Brussels frets as far-right arrives at gates of power in France
The European Union could end up being “paralysed” if the far-right Rassemblement National party is able to form a government in France, with potentially significant consequences also for energy and climate policy across the region, according to policymakers and analysts.
Read MoreBRIEFING: EU climate policy focus turning to trade and foreign relations, officials say
The EU’s climate agenda in the past five years has been focused chiefly on domestic action, but the next phase of policymaking will see a growing emphasis on international relations and trade, EU and national officials said on Thursday.
Read MoreBRIEFING: What climate policy agenda for von der Leyen’s second term?
Implementation of existing policies and investments in net-zero technologies to meet the EU’s 2030 decarbonisation target will be the cornerstones of the new European Commission headed by Ursula von der Leyen when it comes to climate policy, officials have said.
Read MoreEU leaders nominate von der Leyen for second term, adopt strategic agenda 2024-29
EU heads of states have nominated Ursula von der Leyen for a second term as European Commission President and adopted a roadmap for the next five years that includes the continuation of European Green Deal priorities agreed over the last mandate.
Read MoreLEAK: EU’s draft strategic agenda for 2024-29 reinstates green priorities
Climate and environmental objectives have made their way back into the EU’s draft strategic agenda for the next five years following an earlier draft, as EU leaders meet in Brussels on Thursday to decide the priorities of the next European Commission and appoint its new president.
Read MoreFEATURE: The €1 trillion question – How to bridge the EU’s climate investment gap
When the new European Commission takes office later this year, it will have a tricky question to answer – how to find €1.5 trillion per year to finance the EU’s net-zero transition. As EU governments tighten their belts, revenues from carbon trading could provide a much-needed source of income, experts say.
Read MoreBRIEFING: ETS2 debate heats up ahead of EU leaders’ summit in Brussels
Poland’s development funds and regional policy minister, Katarzyna Pelczynska-Nalecz, was the latest to urge a reform of the EU’s carbon pricing scheme for transport and heating fuels (ETS2), calling on EU leaders to address the issue when they meet in Brussels later this week. Carbon Pulse brings an overview of key positions in the debate.
Read MoreINTERVIEW: Climate targets ‘untouchable’, but other Green Deal laws must be rewritten, says EU election winner
The EU’s anti-deforestation regulation is a “bureaucratic monster” that must be revised, alongside the 2035 ban on new petrol and diesel cars, says Peter Liese, a German lawmaker who is environment spokesperson for the centre-right European People’s Party (EPP) that won the EU elections this month.
Read MoreEU inaugurates green innovation hub in Seville
The European Commission on Friday launched its brand new Innovation Centre for Industrial Transformation (INCITE) in Seville, aiming to accelerate the decarbonisation of energy-intensive industries to reach climate neutrality by mid-century.
Read MoreGermany’s climate fund is drying up, think-tank warns
Germany’s “Climate and Transformation Fund” (KTF) is nearing breaking point, putting the federal government in front of hard decisions, according to a study by the Berlin-based Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change (MCC) published on Wednesday.
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