The world needs a tenfold increase of carbon productivity between now and 2050 says a new climate change study by McKinsey’s Global Institute. This is comparable to the historic increase of labour productivity since the beginning of the industrial revolution, only it needs to be done over 40 years instead of 150. That said the [...]

“There is no silver bullet to solve the climate/energy crisis” is one of theses phrases which can be heard over and over again in each and every energy debate in Brussels. Most of the times, the phrase is used by someone who wants to push his or her own silver bullet, be it nuclear, CCS [...]

I am a bit surprised today to see WWF taking the side of globalisation champion Peter Mandelson, as the European Commission decided to retain its duties on energy-efficient light bulbs imported from China for one more year. The Commission decided to give in to its Vice-President, Günther Verheugen, who had been defending the anti-dumping duties to [...]

The publication of a new US report on global oil and gas supplies yesterday confirms that the world economy is on the verge of a new “oil shock”. Coming ten days after the IEA’s gloomy prediction of increasing oil supply tightness by 2012, the National Petroleum Council’s report “Facing the hard truths about energy” admits [...]

German government plans for a 40% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and a 3% yearly improvement of energy efficiency will lead to the “de-industrialisation” of the country, warns the German Federation of Industries BDI. The warning came a few days before Chancellor Merkel’s third energy summit between government and industry representatives.
The summit is supposed to [...]

Former US President Bill Clinton announced the creation of a 5 billion $ programme for making existing building in 15 major cities more energy-efficient. Great, but why is it that all these Presidents and Prime Minister always wake up AFTER they have been in power? I wonder what “green cause” Tony Blair will embrace. More [...]

Better assessment of the environmental impacts of wind farms is needed, according to a new US study undertaken by the National Research Council for the American Congress. Wind energy can reduce greenhouse gas emissions but strong growth of wind parks could become a danger for some bat and bird species. The American Wind Energy Association [...]

With a new Green Paper, the European Commission has started a debate on the use of market-based instruments such as eco-taxes to reach its climate change and energy security targets. One of the objectives is to convince EU member states to shift taxation burdens from labour unto the environment and energy. But as taxation decisions [...]

Commission President Barroso clearly has a good doctor who helped him shake off his climate change fever as quickly as you and I can say “European emissions trading scheme”.
In an article in the British Telegraph yesterday, Barroso is said to have taken the side of all these innocent citizens who might become victim to feverish [...]

In war, countries always seem to find a leader who mixes vision with courage to mobilise populations to overcome even the worst disasters. So where is the next-generation leader able to take global leadership on the way to the new low-carbon economy?
It is surely not any one of the current European heads of state or [...]