Environment

Europe’s template for international climate justice

The 2015 Paris Agreement aimed to limit the average global temperature rise to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. However, more and more scientists have warned that we are at risk of surpassing 2°C by 2050. Some of the most pessimistic scenarios already predict a rise of 4°C by 2100. But who is (…)

Wednesday 7 May 2025

Is the EU Chipping Away at its Green Credentials on the controversial Serbian Lithium Mining deal?

The European Commission, in consensus with Serbs and environmental activists, needs to negotiate on the economic gain and environmental integrity while trying to balance progress and preservation.

Friday 18 October 2024

Energy Charter Treaty: progress and potential EU withdrawal

The Energy Charter Treaty (ECT), born out of the post-Cold War era with the aim of fostering international energy cooperation, stands at a crossroads. As the global energy landscape undergoes profound transformations, the Treaty’s relevance and effectiveness are questioned, and an EU withdrawal (…)

Friday 26 April 2024

From Dependence to Diversification: Russia and Europe’s Energy Security Challenge

While the European Union’s (EU) sanctions, imposed after February 24, 2022, have targeted numerous essential sectors of the Russian economy, Russian gas has remained a notable exception. Following the indefinite suspension of the Nord Stream pipeline by Gazprom in 2022, the Ukrainian Transit (…)

Monday 26 February 2024

The way forward for the European greens

As 2023 ends and gives way to 2024, it would seem that the entire world is on fire and the fight against climate change is already lost, as temperatures, weather catastrophes and greenhouse gas (GHG) atmospheric concentrations keep increasing. The picture is dire, and more and more people (…)

Friday 9 February 2024

Europe is missing the point on climate spending

On August 16th, 2022, United States President Joe Biden signed into law the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), after a year-long fight within the Democratic Party over its climate provisions. While sold as an aid against the record-high inflation the country was facing, the bill was actually the (…)

Friday 19 May 2023

Restrictions on PFAS: Never say never

The restriction of PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) is being discussed as the biggest ban of any chemical group ever. While we all know – and worry – about things like microplastic, the discussion around PFAS has been rather new to the media agenda. In terms of a chemical, it is (…)

Monday 15 May 2023

The European Critical Raw Materials Act: powering Europe’s industries of the future

In her 2022 State of the European Union address, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated that “lithium and rare earths will soon be more important than oil and gas. […] We must avoid becoming dependent again”. She announced the preparation of a European Critical Raw Materials (…)

Thursday 16 February 2023

Three stories that climate change tells about our continent

The history of Europe as we have been telling it, might not find enough listeners anymore today. The scale of our current challenges seems unprecedented. Where do we find new certainty and stories in the past of our continent, when we face an uncertain future of climate change? Which stories (…)

Friday 10 February 2023

What is Carbon Pricing? A Short Guide and the EU ETS

As the name suggests, carbon pricing means that emitters, such as businesses or industries, must pay a price for their greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). It is a measure to address climate change and is based on the ‘polluter pays principle’, meaning those causing environmental damage should pay (…)

Saturday 14 January 2023

The EU’s Path Towards a Green Transition of Road Transport, Part 1 - The Current State

The automotive industry is an important factor in the EU’s economy with around 7% of the EU’s GDP coming from this industry. The automotive industry not only has linkages with other sectors such as steel, chemical and textile industries, but it is also important for employment as approximately (…)

Wednesday 7 December 2022

COP27 uncertainty and climate promises: What is UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s stance on the climate?

The first few weeks of UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s premiership have certainly been tumultuous. Becoming the third Prime Minister this year, he has been met with a host of challenges for the country upon taking up his post, including a cost of living crisis and an ongoing war in Europe. (…)

Friday 11 November 2022
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