Written by Mr Ulf Björnholm, Head of the UNEP Brussels Liaison Office With world leaders and governments struggling to find solutions to immediate problems such as extreme poverty, terrorism, economic crisis, unemployment and migration, we now also need to collectively rise to the challenge to simultaneously counter a more long term, but equally serious, threat to […]A Sting Exclusive: Paris Climate Change Summit, a defining moment for humanity, by Ulf Björnholm Head of UNEP Brussels
November 27, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Written by Mr Ulf Björnholm, Head of the UNEP Brussels Liaison Office With world leaders and governments struggling to find solutions to immediate problems such as extreme poverty, terrorism, economic crisis, unemployment and migration, we now also need to collectively rise to the challenge to simultaneously counter a more long term, but equally serious, threat to […]Greener economies and investment to reduce unemployment and increase global growth
November 6, 2015 by Leave a Comment
In less than a month now the UN Climate Conference will be taking place in Paris in order to implement measures that could reverse the downhill of the global climate. At the same time the Corporate Europe Observatory’s survey reveals that the European Commission (EC) is highly promoting the “dirty” energy companies more than the renewable […]Why will Paris upcoming “loose” climate change agreement work better than the previous ones?
October 16, 2015 by 1 Comment
It was only last Tuesday when the European Commission (EC) together with the Moroccan government, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) convened at the Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDC) Forum in Morocco to discuss the overall effect of countries’ contributions to the climate agreement which is going to be concluded […]How dearly will Germany pay for the Volkswagen emissions rigging scandal
September 28, 2015 by Leave a Comment
The Volkswagen emissions scam exposed by the US authorities last week has more substance than the vast and varied financial, commercial and legal consequences wherever in the world the company is present. VW has a great weight in the German car universe with its 12 brand names (VW, Audi, Porsche, the Volkswagen trucks Scania and […]EU finally agrees on target for 40% greenhouse emission cuts ahead of Paris climate talks
September 22, 2015 by Leave a Comment
“Today’s extraordinary meeting of the Environment Council set out the EU’s position for the new global climate agreement”. Those are the words that European Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy Miguel Arias Cañete chose at the end of the Environment Council, last Friday, where the EU officially set out its position for the Paris climate conference […]Climate change will never be combatted by EU alone while some G20 countries keep procrastinating
August 21, 2015 by Leave a Comment
The EU Commissioner of Climate Action and Energy stressed out yesterday the sluggishness of the required actions that must be taken in order to combat climate change effects. Miguel Arias Cañete was critical to some G20 countries that have not yet provided their climate contributions and are not helping to create a constructive agreement. The Commission’s official made […]EU to lead one more fight against climate change at G7 summit
June 3, 2015 by Leave a Comment
The UN talks that are being held in the context of a 10-day climate conference in Bonn are highly crucial for the preparation of the final agreement that must be signed at the climate summit in Paris in 6 months from now. Therefore, officials from 190 nations are gathered in the German city to discuss […]18th EU Eco-Innovation Forum in Barcelona shows the way for Europe’s new Environmental policy
May 31, 2015 by Leave a Comment
On 20-22 May 2015 the 18th edition of the European Forum on Eco-Innovation took place in Barcelona, Spain. The glorious “Green” Forum outside the Brussels city walls was jointly organised by the European Commission’s Directorate General for Environment, the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment, and the Generalitat de Catalunya with the support of the […]EU’s new environmental policy on biofuels impacts both the environment and the European citizen
April 15, 2015 by
The proposal of the European Commission (EC) back in 2012 regarding the reduction of traditional biofuels as renewable energy sources to 7% of final energy consumption in transport by 2020 seems to have serious chances of being adopted by the European Parliament (EP) since the environment committee was in favor of this proposal during yesterday’s meeting. […]Except Poland, can climate change also wait until 2021 for the EU Market Stability Reserve to be launched?
March 27, 2015 by Leave a Comment
The EU member states came to an agreement last Wednesday regarding the set up of the Market Stability Reserve (MSR) which will eventually lead to further discussions and negotiations with the European Parliament (EP) on the 30th of March. The starting date of the MSR is proposed to be 2021, in contrast with what “big” countries […]EU to fail 2050 Green targets due to lack of European citizens’ engagement
March 5, 2015 by Leave a Comment
The European Environment Agency (EEA) published last Tuesday a report that shows the substantial efforts that have been made in the EU regarding the objective of “living well within the limits of the planet”. It also clearly states that substantial steps must be made in order to be able to reach the environmental goals by 2050, one of which […]Parliament votes reform for better European Co2 market but critics want it sooner than later
February 25, 2015 by 1 Comment
Yesterday at the European Parliament a crucial vote for environmental protection was cast. The Environment Committee of the Parliament made a decisive step towards the limitation of greenhouse gas emissions in the Old Continent, combatting climate change. What is known as the biggest carbon emission market in the world, the EU, will be tackling the issue with […]Why the merchant ships can pollute the atmosphere with CO2 quite freely
December 22, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Last Wednesday the European Union Environment ministers reached an agreement… essentially to not to impose rules or duties on CO2 emissions from ships. Cunningly, the relevant Council Press release said that the 28 ministers “reached an agreement on new EU-wide rules for CO2 emissions from ships”. Until today, ocean-going shipping is the only sector of […]Europe votes against GMOs but the Council votes for TTIP
November 11, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Yesterday afternoon good news came out of the European Parliament; good news for the anti-GM (Genetically Modified Organisms) movement and hopefully for the EU too. The Environment Committee of the European Parliament (ENVI) voted in favour of the right of the member-states to ban GMOs from their territories with 53 votes to 11 and 2 […]EU leaders agree on 2030 Climate and Energy Package: is “flexible” brave enough?
October 28, 2014 by Leave a Comment
The European Union Heads of State last week reached an agreement on what it was welcomed as “the world’s most ambitious” target yet for cutting carbon emissions. European leaders have defined the headline targets and the architecture for the EU framework on climate and energy for 2030, having signed a pact obliging the EU as […]10 months were not enough for the EU to save the environment but 2 days are
October 21, 2014 by Leave a Comment
The highlight in Brussels this week is certainly the EU Council of tomorrow, Thursday 23 October. The reason is not because it will be the last one presided by Mr Van Rompuy, but because the major topic to be discussed in the agenda is the EU climate targets 2030. It has been 10 months that the […]Can one FTA and 110 lobby meetings make the dirty oil clean in Europe?
October 8, 2014 by Leave a Comment
So it happens again. The EU is compromising its own policies to endorse trade and business. What’s wrong with that? Just an equivalent environmental damage of 6 million cars in the European roads by 2020. It was only yesterday morning that the European Commission issued a controversial proposal that undermines its own 2020 targets to […]Happens now in Brussels: Green Week sets the EU and global climate policy agenda
June 4, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Brussels is all green this week. The eyes of Europe are focusing these days on the Egg Centre, where the 2014 edition of the Green Week is taking place. The conference centre in Rue Bara is hosting the biggest annual event on European environmental policy, whose theme this year is “Circular Economy, Resource Efficiency and Waste”. […]The EU Parliament backs the ‘Right2Water’ initiative all the way through
February 17, 2014 by 1 Comment
This afternoon the European Parliament is to hold a public hearing on the universal right to clean water, the first such hearing under the European Citizens’ Initiative, which enables the public to ask the EU authorities to table new legislation, provided the initiative is backed by one million people across seven member states. The ‘right2Water’ […]EU sets ambitious targets for the Warsaw climate conference
November 19, 2013 by Leave a Comment
The UN climate conferences are the kind on international tribunes, where the European Union can present its opinions with pride. It’s not only that the EU has unilaterally set a target to cut down green-house emissions by 20% below 1990 levels by 2020, but also because this programme is on track to achieve targets. On […]EU plans to exploit the Mediterranean Sea and the wealth beneath it
July 15, 2013 by Leave a Comment
At a time when the Mediterranean Sea is not at its most peaceful times the European Commission presented a study which finds that the “establishment of maritime zones, including Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs), in the Mediterranean would benefit the EU’s Blue Growth and wider sustainability agendas”. The study is entitled “Costs and benefits arising from […]Merkel, Mercedes and Volkswagen to abolish European democracy
July 9, 2013 by Leave a Comment
That the German automotive industry is one of the strongest in the world is not news. Most Europeans are rather content in the idea that Europe is well represented in the fierce global automotive arena, not because we are or will ever be shareholders of Mercedes or Volkswagen, but rather because when we see an […]EU Council: The US airlines may freely pollute the European air
April 23, 2013 by Leave a Comment
The European Union dignitaries could at least have waited for the American Secretary of State, John Kerry, to leave Brussels before offering him yesterday our European dignity as a gift, for his first official visit to the EU capital city. The day that Kerry set his foot on Brussels, the European Council revoked the obligation […]European Commission: the LED lights of your Audi A6 shall save our planet
April 15, 2013 by 3 Comments
How many of you took your stunning black Audi A6 3.0 liter for a ride on the evening of the 11th of April? Do you remember the moment you switched on the LED driving lights and you felt an unprecedented bliss thinking that you are not only rich but you are also protecting the environment? […]Commissioner sings “Volar-e” but the European driver no “Cantar-e”
March 7, 2013 by 2 Comments
It was the last day of February when the European Commission decided to organize a pompous event to test the “amazing” performance of a new electric race car in the Formula 1 Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona. Its name is Volar-e and I am sure Antonio Tajani, the Commissioner responsible for Industry and Entrepreneurship that […]Ship Recycling is the Commission’s Titanic
February 20, 2013 by 1 Comment
It was the symbolic date of 12/12/12 that the international NGO, Center for International Environmental Law, decided to publish a legal opinion denouncing as 100% illegal the European Commission’s proposal for a new regulation on ship recycling. This coincided with the legal analysis by the former chief counsel of the European Commission , Dr. Ludwig […]The EU pollution rights trading system frozen
February 20, 2013 by Leave a Comment
The recent collapse of the European Union emissions trading system (EU-ETS) revealed the flimsy grounds on which the EU has built its policy against the climate change. The idea was to make polluting expensive but not much so. How thin were the foundations of this system started to clearly emerge, when the economic crisis knocked […]EU Commission spends billions without achieving targets
February 1, 2013 by Leave a Comment
One after the other all the major EU Commission programmes widely advertised for their efficiency are being judged by the Court of Auditors as ill implemented and falling short of targets. Today it’s the municipal waste management, yesterday was the humanitarian aid to Africa and tomorrow God knows what. Mind you that the kind of […]European car industry: The Germans want it all
December 21, 2012 by 1 Comment
That the German cars are gas guzzlers is a fact beyond reasonable doubt, not because they are badly engineered, that they are not, but simply because they are usually powered by engines of many thousands of cm2 cylinders. Those powerful Mercedes, BMWs, Porsches, Audis and even Volkswagens produce hundreds of PSIs, but at the same time they […]Who really cares for the environment?
November 30, 2012 by Leave a Comment
The European Commission is famous for its practice to generously subsidise a large number of NGOs, which have been created almost exclusively for this purpose. That is, to swallow money from the European taxpayer and in return offer their tribune to Commissioners and other EU dignitaries to be exposed to media. This is a well-known […]Is a uniform CO2 emission linked car taxation possible in the EU?
November 25, 2012 by 1 Comment
Motor vehicles have being for decades the easy target of many forms of taxation, especially in post WWII Western Europe. Taxes on acquisition, on ownership, on motoring, on licences are but a few. The initial idea behind, in the minds of politicians who supported the imposition of taxes on cars, was that private ownership of […]
