[Sports] The largest stadium in the French city of Toulouse that hosts mostly football and rugby matches announced its partnership last month with Time for the planet, an initiative that allows citizens, investment funds, banks, and companies to invest as little as €1 in the fight against climate change. EURACTIV France reports.

[Hydrogen] Ammonia has until now been used chiefly in the fertiliser industry as a way to return nitrogen to the soil. But it also has potential in boosting renewables – both as a replacement for hydrogen in long haul shipping and as a way of storing and transporting hydrogen.

[Energy & Environment] Lithuanian state-controlled energy company Ignitis Group will start supplying liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Poland next year when a new pipeline between the two countries comes online, its CEO said on Monday (1 March).

[Energy & Environment] Global CO2 emissions have returned to pre-pandemic levels, threatening to put climate treaty targets for capping global warming out of reach, the International Energy Agency said Tuesday (2 March).

[Economy & Jobs] They had no time to lose: A good six months before the German parliamentary elections, the Federation of German Industries (BDI) published its demands to the new government. In the Europe chapter, the focus on climate stands out, EURACTIV Germany reports.

[Green finance] Banks in the European Union should publish a "green asset ratio" (GAR) as a core measure of their climate-friendly business activities, the EU's banking watchdog proposed on Monday (1st March).

[EU Council Presidency] Europe's current economic model "has no future" and does not respond to "major environmental challenges", Portugal's prime minister António Costa said on Friday, calling for the adoption of new models such as the circular economy and sustainable bioeconomy.

[Energy & Environment] Packaging is a resource that should never be wasted.

[Energy & Environment] As of 1 March, consumers will find new, revamped labels on dishwashers, washing machines, fridges and televisions. But to reach our climate ambitions, the European Commission must introduce A-G dedicated energy labels for all products responsible for high energy consumption, write Mélissa Zill and Jean-Pierre Schweitzer.

[Energy & Environment] The oft maligned Energy Charter Treaty is not the obstacle to renewable energy that some make it out to be, writes Tomas Vail.

[Sustainable Manufacturing] The EU illegally allowed dangerous lead substances to be sold in paints despite safer options being available, the European Court of Justice said in a ruling on Thursday (25 February).

[Energy & Environment] Updated plans to reduce emissions, submitted so far by about 75 nations ahead of November's COP26 summit, barely make a dent in the huge cuts needed to meet global climate goals, the UN climate chief said on Friday (26 February), calling for redoubled efforts.

[Energy & Environment] The devastating events in Texas show the potential energy security risks of extreme weather, but also the benefit of the interconnected European energy grid, writes Christian Zinglersen.

[Energy & Environment] With its campaign ‘The Beauty in the Beast’, ESWET aims to debunk old myths about Waste-to-Energy in Europe and launch a public debate on the sustainable options for the integrated European waste treatment.

[Sustainable Aviation] The European Commission announced on Tuesday (23 February) that it will finance the development of new aircraft powered by clean fuel sources, in a bid to cut aviation emissions by 2050.

[Energy & Environment] This week on EURACTIV’s Yellow Room, we are talking about Friday’s EU summit, where the leaders are expected to discuss security and defence issues. During the first part of their meeting, they will be joined by NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg...

[Circular economy] European soft drink makers unveiled their new vision for 2030 on Monday (22 February), announcing plans to reach 100% recycled or renewable materials in plastic bottles by the end of the decade.

[Energy & Environment] The unprecedented freeze in Texas that left over a million people without heating has been seized upon for political gain, but there are lessons that Europe can learn from this, writes Michael Hogan.

[Energy & Environment] More and better data is needed to improve knowledge of how to adapt to climate change, according to the European Commission's new adaptation strategy, which immediately came under fire from green activists for missing binding targets.

[Renewable energies] Wind energy provided 16.4% of EU and UK power in 2020, bringing the industry closer to its objective of producing 50% of the bloc's total electricity by 2050. But permitting issues, lockdowns and changing regulations threaten to slow down further deployment, the industry warns.

[Energy & Environment] The German agriculture minister presented on Wednesday (24 February) a worrying annual report on the condition of German forests, which again highlights the dramatic effects of climate change on the ecosystem.

[Hydrogen] Gas companies in Europe and America are looking at using the existing gas network to serve industrial “clusters” of hydrogen users in sectors like chemicals, cement and steelmaking, adopting a “phased approach” endorsed by the European Commission.

[Energy & Environment] The EU Adaptation Strategy presents not only priorities for action, but a vision of how adaptation to climate change should take place, writes Richard J. T. Klein.

[World] The US government is confident its sanctions against the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline connecting Russia and Germany will have an impact. In a document obtained by EURACTIV Germany, the State Department lists 18 European companies that have already ended their cooperation with the project. EURACTIV Germany reports.

[Economy & Jobs] For four years, trade irritants mounted as we lived under the threat of a fully-fledged transatlantic trade war – never more than a late-night tweet away. A rare moment is here at last to rejuvenate the way global trade operates, writes Cathy Novelli.

[World] The European Union does not need the Nord Stream 2 pipeline for its energy security but any decision to stop the project carrying Russian natural gas to Germany would have to come from Berlin, a senior European Commission said.

[European Green Deal] By the end of March, the European Commission wants to present a revised version of the so-called non-financial reporting directive (NFRD). A coalition of European NGOs is calling for greater transparency and stricter reporting requirements for companies in sustainability matters. EURACTIV Germany reports.

[Energy & Environment] France's High Climate Council (HCC) scrutinised the government's "climate and resilience" bill and called for more ambition in an opinion published on Tuesday (23 February), warning that it "does not offer enough strategic scope." EURACTIV France reports.

[Energy & Environment] France's Ecological Transition Minister Barbara Pompili and the Secretary of State for Digital, Cédric O, unveiled on Tuesday (23 February) the government's national strategy to bring environmental and digital issues together. EURACTIV France was able to see the document before publication.

[Energy & Environment] Decarbonising the building sector will make or break Europe’s Green Deal. Thankfully, renovations are enjoying some much-deserved limelight. But there is one very important detail which could slow down our hard-won progress, warns the European Insulation Manufacturers Association (EURIMA).

[Renovation Wave] European Union countries will rally behind the bloc's plan to massively expand building renovations to cut emissions, according to a draft document, but it did not explicitly endorse using legally-binding energy performance standards to do it.

[Green finance] The European Commission came under new pressure on Monday (22 February) from Poland's biggest power producer, PGE, and its own advisors, over whether to include gas power in EU rules on sustainable finance.

[Electric vehicles] It is vital to ensure that electrified vehicles have access to a sufficiently developed network of charging and re-fuelling infrastructure. This requires a pan-European effort with binding and measurable targets, writes Oliver Zipse.

[Geothermal] Geothermal energy could help central and eastern Europe break away from coal and gas, but it needs a quicker uptake and government backing to help meet renewable energy targets, advocates say.

[World] The United States said Monday (22 February) it had seen progress from European companies moving out of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline from Russia to Germany, but critics urged stronger action.

[European Green Deal] The EU's climate adaptation strategy, due to be unveiled on Wednesday (24 February), will aim to tackle the human cost of climate change, both within Europe and around the world, amid calls from trade unions to reinforce protection for the most exposed workers.

[European Green Deal] The European Commission's cost-benefit analysis for its upcoming 'Fit for 55' package of green laws for 2030 is outdated, assuming an eye-watering 10% cost of capital for climate action, writes Brook Riley.

[Industrial decarbonisation] Uniquely placed to cut emissions in many sectors − and enable greater use of renewables − carbon capture and storage (CCS) needs more political backing if we are to stand any chance of reaching net-zero emissions. Kenji Terasawa is the...

[Energy & Environment] A chemical traditionally used in the fertiliser industry, ammonia is now also entering the realm of energy as a way to store and transport hydrogen, or as an alternative transport fuel in its own right.

[Energy & Environment] On March 1st, a new energy label appears in shops and online. It is a fresh restart, making room for further innovations.

[Energy infrastructure] In less than a decade, the European Union has spent €440 million on gas pipelines that have either never been completed or are likely to fail, according to new research published on Monday (22 February).

[Renovation Wave] While Czech coal mining regions supply heat and electricity to the whole country, local people are often unable to afford heating their own homes, researchers say. More broadly, Czechia is struggling to meet its EU reporting obligations on energy poverty, an issue common to other countries in Central and Eastern Europe.

[European Green Deal] Europe is an undisputed global leader in clean technologies like offshore wind. But to ensure European companies and workers can compete in a global economy that will be increasingly fuelled by climate innovations, much more needs to be done, argue Peter Sweatman and Thomas Pellerin-Carlin.

[Development Policy] The European Union envisages providing around one billion euros over six years to aid Ivory Coast's cocoa sector as it adapts to EU supply chain laws due to be introduced later this year, its envoy in Abidjan said.

[Energy & Environment] As Europe charts a green recovery, industries capable of delivering sustainable growth must be nurtured. European battery manufacturers play an important role here.

[Energy & Environment] The fertilizer industry has identified the most promising technologies for making green fertilizers. The challenge is to make the business case for decarbonised products. This can be achieved by driving down the cost and addressing technical challenges on the supply...

[Energy & Environment] Thirty days after Joe Biden entered the White House, the US is officially back in the Paris Agreement. EURACTIV's media partner, Climate Home News reports.

[Transport] The EU's energy commissioner, Energy Kadri Simson, has revealed details of upcoming fuel legislation, saying a certification scheme for renewable and low-carbon fuels and gases is on the horizon.

[Sustainable Aviation] In the first edition of EURACTIV’s Yellow Room, we are talking about the European airline industry’s sustainability plan to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. The aviation sector is facing the double challenge of coming up with alternative fuel solutions...

[Industrial decarbonisation] Only 14% of publicly listed companies in the steel, cement, aluminum, paper and mining sector are on track to meet the Paris Agreement’s 2°C climate target, according to a report by the Transition Pathway Initiative (TPI), a global investor group supported by the UN. Still, some European companies offer hope, EURACTIV Germany reports.

[Economy & Jobs] Europeans want companies to be accountable for their environmental impact. That is one of the reasons why revising the EU's non-financial reporting directive is as political as it is technical, write Olivia Grégoire and Pascal Durand.

[Energy & Environment] The EU can lead the sustainable transformation of our supply chains towards no-deforestation. If we want producer countries to follow, we need to support them in improving practices instead of only offering criticism and bans.

[Energy & Environment] According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), developing renewable gases is essential to advancing energy sector decarbonisation. The European Commission states in its Energy System Integration, Hydrogen and Methane emission reduction strategies that renewable gas will be critical for the transformation of the energy system.

[Economy & Jobs] A tougher approach with partners and more focus on climate and labour rights will be key pillars of the new EU trade policy outlined by the European Commission on Thursday (18 February).

[Energy transition] The European Union's executive will push for a 10-year phase-out of fossil fuel protection under the energy charter treaty (ECT), following calls from some EU countries to quit the accord unless it can be aligned with Europe's climate goals.

[European Green Deal] The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has called on EU member states to speed up delivery of their national spending plans in order tap into the EU's €750 billion recovery fund, but concerns have been raised over a lack of transparency on how the money may be spent.

[Energy & Environment] Electrification is a magic word on the path to a climate-neutral EU and decarbonisation, but it needs imports of electrical steel. How to align EU trade policy with European Green Deal objectives?

[Hydrogen] Most of the world's planned hydrogen projects and the biggest chunk of related investments this decade are expected to be in Europe, an industry report said, as the continent races to scale up the low-carbon fuel to meet climate goals.

[European Green Deal] Three top officials in Ursula von der Leyen's green-oriented European Commission – Josep Borrell, Stella Kyriakides and Adina Vălean – have until recently had ties with the fossil fuel industry, according to new research revealed exclusively by EURACTIV.

[Energy & Environment] The European Commission is expected to propose reforms to an international energy treaty as early as Monday (15 February), EU officials said, after some governments have said the bloc should consider quitting the agreement because it could threaten climate goals.