The European Union’s decision to slap a carbon tax on imported goods that do not meet strict green standards has sent shockwaves around the world. But there is still a lot of work to be done on the carbon border adjustment mechanism and plenty of uncertainty about how the new anti-climate-dumping tool will actually work in practice
A slew of lacklustre state-run auction results could threaten Europe’s ability to meet binding climate targets. The systems that have brought gigawatt levels of clean energy generation are ailing
Changes need to be made to how electricity markets are managed so that they can handle the pace of the energy transition, but there is little consensus about what tweaks are actually required
The European Commission should include clean heat standards in its forthcoming Net Zero Industry Act to force industry and enable consumers to switch from fossil fuel boilers to lower-emitting heat pumps, concludes a new report from the Regulatory Assistance Project (RAP)
Demand for electric vehicle batteries in Europe is accelerating thanks to a mix of new regulations and promising business cases, which has sparked a homegrown industry that aims to take on the world. But the policies will need to be strong enough to fend off the vagaries of geopolitics
A tumultuous past 12 months has seen energy security placed firmly at the centre of many discussions around the world. Improving security takes many forms from low-carbon generation to greater energy efficiency in a bid to lower demand. These topics feature in FORESIGHT's top articles of 2022
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As the energy landscape changes, so too could the geopolitical spectrum. Nations that have derived power and wealth from coal, oil and gas face an adapt-or-die moment while countries with the natural resources central to decarbonisation could find themselves holding more cards
The UK's offshore sector has ambitious growth plans, but its permitting process could put its target at risk. Changes to the procedures could help accelerate deployment and provide a blueprint for other markets
Clean energy technology is becoming more efficient and powerful, while more money than ever is seemingly flowing into renewables. But administrative barriers thrown up by red tape and permitting bottlenecks threaten to put a damper on the energy transition
Burning wood for energy is a divisive matter. Critics say that it is an unacceptably polluting energy source, while proponents insist it is a vital part of the transition away from fossil fuels. Upcoming policy changes and unpredictable geopolitics make a complex issue thornier still
Two of the European Union’s (EU) main energy laws are in the process of being updated. Despite the fundamental role they play in decarbonisation efforts, the rules have so far failed to live up to climate expectations. This is set to change
The European Union’s “Energy Efficiency First Principle” was designed to maximise the potential of energy sources and increase investor appetite but it has struggled to jump from principle to practice. But new rules and a shift in geopolitics look set to propel the efficiency maxim to top billing
This decade is the most important one for energy efficiency in the energy transition. FORESIGHT spoke to Brian Motherway, head of energy efficiency at the International Energy Agency (IEA), to discuss why this is and how it can be better implemented
Regulators normally only keep tabs on the climate-bashing emissions produced within a country’s territory—discounting or even completely ignoring the carbon emitted during the manufacturing and shipping of imported goods. Sweden is bucking that trend with an ambitious new policy
Carbon-capture technology’s role in the energy transition is still poorly defined. However, calls for a unified strategy to spur developments and investment in Europe are increasing
A uniform carbon tax across most of Denmark’s economy has broad political support, but clarifying the finer points of the package will decide whether it is accepted by the wider business community
President Joe Biden’s plan to increase the level of electric vehicles (EVs) in car-mad United States is laudable, but has underestimated several of the perceived barriers to uptake, undermining its aim already
A recent announcement to support offshore wind projects off the state of Victoria shows how the local government has grown tired of waiting for federal leadership on the energy transition
A review of the European Union’s fiscal rules in 2022 could open the door for massive public investments into the energy transition. A political fight over the direction of that amendment will dictate just how ambitious Europe can afford to be with its green policies
An interconnected transmission grid in Europe would result in lower prices and greater levels of clean energy. But several nations are falling behind on export capacity leading to some member states looking beyond the Union’s borders
Thousands of buildings across Europe will need to be renovated on an unprecedented scale if climate and greenhouse gas reduction targets are to be met. Lawmakers’ minds are turning to how best to undertake the Herculean task
Discussions to usher in the end of coal are advancing in much of the European Union, but the Western Balkans region is lagging behind as the fuel continues to dominate the local power market
With the intention of advancing energy efficiency as an energy resource, Pay-for-Performance programmes can positively affect the entire energy chain from the distributor to the final consumer. Most of them are found in the US but Europe is testing the waters
Europe’s wind industry is well-versed in community engagement and has a track record in bringing employment and social benefits to populations close to projects. But developers still face opposition and frequently suffer setbacks, a problem that could mean renewable energy targets are missed if lawmakers fail to act
The European Union is deciding which technologies and projects should have access to crucial funding. Carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology has its issues but some lawmakers and industries believe emission reduction targets cannot be met without it
European Union climate policies need to become more ambitious as the bloc looks to hit its net-zero emissions goal for 2050. But a gap between what is agreed on paper and deployed in the real world means a risk of having to do more than one energy transition. Lawmakers are setting up an EU-wide advisory board to bridge that void
Italy is putting many eggs in the hydrogen basket to decarbonise its heavy industry, including its prized steel sector. Authorities dream of converted hydrogen steel plants and “hydrogen valleys” dotted across the country. But while attention is focussed on whether hydrogen can solve Italy’s problems, other key ingredients to make the hydrogen green are being ignored
Put garbage into an economic model and garbage comes out. By using a discount rate that inflates the cost of the energy transition, the EU’s executive body is undermining the bloc’s new and more ambitious carbon reduction goal. Behind the scenes, however, method may lie in the madness. Officials working on legislative updates are suspected of holding a negotiating trump card up their sleeves
Without a European grid up to the task of not only meeting more demand for electricity, but also assimilating it from distributed renewables, green electrification of heating and transport is stymied from the start. Decarbonisation requires new infrastructure, yet the public is having none of it
A lack of natural resources means accessing renewables as part of its energy transition is out of the question for Singapore. The country, renowned for its innovation, is having to think creatively to reach its goals
A decade of rapid growth has positioned South Korea to take full advantage of the clean transition under President Moon Jae-in’s Green New Deal. But a hangover from previous administrations and an elusive emissions reduction target put its efficacy in doubt
The UK is often cited as a leader in the transition to a clean energy economy, even though some British public money still flows to oil and fossil gas projects overseas
China has pledged to peak carbon emissions by 2030 at the latest, but its economic plan for 2021-2025 is expected to approve the building of more coal-powered plants
Europe is considering taking the bold step of introducing a border carbon adjustment tariff on goods imported from regions where carbon pricing is lacking, placing trade right in the middle of its climate ambitions
An EU taxonomy to define green investments is expected to enter into force in 2021, but some experts want it to be used immediately to inform stimulus packages aimed at dealing with the social and economic fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic
The coronavirus is a deadly human tragedy, causing untold grief and pain. It is also rocking the world’s economies as people lose income and businesses struggle to stay afloat. Yet there are lessons to be learned for the climate crisis
With the world facing an energy and a biodiversity emergency, realisation is growing that solutions need to be made compatible with sustainability in both areas
The argument for natural gas as a bridge to a cleaner renewable future has grown weaker as the case for electrification as the most efficient way to decarbonise has grown
Research from Heat Roadmap Europe and others shows the path ahead to bring the heating and cooling sector in line with the commitments of the Paris climate agreement
Technology choices and policies are available to create a zero-carbon energy system in Europe by 2050, keep the economy competitive and secure a favourable deal for citizens, concludes a podcast by EU scream produced in conjunction with FORESIGHT Climate & Energy.
In an interview with FORESIGHT, Dominique Ristori, Director General for Energy in the European Commission, explains why Europe’s heating system is too old and dirty
Smart grid has become a trendy term, but some proper thinking is needed about its meaning and the purpose of information technology advances if the result is to advance the energy transition
The reaction of the Australian government to the recent IPCC report was to reject a phase out of coal. But with research showing new wind and solar are competitive with new coal, economics, not politics, looks set to define the country’s energy mix
Carbon capture and storage may be needed to decarbonise highly polluting sectors such as steel production, but the power sector would be best advised to focus on renewables and efficiency given the significant costs of the technology
The IPCC highlights behavioural change as key to the energy transition, yet economics and modelling still tend to lead policy making rather than inputs from social sciences. Dealing with energy in conjunction with other policies such as health, education and employment could help to change this
While EU energy experts unsurprisingly agreed the leading role renewables and energy efficiency will play in the move to a clean energy economy, speakers at a European Commission conference had widely differing views on what else should be prioritised
Coal-reliant regions around the world have been generally resistant to the energy transition and regulators have tended to defend the status quo. But they are slowly starting to realise that clear plans and financial support for disrupted societies are more important
Voluntary agreements, instead of, or in conjunction with, regulation, are becoming the norm in many parts of the world to reduce wasted energy in various consumer sectors
Two antipodean countries, two different approaches to the low-carbon transition. While New Zealand is starting to lead from the top-down, Australia still lacks clear national policies with a patchwork of approaches to decarbonisation remaining the order of the day
Over stimulation of biomass-fired combined heat and power and insufficient control of the sustainability of the raw material is leading Denmark in the wrong direction on clean energy, warns the country’s council on climate change
Island series part 3/3: Hurricanes wiped out Puerto Rico’s power grid, creating an opportunity to rebuild with cleaner modern technologies. But financial and institutional barriers stand in the way
Island series part 2/3: Battered by years of high energy prices due to heavy dependence on imported oil, Hawaii has been moving aggressively to take advantage of the declining cost of renewables
Island series part 1/1: Denmark's "sunshine island" is taking its efforts to become carbon neutral beyond wind energy. Experiments with solar technologies are directed towards achieving heating, cooling and electricity generation from a single source of clean energy.
On International Women’s Day, FORESIGHT looks at the gender gap in the energy sector and why more women could boost the transition to a renewable energy economy
Interview with Jeppe Juul, recently appointed president of the board of Transport & Environment (T&E), the Brussels-based organisation that helped break the dieselgate scandal
Auctions of power purchase contracts as a price-setting mechanism for wind energy are proving to be sharp tools for driving down cost. But sharp tools need handling with care