No. 4 December 2017
CAP fails to target emission sources
Greenhouse gas emissions from farming in the EU are on the rise, while the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) fails to deliver climate action, according to a new “fitness check”.
Editorial: Steps to climate action
A few weeks ago the European Commission presented a communication on “The Future of Food and Farming”, which is one of the first stepping stones in a long CAP reform ...
More flexibility risks further erosion of sustainability ambitions
Direct payments will remain the core of the budget, “greening” will be abolished and member states will get more power, as the Commission points out the future direction for the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).
State of the global climate
The World Metrological Organization (WMO) reports on a number of worrying climate-related records for 2017.
Shipping lobby hinders progress at the IMO
Shipping has a carbon footprint roughly matching that of Germany, and its emissions are projected to grow significantly up to 2050.
Grass-fed beef is not a climate solution
Livestock can under certain conditions and for limited periods of time contribute to carbon sequestration in grasslands, but this can at best offset no more than 11 per cent of all livestock emissions.
Humans can only survive below a threshold of 35°C
Middle East, North Africa and Southern European levels of intense heat could make outdoor work very difficult this century and human life impossible around the Arabian Gulf.
Energy efficiency has multiple benefits
Reducing energy waste through appropriate energy efficiency measures is the most direct way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions ...
Climate change will force mass migration of 1 billion people by 2100
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) released in summer 2017 a joint report entitled “A Region at Risk ...
Global energy systems based on 100% renewables
Accelerated deployment of renewables and energy efficiency can achieve around 90% of carbon emission reductions in the energy sector.
Fossil gas is not a bridge to a clean energy future
The climate cannot afford Europe’s gas addiction and NGOs are campaigning strongly against fossil gas projects.
Electrification of road, air and sea transport
Industry is fast developing visions for an electrified transport system.
Harmful air pollution hits urban citizens
Air quality in Europe is slowly improving, but excessive levels of tiny particles are still responsible for more than 400,000 premature deaths every year.
Regulating ship speed could cut emissions by a third
Reducing the speed of three main ship types by 30 per cent could decrease annual CO2 emissions by nearly 200 million tonnes.
New NGO coalition wants to end coal in EU by 2030
In early November a wide coalition of environmental organisations launched a campaign to make Europe coal-free by 2030.
The biggest polluters
New report shows just 100 companies are source of over 70% of carbon dioxide emissions.
Excess diesel NOx causes 5,000 deaths per year
Every year about 7,500 lives could have been saved in the EU if diesel cars had emitted as little NOx as petrol cars.
Effects of climate change on salmonids
Salmonid fish are sensitive to increased water temperatures. Decreased precipitation, forest fires and ocean acidification are other threats that come with climate change.
Nine million Londoners under threat from particle pollution
Although transport is the main source, between a quarter and a third of London’s PM pollution comes from domestic wood burning.
Coal is finished, CCS doesn’t work
The worldwide movement against coal power is getting stronger and has already made some progress.
Mind the gap
The European Union must urgently strengthen its climate targets for 2020 and 2030.
US expert panel calls for ammonia-based NAAQS
Members of the US Environment Protection Agency’s Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC) examining the ecological effects of nitrogen oxides,
New report: Nordic diet can reduce emissions
A new report from AirClim, “Future Nordic Diets”, explores the subject of sustainable diets and the impact they could have on greenhouse gas and nitrogen emissions.
Italy’s most polluting coal plant taken to court
Italy’s largest and dirtiest coal plant is facing legal action by environmental lawyers. WWF Italy and ClientEarth claim the new permit for Enel’s Federico II power plant ...
Greenhouse gas emissions from global shipping 2013–2015
A new report by the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) that describes trends in global shipping activity and emissions for the years 2013 to 2015 ...
Iceland aims for zero
Iceland has published a national air pollution control programme, under which they aim to cut the number of days per year when particulates from traffic exceed health ...
Mayors want drastic EU measures to cut car emissions
The mayors of nine EU capitals have asked the EU institutions to adopt tougher mandatory legislation to minimise air pollution from cars, including a new Euro 7 “technologically neutral” ...
EU “clean mobility” package presented
On 8 November the European Commission proposed a legislative package aimed at reducing CO2 emissions in road transport and encouraging the uptake of electric cars.
Ban on high-sulphur diesel
China has announced that from 1 November 2017 it would stop domestic sales of diesel with sulphur content higher than 10 parts per millions (ppm), typically used by tractors and ships ...
European Air Quality Index launched
A new European Air Quality Index has been launched that allows users to check the current air quality across cities and regions. The index is accompanied by new country fact sheets ..
New city PM pollution atlas
A new report entitled “Urban PM2.5 Atlas – Air quality in European cities” and produced by the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) provides information on the levels ...