28 March 202328 March 2023 EU-Gesetz zu Carbon Farming nur ‚erster Schritt‘ hin zu CO₂-Senken Die von der EU-Kommission vorgeschlagene Verordnung zu CO2-Senken ist laut einem Kommissionsbeamten lediglich der erste Schritt hin zu dem Ziel, negative Emissionen in der Landwirtschaft zu zertifizieren, zu vergüten und möglicherweise auch zu handeln
8 March 20233 March 2023 Pathways towards circular plastics in Europe — good practice examples from countries, business and citizens Plastics play an essential role in modern society. However, their value chain is currently unsustainable, contributing to the generation of climate changing emissions and increasing waste and pollution. Reducing such impacts while retaining plastics’ usefulness requires a shift towards a more circular and sustainable plastics system. This shift can be accelerated by scaling up good practice examples and making improvements across the plastics value chain
27 January 202324 January 2023 Kelheim Fibres begrüßt EU-Einigung zu entwaldungsfreien Lieferketten Da die EU als einer der größten Wirtschaftsräume der Welt ein großer Verbraucher von holzbasierten Rohstoffen ist, kann das neue Gesetz signifikant dazu beitragen, die weltweite Entwaldung und Waldschädigung zu reduzieren sowie bedrohte Waldflächen zu schützen
Kelheim Fibres welcomes EU agreement on deforestation-free supply chains As one of the largest economies worldwide, the EU is a major consumer of wood-based raw materials. Therefore, the new law can significantly contribute to reducing global deforestation and forest degradation as well as protecting threatened forest areas
6 January 202328 December 2022 EU Commission chief hails ‘historic’ COP15 biodiversity accord After two weeks of fraught negotiations, world nations gathered in Montreal adopted on Monday (19 December) a new package to address the loss of biodiversity and restore natural ecosystems
Welt beschließt „historisches“ COP15-Artenschutzabkommen Nach zwei Wochen schwieriger Verhandlungen haben die in Montreal versammelten Nationen am Montag ein neues Paket zum Schutz der Biodiversität und zur Wiederherstellung natürlicher Ökosysteme verabschiedet
3 January 202322 December 2022 EU agrees carbon market overhaul in bid to hit 2030 climate goal European Union negotiators reached agreement early on Sunday morning (18 December) to reform the EU’s Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), the biggest carbon market in the world and the bloc’s flagship climate policy instrument
EU einigt sich auf umfassende Reform des CO₂-Emissionshandels Die Unterhändler der EU haben sich am frühen Sonntagmorgen (18. Dezember) auf eine Reform des europäischen Emissionshandels (ETS) geeinigt, dem größten Kohlenstoffmarkt der Welt und wichtigsten klimapolitischen Instrument der EU
16 November 202215 November 2022 Agriculture Commissioner: CAP budget ‘too small’ to face future crises A stronger budget must bolster the next Common Agricultural Policy to face future crises, EU Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski told EURACTIV in an interview, stressing the need to equip farmers with more crisis management tools
10 November 20227 November 2022 Burning or recycling? EU weighs options on used tyres Draft EU rules could see millions of tyres shipped outside of Europe for dumping or incineration, recyclers warn
27 September 202222 September 2022 Bioenergy Europe welcomes the adoption of the Renewable Energy Directive (REDIII) revision by the European Parliament However, the new definition of primary woody biomass still raises some concerns
26 September 202221 September 2022 We need massive amounts of carbon capture from air to decarbonize aviation, and policymakers must act now The race to decarbonize aviation has begun, and synthetic jet fuel from green hydrogen and carbon dioxide, so-called e-kerosene, is to play a major role. Where will the CO2 come from and what is the role of Direct Air Capture?
23 September 202220 September 2022 European Parliament backs 45% renewable energy goal for 2030 If this new objective is confirmed by EU member states in upcoming talks with Parliament later this year, the EU will have to achieve a 45% share of renewables in its overall energy mix by 2030
EU-Parlament stellt sich hinter 45%-Ziel an Erneuerbaren bis 2030 Wenn dieses Ziel von den EU-Mitgliedstaaten in den anstehenden Gesprächen mit dem Parlament noch dieses Jahr bestätigt wird, muss die EU bis 2030 einen Anteil von 45 Prozent erneuerbarer Energien an ihrem gesamten Energiemix erreichen
22 September 202219 September 2022 Holz als Alternative zum teuren Gas: Platte oder Pellet? Energie ist so teuer, dass inzwischen sogar Möbelholz im Kraftwerk landet. Das Europaparlament will nun aus Klimagründen gegensteuern
2 September 202230 August 2022 Warum Waldbiomasse nicht zu den „erneuerbaren“ Energien gezählt werden darf Der Umweltausschuss sieht vor, dass die Verbrennung sekundärer Biomasse weiterhin als erneuerbare Energie im Rahmen der Richtlinie angerechnet werden kann und damit Subventionen erhält
Why forest biomass must not be counted as ‘renewable’ energy The environment committee amendment still allows burning secondary biomass materials, like sawdust and bark from sawmills, to qualify as renewable energy under the RED and receive subsidies
26 August 202217 August 2022 Verbrennerdebatte: fünf Fakten zu synthetischen Kraftstoffen Ab 2035 sollen Neuwagen EU-weit emissionsfrei sein, auf diese Formulierung einigten sich die Mitgliedsstaaten
26 July 202220 July 2022 Two cheers for the EU’s new Fit for 55 transport fuels policy European Parliament to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions in transport by at least 55% by 2030, compared with 1990 levels – the ‘fit for 55’ package
22 July 202221 July 2022 Fit for 55: Parliament pushes for greener aviation fuels However, MEPs excluded feed and food crop-based fuels, and those derived from palm oil, soy-derived materials and soap stock, because they do not align with the proposed sustainability criteria
21 July 202221 July 2022 Indigenous Peoples’ message gets through in EU corridors of power The draft Regulation on deforestation-free products was a landmark in the fight against deforestation
19 July 202214 July 2022 S&Ds: By labelling gas and nuclear as sustainable in taxonomy, the conservatives have shamefully betrayed EU climate ambitions Including gas and nuclear among taxonomy-compliant economic activities remains the wrong political message, both from an environmental and economic prospective
8 July 20225 July 2022 Fit for 55: Transport MEPs set ambitious targets for greener aviation fuels EU aviation should gradually switch to sustainable fuel, such as synthetic fuel, used cooking oil or even hydrogen, to help EU become climate neutral by 2050
13 June 20228 June 2022 A series of EU Parliament votes on Fit for 55 sends wrong signals on industry decarbonisation & bioeconomy development The Committee’s vote notably fails to provide a concrete solution for exports, while accelerating free allowances phasing-out and threatening the existing indirect carbon cost compensation scheme
10 June 20228 June 2022 EU Parliament vote on internal combustion engine ban The climate punishes those who miscalculate
8 June 20221 June 2022 Why the EU’s Taxonomy Climate Delegated Act correctly lists bio-based plastics as “green investments” The Climate Delegated Act supplementing the Regulation clearly supports “plastics derived wholly or partially from renewable feedstock” as “substantially contributing to climate change mitigation”
3 June 202227 May 2022 Cepi challenges ‘contradictory’ EU position on the paper industry’s decarbonisation and bioeconomy targets Cepi claims that some proposed changes to legislation will in fact undermine efforts to maintain forests as sustainable assets for the pulp and paper industry
1 June 202225 May 2022 Bioenergy: important step towards protecting forests & food security taken by the EU Environment Committee There is a real danger that the positive work of the ENVI committee could be reversed, and BirdLife Europe will continue to bring awareness of the issues with bioenergy all along the process
14 March 20228 March 2022 EU lawmakers to accelerate adoption of circular economy package To encourage stakeholders to move in this direction, the Commission will present several legislative proposals, including the so-called Circular Economy package due on 30 March
20 January 202217 January 2022 Agriculture Commissioner throws his weight behind carbon farming The Commissioner promised to "endeavour to ensure that carbon farming, to an extent as large as possible, will be incorporated in [CAP] strategic plans"
14 January 20227 January 2022 How to make the EU’s carbon border tax effective and fair The EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) seeks to even the playing field by putting a price on emissions from imported goods, thereby creating an incentive for producers outside the EU to invest in clean technologies
10 January 20226 January 2022 New ‘own resources’ for EU budget will come from carbon market, executive says EU countries need to agree to the new own resources or face paying back the COVID recovery fund themselves, said Johannes Hahn, Commissioner for Budget and Administration
9 December 20216 December 2021 The new Common Agricultural Policy has been adopted and the maximum THC level on the field has been restored to 0,3% The EIHA went through to clear this theme on the European level - to open a long supressed market of sustainability
Starker Impuls für Nutzhanf in Europa: THC-Höchstgehalt auf dem Feld wieder bei 0,3% Die europäische Interessensvertretung des Nutzhanfs, EIHA, hat sich auf europäischem Level durchgekämpft, um der Nachhaltigkeit einen lange unterdrückten Markt zu öffnen
Finland set to reject EU taxonomy rules over biomass Finland has stated that it would oppose the EU taxonomy climate delegated act presented in April, Sweden is expected to align itself.
Finnland wird aufgrund von Biomasse gegen EU Taxonomie stimmen Finnland hat erklärt, dass es den im April vorgelegten delegierten Rechtsakt zur EU-Klimataxonomie ablehnen wird. Schweden wird sich voraussichtlich anschließen
16 November 202112 November 2021 Carbon capture and utilisation technologies are solutions to reduce CO2 emissions and move away from fossil resources Most of these technologies, when appropriately integrated, will significantly aid in meeting climate goals
5 November 20215 November 2021 European Parliament approves Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking The EU Council is now anticipated to ratify the rule in the second half of November, paving the way for the CBE JU to be launched and its Programme Office to be established by the end of 2021
6 October 202130 September 2021 Making climate neutral Chemicals and materials a reality Legislative proposals must extend the efforts to reduce carbon emissions beyond the energy used for manufacturing, to encompass all products and materials which are made of, including chemicals
1 October 20211 October 2021 Forest policy splits Nordic lawmakers in the European Parliament Leading lawmakers from the Socialist and the Greens group in the European Parliament held contrasting views on forest policy during a EURACTIV event earlier this month
28 September 202127 September 2021 EU aims to tackle waste packaging with new legislation Europe's packaging waste is increasing, with the bloc generating 174.1kg of packaging waste per inhabitant in the EU in 2018
23 July 202128 April 2022 The science of forest biomass: Conflicting studies map the controversy In this exclusive story, Mongabay provides a review of the science on both sides of the forest biomass debate, summarizing key studies and reports, and providing links to these primary sources to help readers decide for themselves
Green MEP: Voluntary schemes have failed biodiversity in forests Voluntary schemes have not been enough to protect biodiversity in Europe’s forests and more coordinated measures are needed to protect nature in the EU
31 May 202116 June 2021 Well-designed CAP can deliver on biodiversity goals, German scientists say The devil is in the details when it comes to the EU’s farming subsidy programme’s potential to halt biodiversity loss
28 May 20219 September 2021 EU Parliament backs ‘low-carbon’ hydrogen, despite Green opposition The strategy specifies so-called "low-CO2 hydrogen" as an interim solution to increase production in the short term
Trotz Grünen-Widerstand: EU-Parlament für „CO2-armen“ Wasserstoff In der Strategie wird sogenannter „CO2-armer Wasserstoff“ als Zwischenlösung angegeben, um die Produktion kurzfristig zu erhöhen
3 May 202118 June 2021 Nach harter Nacht: Einigung auf das EU-Klimagesetz Mitgliedsstaaten machten Zugeständnis an die EU-Abgeordneten und wollen den CO2-Abbau durch Landnutzung, Land- und Forstwirtschaft künftig begrenzen
Breakthrough as EU negotiators clinch deal on European climate law EU member states made a concession to MEPs by agreeing to cap the contribution of carbon removals from land use, agriculture and forestry
3 March 20212 March 2021 EU to set up new European Partnerships and invest nearly €10 billion for the green and digital transition The goal is to speed up the transition towards a green, climate neutral and digital Europe, and to make European industry more resilient and competitive
1 March 202125 February 2021 Commission gives the green light to the successor of BBI JU European Commission agrees on successor public-private partnership with BIC