Archive
News & Opinions
-
Wind of change
July 13, 2023
The European Union is gearing up for a period of institutional renewal that will shape its agenda for the coming years. With the EU’s political parties preparing their policy manifestos for Europe’s future, and with the European Commission readying itself for a new mandate, it is the right moment for a stocktaking of where we stand on probably the most emblematic policy of this institutional cycle: the EU Green Deal. The pursuit of the Green...
-
The challenges for the EU’s Green Industrial Policy
May 10, 2023
In the past three years since the inception of the EU Green Deal, the road to decarbonisation has become increasingly complex. The Russian invasion of Ukraine, the energy crisis as well as the cost-of-living crisis, have made ambitious climate regulation more challenging for national industries. In response, the European Commission drafted its Green Deal Industrial Plan meant to support the industrial transition. However, three challenges might threaten this plan: political, financial, and social fragmentation. Political...
-
Setting 2040 climate targets: technical adjustment or transformational agenda?
May 8, 2023
The EU is preparing to define its new 2040 climate goals, in an attempt to bridge the existing Commission’s Green Deal plan under the von der Leyen Presidency with the new leadership to be elected mid-2024. A public consultation for all stakeholders is open here. This 2040 exercise could lead to a couple of contrasting scenarios. Scenario 1 entails a purely technical re-modelling exercise on how to reach a lineal 2040 GHG reduction target –...
-
Sound climate policy involves preparing us for life on a hotter planet
April 17, 2023
The EU needs to take adaptation much more seriously in its upcoming climate plans. The EU’s consultations on its 2040 climate target have started. The EU could be aiming for a reduction in CO2 emissions of up to 90%. That would entail a wholesale economic transformation beyond anything we have seen so far. This effort is commendable. If we want to achieve net-zero emissions by mid-century and bridge the gap with the 2030 target, a...
-
Carbon Removals Handbook: A FleishmanHillard policy guide to EU carbon sequestration
November 4, 2022
Brussels is embarking on its carbon removals journey to try to tackle the CO2 already emitted into our atmosphere and the CO2 emissions we cannot reduce. The first big milestone will be the European Commission’s proposal for a carbon removal certification mechanism (CRCM). The challenge will be in setting credible standards for both nature-based removals (such as forestry) and technology-based removals (like direct air capture). The plans for the publication of the CRCM have piqued...
-
Why the EU can’t risk failure at COP27
November 4, 2022
Some claim that the toxic cocktail of conflict, inflation and an energy crisis mean global climate action is doomed. The EU has no choice but to prove the critics wrong, starting with COP27. The case for urgent climate action has rarely been stronger. Earlier this year, the IPCC, the panel of climate scientists of the United Nations, warned that the world needs to prepare for a hotter planet unless concerted, preventive global climate action is taken...
-
No excuses: accelerate the transformation of urban mobility ecosystems
October 21, 2022
The urban mobility revolution is under way. The transport sector has long been an underachiever in the fight against climate change – accounting for 30% of EU greenhouse gas emissions despite its enormous decarbonisation potential thanks to current technologies. Accelerating the transition towards sustainable urban mobility will generate immediate socio-economic benefits. Air pollution is a major cause of premature death and is the largest environmental health risk in Europe, according to the European Environment Agency...
-
Digitalising the energy system – The EU’s one way ticket to a decarbonised future?
October 3, 2022
Cutting our energy use and ramping up renewable energy has been the talk of the town over the past months in Brussels. Recently, policymakers have been scrambling to find solutions that will swiftly alleviate the spiralling impacts of the energy crisis on households. But what about long-term solutions? How do we make sure our energy system is ready for a decarbonised future? The upcoming EU Action Plan on Digitalising the Energy System is expected to...
-
Digital policy remains top of the agenda with cross-sectoral consequences
September 21, 2022
Europe has achieved much in terms of digital policy this year. Landmark pieces of legislation, such as the long-awaited Digital Services Act and Digital Markets Act have been agreed and enter into force from October. Nevertheless, digital policy still remains critical at the European level. In her recent State of the Union speech, Ursula von der Leyen announced two key initiatives for digital in 2023: an initiative regulating the metaverse and a bolster of...
-
As the summer break ends, are we entering the most significant period for European Healthcare since the formation of the Union?
September 9, 2022
After a restful, and restorative summer break, the Brussels Bubble is buzzing again. And the buzz is palpable. There is a lot deserving attention, from the looming recession to the lingering pandemic and the critical energy crisis, and amongst it all, there is a packed healthcare agenda. It could be argued that this is the most significant period for European healthcare reform since the formation of the Union. For a long time, healthcare sat firmly...