EU proposes new regulations on shipments of waste
The European Parliament has voted in favour of new regulations to reduce the volume of waste that is shipped between different countries.
European Parliament
EU targets energy sector in bid to reduce methane emissions
EU Member States and the Commission have agreed to a proposal requiring the energy sector to accelerate its efforts on methane emissions reduction, as part of its ‘Fit for 55’ package. The bloc has yet to do the same with the agriculture sector, which is the largest emitter of anthropogenic methane.
EU agrees details of carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM)
MEPs reached a provisional agreement with the European Council on the basic outline of its tariff plan for carbon intensive industries. The hope is that the carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM) will address the problem of carbon leakage and raise global climate ambition.
EU agrees new rules to make aviation sector ‘Fit for 55’
Revised EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) rules to include the aviation sector can help the bloc reach its ‘Fit for 55’ emissions reduction goal by 2030. The industry has been ineffective in taking action on its own to reduce emissions, which can justify resorting to the 'polluter' pays principle.
EU Parliament calls for united exit from the Energy Charter Treaty
The European Parliament is calling on the European Commission to initiate the coordinated withdrawal of all Member States from the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT).
European Parliament passes CSRD and unveils sustainability measures
The European Parliament has unveiled a series of measures around sustainability. It has revised its Fit for 55 package, adopted new reporting rules for multinationals, voted to include energy measures in national recovery plans, and approved a new law on cybersecurity.
EU to allow biomass for RED goals
The European Parliament has voted to allow the continued use of biomass (particularly woody biomass) as a renewable energy source. It has however put a cap on the amount of primary woody biomass that can be counted towards inclusion under the Renewable Energy Directive (RED).
Why including natural gas and nuclear in the EU Taxonomy is so controversial
Following the European Parliament’s approval, amendments to the EU Taxonomy approving the inclusion of nuclear and gas as sustainable investments will come into force in 2023. The debate rages on however, as inclusion could undercut the very point of the Taxonomy.
EU Parliament and Council reach agreement on CSRD
Following months of debate, the Council and European Parliament have reached a provisional political agreement on the corporate sustainability reporting directive (CSRD).