Green Options » european energy policy

European Union Bans Incandescent Light Bulbs

Timothy B. Hurst — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 00:52:34 +0000

EU energy ministers meeting last week in Luxembourg have given final approval to an EU-wide ban on incandescent light bulbs that would begin in 2010. The switch to energy-saving bulbs, first ordered at last year’s Brussels summit as part of an aggressive energy policy to fight climate change, was approved at the negotiations leading up to a meeting of European heads of state, being held next week.

>>More on European energy policy at RG&B

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Will EU Member States Use Economic Crisis to Weasel out of Climate Targets?

Timothy B. Hurst — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 21:48:56 +0000

Leaders of some EU countries may use the global financial crisis as an excuse to back out of climate change commitments, according to sources close to the ongoing energy negotiations The Guardian reports that the EU council, which meets next week, will propose dropping the previous commitment to an automatic increase in emissions cuts if the world gets a major climate change agreement next year in Copenhagen - which is a big “if.”

The current EU target of a 20% reduction in emissions by 2020 is set to automatically increase to 30% if a global deal is signed. But apparently, EU is seeking a completely new legislative process if the EU target is to go over 20%.

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France Invests $549 Million in Electric and Hybrid Cars

Andrew Williams — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 17:42:52 +0000

The French government announced today that it has earmarked a massive €400 million ($549 million) in state support for the development of electric and hybrid cars. The news comes hot on the heels of key pledges on the development of electric cars from Renault and Peugeot-Citroen that signal a major shift in green transport policy across the country.

Speaking at the Paris Motor Show, President Nicolas Sarkozy said the investment is destined “exclusively for the research and development of non-polluting vehicles.” His comments follow earlier announcements from French carmakers Renault SA and PSA Peugeot Citroen of separate agreements with energy company Electricite de France (EdF) to develop and market green vehicles.

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Russia’s Claims to the Arctic Shelf…and Its Oil

Amanda Peterka — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 21:10:13 +0000

It’s easy to declare a chunk of land belongs to your country. It’s a lot harder to put that into practice, especially when that new territory is one that’s in the center of the global warming debate. But Russia is trying to do just that, and took a new step in that direction yesterday.

On Sept. 23, President Dmitri Medvedev told his Security Council to start drafting plans for governmental policy in a huge area of the Arctic Shelf. The area is one of huge deposits of natural gas and shelf hydrocarbon. The area is also home to the Northern Sea Route, the quickest way to get from Europe to the Americas and Asia.

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Italy’s Berlusconi Vows a Return to Nuclear

Timothy B. Hurst — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 02:11:16 +0000

Italian energy plan to also include renewables

Italy’s Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi announced the introduction of “a national energy plan” on Saturday, including a return to nuclear power.

A month after the conservatives and their embattled leader returned to power back in April, the Italian government said it would begin building nuclear power stations to solve the country’s dependence on foreign oil and gas supplies.

“A new national energy plan will be presented in spring, which will be based on three points: diversification of supplies, the start of nuclear energy production and development of renewable and alternative energy,” Berlusconi said at the opening ceremony of a new liquefied natural gas terminal.

>>More on energy policy in Europe at RG&B

The decision to return to nuclear would reverse a 20-year ban on nuclear power stemming from a 1987 referendum passed in the aftermath of the nuclear disaster at Chernobyl, a year earlier. The country’s four nuclear plants operating at the time were shut down, and have not produced any power since.

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