No. 2 June 2022
IED review may bring justice to affected citizens
The proposal for the review of the Industrial Emissions Directive (IED) reveals several improvements, but there are also serious flaws when it comes to reporting and adapting to climate targets.
Editorial: Clean air narrative must include lifestyle changes
Spring has arrived in Sweden and the trees are bursting into leaf. But these are also worrying times ...
Air quality still a major health risk for Europeans
The Covid lockdown led to reduced pollution from traffic in 2020. Nevertheless, 96 per cent of Europeans were exposed to harmful levels of fine particultate matter (PM2.5).
Will FuelEU Maritime deliver on decarbonisation?
Policymakers should introduce dedicated quotas and incentives to boost demand for hydrogen-based shipping fuels.
Flanders acts on nitrogen pollution
In April the Flemish government presented a proposal to deal with the high levels of nitrogen emissions in the region.
CCS around the world
This is a continuation of an article from the previous issue, here presenting the situation for Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) in Australia, China and the US.
Bye, bye oil, hello peace & democracy
We can get rid of oil, is the chief message of a new AirClim report, Phasing out oil. Many of the methods and policies were in fact devised in 1974, and many have been added since.
Implications of the Russian military attack on Ukrainian nuclear facilities
Russian military attacks on Ukrainian power plants were the first real example of an event that was always considered a theoretical scenario.
The Paris Agreement climate goal is within reach, but requires steep emission reductions
Over the past year Climate Action Network Europe, Climate Analytics and AirClim have been working on an analysis of pathways ...
Are we really on track to limit temperature rise below 2°C?
A recent Nature article by Malte Meinshausen et al.1 received considerable attention in the media under the headline that current countries’ pledges to reduce greenhouse gas emissions may limit global temperature rise to just below 2°C.
EU carbon market must deliver faster emission cuts
There is an overestimation of the carbon-allowances needed and the current proposal will even be inadequate to meet the 2030 target, according to new research.
Fossil advertising – halfway towards a ban
A campaign that is calling for a ban on fossil advertising at EU level is well underway. Its main objective is to achieve an EU ban on fossil advertising through a citizens’ initiative that is currently collecting signatures throughout the EU.
Planning for a green recovery
While the war is still ongoing, the Ukrainian environmental movement has already started to plan for how sustainabilty can be integrated in the rebuilding of their country.
Climate change and other threats to marine life in the Baltic Sea
Researchers conclude that climate change represents the overarching factor, affecting almost all the other natural and human-induced factors in the Baltic Sea.
Marine heatwaves forecasted
Marine heatwaves (MHWs) are extended periods of extremely warm seawater. They can have very serious consequences both ecologically and socioeconomically.
1.5°C: a tipping point for the Arctic
A recently published briefing by Climate Analytics summarises some of the observed and projected impacts on the physical, biological, and human dimensions ...
The untapped potential of rooftop solar power
A new report produced by CAN Europe and its member organisations focusing on rooftop solar PV on residential buildings ...
The EU’s Fit for 55 proposals are not fit for 1.5
AirClim has published several climate policy briefings which demand that the EU must increase its climate ambition.
EU hydrogen plan may do more harm than good
The EU’s flagship hydrogen plan has been labelled ‘dangerous’ by Transport & Environment (T&E) and risks undoing positive, ambitious steps to promote ...
UN review of the long-term climate target
Climate Action Network has sent a submission to the UN Climate Convention with proposals for the Second Periodic Review and the Structured Expert Dialogue (SED).
Consultation on Sustainable Food Systems
The European Commission has opened a consultation on a legislative framework for a Sustainable Food System ...
Fungi-based meat alternatives can stop deforestation
If 20 per cent of global consumption of meat from ruminants is replaced by microbial protein by 2050, it would be enough to stop the expansion of pastures ...
Health inequalities highlighted at Zero Pollution stakeholder meting
The EU Zero Pollution Stakeholder Platform held its second meeting on 25 April with a focus on health and the Zero Pollution Action Plan ...
Top 12 measures to limit car traffic in cities
A study by Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies has screened nearly 800 peer-reviewed reports and case studies from all over Europe ...
Smoke, malaria and children under five
The smoke from biomass burning causes severe health risks, including 450,000 premature deaths in children under five years of age.
Governments in EU may be liable for dirty air
European Union citizens whose health had been affected by excessive air pollution may be able to claim damages from governments ...
Egypt’s coral reefs endangered due to climate change
Climate change could affect 94% of Egypt’s coral reef tourism income, says study. For many years the rich and diverse ecosystem of ...
Fossil gas and nuclear energy must not be included in EU Taxonomy
In January 2022, civil society organisations sent a letter to President Von der Leyen about the EU Taxonomy: “We are writing ...
Fossil gas has large health costs
A recent report by Health and Environment Alliance shows that burning fossil gas is a false fix for health.
Cleaner vehicles could save 100,000 lives in US
The American Lung Association estimates large health benefits and healthcare cost savings from switching to zero-emission cars and trucks.
UN Health Agency: save lives by moving from fossil fuels
The UN Health Agency is calling for more action to reduce fossil fuels while the world is choking on the resulting harmful pollutants.
Forests of Russia and Climate Change
A recently published analytical report provides information on the forests and forestry complex of Russia, the impact of climate change on them, and possible measures to combat these changes and enable adaptation.
A warm acid bath is not good for fish larvae
In a recent research article in the Journal of Experimental Biology (JEB), researchers used the larvae and juveniles of European sea bass to study effects of ocean acidification ...