Ashes v. Plane engines: industry still divided
On 22 July, the largest EU and US companies representing the aerospace industry met to discuss safety issues related to flying through clouds of volcanic ashes, such as those from the Eyjafjallajökull glacier in Iceland, which blocked the EU airspace three months ago, leading to a total mayhem of stranded passengers and airline revenue losses of over $ 1.7 billion.
Industry groups called for further research on the real effect of volcanic ashes on airplane engines and technical equipment. Amongst the problems is the fact that every eruption produces different size particles which have different chemical compositions.
For the US Federal Aviation Administration, every time volcanic clouds can ...
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EU Transport Ministers to review air traffic control
Following the total mess caused by April’s six consecutive days of massive air traffic disruption due to Iceland’s Eyjafjallajokull volcano spewing clouds of ashes, EU transport Ministers met to discuss possible improvements of the EU’s air traffic management.
Air traffic disruptions have started again in Scotland and Ireland which have been closing their airports until 13hours.
The airline industry, which has suffered losses estimated by the EU Commission at an amount between € 1.5 and 2 billion, has strongly criticised the extensive shutting down of the European ...
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'Play to Stop – Europe for climate'
In the run up to the 15th UN conference on climate change in Copenhagen (7-18 December 2009) the EU and MTV have jointly launched the Play to Stop – Europe for climate' campaign.
The campaign gives young Europeans the opportunity to learn, talk and exchange ideas ahead of the upcoming UN conference on climate change.
In addition to the campaign website, publications and commercials, there will be three concerts featuring international artists, in Stockholm, Budapest and Copenhagen – to be broadcast on ...
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G8 on Climate Change – Too little too late?
On Wednesday world leaders at the G8 meeting agreed on limiting the increase in the Earth's temperatures to within two degrees of the pre-industrial age.
"We recognize the scientific view that the increase in global average temperature above pre-industrial levels ought not to exceed two degrees," said a statement issued after a meeting of the Major Economies Forum (MEF). The MEF also agreed to cooperate "to identify a global goal for substantially reducing global emissions ...
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Green Week 2009
The 2009 edition of the “Green Week” – Europe’s biggest annual conference on Environment policy will be held from the 23 -26 June at the Charlemagne building in Brussels. The theme of the conference is climate change.
This year more than 3,500 participants are expected from EU institutions, business and industry, non-governmental organisations, public authorities, the scientific community and academia. The conference attracts experts on environment policy and climate change from all over the world and the 2009 edition is structured on 4 themes:
•What are ...
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EP adopts new rules on eco-design
The European Parliament has adopted a report on Eco-design requirements for energy related products. The report amends the 2005 directive on Eco-design, by widening its scope of application to include all energy-related products. The new report takes into account the environmental impact of products during their entire life cycle, which includes raw material selection and use, manufacturing, packaging, transport and distribution, installation and maintenance, use and end-of-life.
The current text applies only to energy-using products (except vehicles for transport) and now MEPs agreed on the extension of the directive’s list to products that do not consume energy during use but have an indirect impact on energy consumption, such as water-using devices, windows or insulation material. For example ...
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EP’s plan to reduce its Carbon Footprint
The European Parliament aims to reduce its CO2 emissions by 30 per cent compared to 2006 levels by 2020. The EP Bureau has adopted an ambitious action plan this week to achieve this goal.
The measures adopted by the Bureau include:
•“Individual studies on how to improve the energy performance of each of Parliament’s buildings, such as by making use of photovoltaic, solar thermal or geothermal energy, installing systems that reduce the use of electric lighting and air-conditioning or – for future constructions – ...
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EU names Green Capitals
In a move to encourage more eco-friendly cities the European Commission has award awarded a new environmental prize to Stockholm and Hamburg designating them as European ‘Green Capitals’ for the years 2010 and 2011 respectively.
The cities drew praise from the EC for their good air-quality, reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, high recycling rates, congestion charging system and environmentally friendly public transport systems.
The Commission took note that in Stockholm 95 percent of the people live within 300 meters of green areas that, “improve ...
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Peace with Water
The world’s water supplies are struggling to keep up with increased demand and it is not unfathomable that the near future will see growing conflict over water use and distribution rights. Last week the European Parliament (EP) organised a conference entitled “Peace with Water” to formulate policy to tackle the imminent water crisis threatening the world.
The event, organised by the World Political Forum with the cooperation of the EP political parties saw Mikhail Gorbachev, President of the World Political launch a memorandum for a World Water Protocol which the organisers hope will contribute to international negotiations on a post-Kyoto agreement on climate change for 2013.
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2050: The Future Begins Today
The European Parliament (EP)’s Temporary Committee on Climate Change adopted its final report entitled “2050: The future begins today - recommendations for the EU's future integrated policy on climate change” at the EP’s plenary session in Strasbourg, today. The report by MEP Karl-Heinz Florenz (EPP-Ed, Germany) was adopted with 570 votes in favour 78 against and 24 abstentions.
The report refers to global warming and climate change as “very serious, urgent and man-made threats” and calls for global warming and ensuing climate change issues be incorporated in all spheres and policies.
One of the reports key recommendations is that developed countries as a ...
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EU Sustainable Energy Week
The third edition of the EU Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW) is set to take place in Brussels as well as in 51 other cities across Europe from Monday 9 to Friday 13 February 2009. This year the event focuses on Climate Change.
As part of the Sustainable Energy Europe Campaign (SEE), the European Commission's Directorate-General for Energy and Transport in collaboration with the other European Institutions and major stakeholders concerned with sustainable energy has organised this year’s EUSEW.
Over a 150 events have been planned in 19 countries under this ...
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Commission’s Climate Change Blueprint
The European Commission in its blueprint for climate change released on 28 January has called for a 30 percent cut in green house gas emissions for developed countries and a 15-30 percent cut from all developing countries except the poorest.
In December Copenhagen will host international talks to draw out a global strategy to control climate change to replace the Kyoto protocol that expires in 2012. The EU has long projected itself as the world leader in environmental issues and hopes that the blueprint will provide a framework for the ...
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EP adopts pesticide ban
MEPs adopted new EU pesticide legislation aimed at increasing the number of pesticides available on the market, while progressively banning the use of a number of dangerous chemicals in these products, and to ensure the safer use of pesticides.
Environmentalists have welcomed the move which will see more than 20 toxins taken off the EU market. MEP Monica Frassoni (Greens, Italy) said that the adoption of this legislation was “a victory for the Greens and environmentalists", adding they had "managed collectively to resist enormous pressure from industry."
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A chilly start to the New Year
Several EU countries have reported a drop in supplies after Russia cut off gas to Ukraine on New Year's Day (again) over allegations of illegally siphoning off gas intended for the EU market. The EU has responded to the crisis by sending observers to Ukraine to supervise the supply of gas destined to the EU member states.
The EU was initially reluctant to get involved in the dispute but eventually had to intervene when the situation progressively worsened especially in the eastern member states like Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania, the Czech Republic and Greece, creating what Bulgaria called a "crisis situation" in the middle of winter.
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Lights out for incandescent bulbs in the EU by 2012
A European Commission proposal for a regulation to progressively phase out incandescent bulbs from 2009 to 2012 was endorsed at a meeting of the Eco-design Regulatory Committee today.
According to the Commission by switching to energy saving bulbs the EU can save around 40 TWh of electricity or perhaps more significantly reduce CO2 emission per year by about 15 million tons! To put it in perspective, this is roughly the yearly electrical consumption of Romania.
The regulation ...
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Consultation on the revision of CO2 car labelling directive
Cars are an important part of the daily lives of a large number of Europeans. However, car usage also has significant impacts on the environment and climate, with 12% of the overall EU emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), the main greenhouse gas, coming from the fuel consumed by passenger cars.
That is why the Commission has already proposed legislation to reduce the CO2 emissions from passenger cars to an average of 130 grams of CO2 per kilometre (g/km) by 2012, down from 160g/km in 2006. As part of the integrated approach, further legislative measures will contribute another 10g/km, leading overall ...
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One hour to switch the globe's lights off
On Saturday 29 March between 20h and 21h local time, people all over the world switched off lights dimming public buildings, monuments, hotels, restaurants and bars to show concern about global warming.
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More than 380 towns and cities, as well as 3,500 businesses in 35 countries signed up for the campaign which started in 2007 in Sidney. Up to 30 million people were expected to have switched off their lights for an hour.
The campaign called "Earth Hour" was run ...
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Much ado about nothing?!
Well, that's it. Bali has come and gone and this is what the International Community has to show for it: not a whole a lot. But then that was to be expected.
The UN climate talks in Bali came to an end on 15 December, producing a two-year negotiation 'roadmap' to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. While international targets for cutting greenhouse gas emissions could not be agreed on, the summit did manage to produce new climate change adaptation funds, anti-deforestation mechanisms and ...
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Track your carbon footprint using your mobile phone!
European Commission scientists have launched a mobile phone application to track your carbon footprint. It is made freely avaible to all who wish to use it.
What is a carbon footprint?
Carbon footprint is a concept which represents the pollution in terms of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide produced by industry, energy production, transport, agriculture and waste.
A sector of activity, a company or an individual can influence ...
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Consumers are willing to pay more for socially responsible brands
According to a nine-country survey of consumers conducted in October 2007, some 85% of consumers world-wide are willing to change their consumption habits to make tomorrow’s world a better place, and over half of them would help a brand ‘promote’ a product if a good cause were behind it.
88% of consumers said it is their duty to contribute to a better society and environment and among all respondents, “helping others and contributing to the community” was cited as the second-most important source of personal contentment, after “spending time with family and friends.” This study was released by Edelman, ...
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