Climate warrior Greta Thunberg sets sail to Gaza
Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg and 11 others have embarked on a mission towards Gaza, aimed at “breaking Israel’s siege”.
Energy and climate
Latest reporting and analysis on energy and climate.
Dutch offshore wind boom could trigger huge household bill increases
Dutch consumers could pay three times as much for electricity after an ambitious offshore energy expansion, barring a massive change to the current financing model.
‘Wind energy more expensive, less stable and less secure,’ Swedish report finds
A new study by Swedish think-tank the Scandinavian Policy Institute (SPI) has warned that the promotion of wind power as being cost-effective and reliable was misleading…
Shadow fleet ban ‘could trigger escalation’
EU measures targeting Russia’s shadow fleet could risk triggering an escalation in response, experts have told Brussels Signal.
Citing environmental grounds, Swedish court revokes permit for large wind farm project in Baltic Sea
A Swedish court on May 21 revoked a permit for a large offshore wind farm project, citing environmental reasons.
Europe’s next dependency crisis is made of silicon, not oil
China's tech strength increasingly rests on cheap, often sanctioned energy–a model that exposes Europe to new kinds of strategic risk as global supply chains shift.
Russian sanction fatigue sets in, as EU readies ‘massive’ 18th package
The EU is preparing a “massive” new sanctions package against Russia— but after 17 rounds, growing fatigue and limited results have started to fracture the…
Rail Baltica delays cause friction among Baltic states
The Rail Baltica corridor–a high-speed rail link eventually to connect Tallinn with Warsaw–has already hit major rail delays, with Latvia saying it would miss…
Germany drops opposition to nuclear power at EU level – but plants stay shut at home
Chancellor Friedrich Merz's new government has dropped Germany's opposition at the EU to nuclear power.
Battery supply chain still lacks data, Commissioner says
The EU has called for full traceability in electric vehicle batteries by 2027. But it still doesn’t have the data to back that goal up, an EU Commissioner said.
German steel giant Thyssenkrupp sees profits tumble
German steel major Thyssenkrupp released disappointing quarterly results May 15 on the foot of weak European steel demand.
Latest EU sanctions target Russian ‘ghost fleet’ and oil exports that fund Putin’s war
EU member states have agreed on yet another package of sanctions against Russia in retaliation for the invasion of Ukraine.
Germany hits climate targets thanks to economic slump and abandoned power plants
As German experts announced the good news that the nation has reached its climate targets for 2024, attention has turned to the bad news – that achievement has…
Denmark comes in from the cold with rethink on 40-year nuclear power ban
The Danish government is to rethink its 40-year ban on nuclear power plants with a detailed review of the risks and potential of nuclear technology for Denmark's…
Energy company Statkraft halts all new “green hydrogen” projects
Norwegian energy company Statkraft announced it is putting on hold all development of new projects for producing “green hydrogen”.
No French nuclear umbrella for Poland in new bilateral defence treaty
Poland has signed a defence cooperation treaty with France that promised joint military exercises and increased military arms sales to Poland but did not provide…
European Parliament approves loosening of emission rules for vehicle manufacturers
The European Parliament has approved a relaxation of emission rules to help manufacturers avoid additional fines, offering relief to the already struggling European…
A 10% rise in electricity prices could kill 1 in 50 manufacturing jobs, say ECB economists
Economists from the European Central Bank (ECB) have calculated what they said was the detrimental effect of lasting high electricity prices on European employment.
EU energy policy-makers in the dark due to lack of clear data, conference told
A lack of co-ordination and poor access to energy data has hampered the European Union’s ability to deliver energy security, a think-tank conference was told.
Spanish PM champions renewable energy post-blackout
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has doubled down on his plans to expand on renewable energy while continuing to fiercely oppose nuclear power, apparently ignoring…
Slovakia and Hungary reject EU plan to phase out Russian gas by end-2027
Slovakia and Hungary May 7, condemned European Commission plans to phase out Russian gas and other energy imports, deepening a rift with Brussels over relations…
EU’s Russian gas ban relies on its ‘weakest link – traceability’
The European Union’s plan to phase out Russian gas by 2027 hinged on traceability, and that may be its weakest point, experts and officials told Brussels Signal.
Ørsted cancels huge British wind-farm project over soaring costs
Ørsted, the world's biggest offshore wind-farm developer, has decided to drop a major offshore project in the UK, saying it lacked economic sense.
Swedish PM believes NATO defence spending target will hit 3.5 per cent of GDP
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said he anticipated that the NATO members' defence spending norm would sharply rise in the short term.
EU’s Russian gas ban in doubt amid bloc unanimity concerns
The European Union's plan to ban Russian gas imports by 2027 was at risk of being derailed by internal divisions and procedural burdens, according to Belgian MEP…
Global energy: Meetings in Riyadh between Russia and US weren’t merely about Ukraine
Could a great bargain be lurking just beneath the surface, ready to be struck in the fog of geopolitical manoeuvring?
France-based nuclear fusion clean-energy project hits key milestone
A much-delayed nuclear fusion project based in southern France and involving more than 30 countries was said to be ready to assemble the world's most powerful magnet…
Spain ‘ignored numerous warnings about blackouts due to renewables’
Spain was warned well before the outage across the Iberian Peninsula that it risked severe energy blackouts due to its reliance on renewable energy, it has been…
Sanctions loophole: Oil price fall lets Greek ships resume Russian crude trade
Greek oil tankers have quietly resumed shipping Russian crude as Urals Oil prices slide under the G7 cap, exposing a Western sanctions loophole.
Questions arise about role of renewable energy after international electricity blackout
While Spain and Portugal are slowly recovering from the electricity blackout that put both countries to a standstill, experts have been pointing out that renewable…