Europe's one trillion climate finance plan

The European Green Deal Investment Plan is designed to attract at least one trillion euros of public and private investment over the next decade. Turning the EU into a climate neutral economy by 2050 will require massive investment in clean energy technologies. Only achieving an interim greenhouse gases reduction target of 40% by 2030 would require €260 billion of additional investment a year. About €300 billion worth of private and public investment is expected to be mobilised through InvestEU and ETS funds and another €100 billion should be attracted using the new Just Transition Mechanism. The funds investments should especially help those regions that are heavily dependent on fossil coal which still provides about a quarter of EU power generation. The coal sector in the EU employs 238,000 people in directly linked activities, such as coal mines and power plants, in more than 100 European regions from Poland to Spain. In 2015, there were 128 coal mines in 12 EU countries and 207 coal power plants in 21 EU countries.

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Microsoft details long-term plan for becoming carbon negative
Policy & Regulation Energy Infrastructure

Microsoft details long-term plan for becoming carbon negative

Microsoft executives announced plans today for the company to become carbon negative by 2030 and then by 2050 to remove all the carbon from the environment that Microsoft has emitted directly or through electrical consumption since it was founded in 1975. The compny hs been working for months on .

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'A Massive Victory': BlackRock CEO Promises to Center Climate Change in Investment Strategy
Policy & Regulation Finance & Economics

'A Massive Victory': BlackRock CEO Promises to Center Climate Change in Investment Strategy

Larry Fink, CEO of money management firm BlackRock, announced the company would prioritize the climate crisis in deciding on investments and strategies going forward. The new direction for BlackRock is the result of a hard-fought effort by a group of dedicated activists.

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Virtual Power Plants: former sci-fi technology is now a reality
Energy Infrastructure Digitalisation

Virtual Power Plants: former sci-fi technology is now a reality

There are multiple options on how to manage distributed energy resources (DER) A virtual power plant aggregates the capacities of multiple DER of various types. This makes the production of energy more coherent and allows for efficient energy trading on the electricity market.

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Report: Solar Installations to spike 14% in 2020
Energy Infrastructure

Report: Solar Installations to spike 14% in 2020

Global solar installations will continue double-digit growth rates into the new decade. New annual installations in 2020 will reach 142 gigawatts (GW), a 14% rise over the previous year. installations outside of China, the world leading market, grew by.

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In and out with 10-minute electrical vehicle recharge
Energy Efficiency Buildings & Transport

In and out with 10-minute electrical vehicle recharge

Penn State engineers have demonstrated that they can charge an electrical vehicle in ten minutes. Lithium-ion batteries degrade when rapidly charged at ambient temperatures under 50 degrees Fahrenheit. The rapid cooling of battery would be accomplished using cooling system designed into .

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China faces 4 big risks if it continues building more coal plants
Policy & Regulation

China faces 4 big risks if it continues building more coal plants

Chinas coal fleet is over capacity; most plants only operating at about 50% of capacity. Health and air pollution costs could grow substantially by 2030 if coal plants continue to operate at current rates. China is the world leader on clean energy.

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H2020-funded project RETROFEED kicks off in Brussels
Policy & Regulation Renewable Energy Digitalisation

H2020-funded project RETROFEED kicks off in Brussels

RETROFEED is a project funded under the European Commissions program Horizon 2020. The project aims at an increase of 22% in resource efficiency and 19% in energy efficiency. Project partners boast years of experience in European projects and the development of innovative.

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Reflections on the European Commission’s proposal for a European Green Deal
Policy & Regulation

Reflections on the European Commission’s proposal for a European Green Deal

The European Commission has published its European Green Deal. It covers all sectors of the economy, notably transport, energy, agriculture, buildings, and industries such as steel, cement, ICT, textiles and chemicals. The Commission will present within 100 days.

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The time is right: Industrial Policy and the European Green Deal
Policy & Regulation Renewable Energy

The time is right: Industrial Policy and the European Green Deal

There is increasing support to develop the battery industry because of the growth in electric vehicles. The potential value of the entire battery value chain in Europe could be €250bn in 2025. There is an increasing awareness that industry must take more ambitious steps to dec.

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