No. 1 March 2023
Global warming alters plankton communities
Plankton are cornerstones in marine food webs. Now research in the Mediterranean Sea shows that even short-term heat waves in the oceans can cause great damage to plankton communities.
Editorial: Need for an integrated view on oceans and climate
The oceans are hotter than ever. New records for marine heatwaves seem to be set more or less annually.
Mediterranean Sea will become a low-sulphur fuel area by 2025
The Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) of the IMO met for its 79th session in December 2022. The MEPC adopted amendments ...
Overcoming windpower conflicts in the Baltic Sea
Two conflicts regarding the location of offshore wind power in Estonia and Poland, show the benefit of including a wide range of stakeholders at an early stage in the planning process.
The long-term goal is 1.5°C
UN and G20 summits reaffirm that limiting global warming to 1.5°C requires global CO2 emissions to be reduced by 45% by 2030 relative to the 2010 level and to net zero by 2050.
CO₂ from the cement industry can be reduced without CCS
There are good opportunities to reduce emissions from cement production, which now amount to some 7 per cent of global carbon dioxide emissions.
Measuring ozone the right way
Ground-level ozone affects our crop yields, with wheat being the most sensitive. Various indices can be used to express the ozone exposure of crops.
New US standard for fine particles to be expected
The US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) proposes to tighten national air quality standards for fine particle matter (PM2.5) for the first time since 2012.
Renewables are planable
There is no need for fossil fuels or nuclear power to stabilise our power system. Large power plants actually increase uncertainty, since the effects are so great when they fail to deliver.
Harvests from rewetted land
To reduce greenhouse gas emissions we need to restore huge areas of degraded peatland. Paludiculture can play an important part in stimulating interest among landowners.
Carbon removal proposal – a gift to emitting industries
A new Commission proposal presents carbon dioxide removal as an alternative to stop emitting CO2. This may open up large loopholes in EU climate policy.
Flemish nitrogen breakdown
Nitrogen policy in the Flanders, in Belgium, has now become as explosive as it has been in the Netherlands in recent years.
Energy savings in buildings – an untapped potential
Heating and cooling of buildings is behind a third of CO2 emissions in the EU. Less than 1% of the stock is renovated each year; member states must step up and increase the pace.
Wind, water and solar – enough to solve the climate crisis
The payback time for a transition to a completely renewable energy system is less than six years. Additionally, it would require only about 0.53% of the world’s land for new energy which is less than the land required for the current energy system.
Greening electricity
Wind and solar produced more than 10% of global electricity in 2021, for the first time. They also surpassed nuclear, which fell below 10% for the first time in several decades. Hydro is still the top non-fossil electricity producer, but solar and wind are growing much faster.
EU is too slow on phasing-out fossil fuels in transport sector
The EU reached agreement in February 2023 on ending sales of new combustion engine cars and vans by 2035. But phasing out sales of new cars with internal combustion engines in the EU by 2035 ...
Policies for better air quality
A new review sheds light on the effectiveness of policies across the globe in reducing traffic emissions.
South African coal risks almost 80,000 lives
South Africa’s state-owned power company, Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd, operates 15 coal-fired power stations. Most of them are located ...
Tailwinds for new Atlantic ECA
Significant progress has recently been made towards the development of a new EmissionsControl Area (ECA) in the Atlantic ...
Member states fail to limit ammonia emissions
The European Commission published its regular package of infringement decisions in January 2023. With regards to air quality, the Commission ...
NGOs want the ice in the Arctic to be white, not black
Black carbon (soot particles) often present in diesel exhaust has an albedo reducing effect when it deposits on snow and ice.
Planters and bollards improve air quality
So called, Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTN) were, in a recent study, shown to have the potential to substantially reduce air pollution and traffic in target areas.
Scrappage scheme paves the way for expanded ULEZ
The Mayor of London has launched a new scrappage scheme totalling £110 million to help prepare for the expansion of the Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) from 29 August 2023.
Air quality advice differs across Europe
A recent WHO report found tremendous variations in the way that air quality is communicated to citizens. Most countries in the WHO European Region ...
Germany wants to scrap VAT on vegetables
German agriculture minister Cem Özdemir has proposed lowering value-added tax (VAT) on fruit and vegetables to zero, Euractiv reports.
Court stops dairy producer from making net-zero claim
The Danish-Swedish dairy giant Arla Foods can no longer market its products with the expression “Net-zero climate footprint” according to a ruling by ...
Cutting carbon emissions from offshore wind
A group of European offshore wind players will work with the Carbon Trust, a government industry body, to “measure and address” carbon emissions linked to construction and installation of turbines at sea.
Gotland – an energy self-sustaining case study
The Swedish island of Gotland is aiming to become a fully self-sufficient sustainable energy region with its Got Heat project.
Bełchatów most harmful to health and climate
A scientific report in Nature has ranked European industrial facilities by toxicity and global warming potential. The European facility with ...
Unequal risk of dying from air pollution
A recent study in Brussels, which followed more than 400,000 residents, looked at air pollution exposure and the risk of dying in a cardiovascular or respiratory diseases.
European Commission taken to court over fossil greenwashing
A year ago the ten leading environmental NGO networks in the EU and in Brussels urged the EU to review the Commission’s Taxonomy Complementary Delegated Act ...
EU agrees deforestation law
Last December the EU agreed that companies will have to show that their products have not contributed to deforestation if they want to sell them in the EU.
Report on particles
Particles are present in all the air we breathe, in different sizes, shapes and compositions, and can contribute to disease or ultimately death.