EU Parliament votes in favour of cutting emissions 60% by 2030
Lawmakers are putting pressure on EU leaders to raise the bloc’s 2030 climate ambition beyond the Commission’s proposed 55% emissions reduction target
EU Commission defends 2030 climate target against ‘accounting trick’ critique
EU climate chief Frans Timmermans insists including carbon sinks in a proposed new 2030 emissions target does not weaken it, rejecting campaigner concerns
Portugal ends coal burning two years ahead of schedule
Portugal is the third EU country this year to announce early closure of its last coal plants, as rising carbon costs and competition from gas and clean energy bite
Not all biomass is carbon neutral, industry admits as EU reviews policy
The EU is working on stricter sustainability criteria for bioenergy, posing a challenge for the industry and several member states
EU €750 billion Covid recovery fund comes with green conditions
A quarter of spending has been earmarked for climate action and a ‘do no harm’ clause rules out environmentally damaging investments
France calls for minimum carbon price to counter oil crash
Oil prices of around $20 a barrel do not reflect the cost for the climate, the French government argued ahead of a meeting of EU energy ministers
Coronavirus response to delay EU Green Deal by weeks
Teleworking and self-isolation restrictions mean the EU legislative process cannot operate at full capacity, with priority given to measures to address the Covid-19 crisis
Offshore wind deployment boom ‘too slow’ to meet EU climate target
Europe needs between 230 and 450 GW of offshore wind by 2050 to decarbonise its energy system, according to the EU Commission
The EU releases its Green Deal. Here are the key points
Europe’s bid to reach carbon neutrality by 2050 will aim for a just, rapid shift away from high polluting industries and technologies
Leak reveals Brussels’ draft plan for European green deal
The document shows plans for a law enshrining the 2050 climate neutrality objective to be submitted by March 2020
EU ‘climate leaders’ plans found lacking
Finland, Sweden, Portugal, France and Germany praised for ambitious targets, but NGO analysis raises questions over details