis will kill the world’s climate efforts and the EU’s climate/energy package. Necessity and opportunity should… » read more

Climate change, energy security, financial crisis, Sustainability

How financial meltdown could help the energy revolution

October 10, 2008

The energy-and-climate-crisis deniers are having a hell of a party these days. The financial crash has raised their hopes that global warming, peak oil and all the other “humbug” will finally be kicked off the political agenda. One climate policy “monitor” even served us the ludicrous title: “EU: saving the economy or saving green dreams?”… » read more

Climate change, energy security, financial crisis, Sustainability

Protecting biodiversity: no moral obligation, just pure economic self-interest.

May 31, 2008

This week’s UN summit on biodiversity ended with some hopeful results but there is still a lack of full awareness that protecting the planet’s eco-systems is much more than a moral obligation. “We have a moral obligation to be careful stewards of the planet for future generations”, said EU Commission President Barroso in his speech… » read more

Barroso, Biodiversity, Sustainability, Sustainable Development

Carbon capture and storage: Brussels new silver bullet?

May 29, 2008

After EU policymakers’ disenchantment with biofuels (see EurActiv: MEPs seek reduced biofuel commitments), it is time to find the new “silver bullet” to tackle the climate and energy crisis. During two conferences held in Brussels this week, lobbyists for carbon capture and storage (CCS) pulled out all the stops to convince us that governments should… » read more

Carbon capture and storage, coal, renewable energy, resource depletion, Sustainability

Worth reading: new Stern report; Daly on steady-state economy; air travel; CCS; biofuels

May 6, 2008

A few pointers to some must-read reports or articles which I discovered in the last ten days: Nicholas Stern’s latest report “Key elements of a global deal on climate change“: not much different from his 2006 Stern review for the UK government but rings the alarm bell a bit harder as very little has really… » read more

aviation, Biofuels, Carbon capture and storage, Energy and Climate Change, Stern report, Sustainability

Transatlantic conference hears bleak evaluation of EU climate policies

April 29, 2008

This blog was very silent last week because I was in Washington DC participating in a fascinating two-day climate and energy conference organised by the Transatlantic Platform for Action on the Global Environment (T-PAGE). This dialogue forum was created to facilitate debate among members of EU and US civil society on climate and energy policies… » read more

Biofuels, Energy and Climate Change, Global Warming, Sustainability, US climate policy
EurActiv Network