Policy & Regulation

Fossil fuel combustion to meet heating needs accounts for 35% of cements CO2 emissions. The remaining 65% are due to direct process emissions, which must also be addressed. By 2050, cement production in the EU is expected to remain below pre-2010 levels.

The Energy Efficiency Financial Institutions Group (EEFIG) has just published its final report from its working group on industry. It is a wake-up call that action needs to be taken urgently. Europes industry must decarbonise to unprecedented levels at a high pace.

The IEA examines the full spectrum of energy issues including oil, gas and coal supply and demand. The report stresses that more efficient use of energy is the first and best response. In 2022 the global economy used energy 2% more efficiently than it did in 2021.

The Global ESCO Network has conducted a series of interviews with partner associations in order to map barriers for ESCOs that can be characterized as regulatory in nature. The interviews have been open and explorative, but structured with the aim to facilitate a categorization and benchmarking across countries.

For the first time, global demand for each of the fossil fuels shows a peak or plateau across all WEO scenarios. Russian exports in particular falling significantly as the world energy order is reshaped. The biggest tremors have been felt in the markets for natural gas, coal and electricity.

REPowerEU is a plan for saving energy, producing clean energy and diversifying the European energy supplies. It is backed by financial and legal measures to build the new energy infrastructure and system that Europe needs.

The EU is aiming for a net-zero and eco-friendly AI which is reflected in its latest set of actions and regulations for managing the development of Artificial Intelligence in the EU. The Coordinated Plan on Artificial Intelligence is a joint commitment issued by the the European Commission and Member States.

EU needs €210bn over next five years to pay for phasing out Russian fossil fuels based on a plan drawn up in response to the Kremlin-ordered invasion of Ukraine. The plan proposes upgrades to the EU green deal, the blocs flagship policy to confront the climate crisis. Officials also want to cut energy consumption by 13% by 2030 (compared with 2020), too.

In a global interconnected system understanding where hydrogen has come from will become incredibly important. The temptation for some to make hydrogen from coal and release the carbon dioxide into the atmosphere may be too great, however as international trade develops the risk increases.