Planes in the E.U. will have to be partly powered by sustainable fuel
By 2025, 2% of fuel offered at EU airports must be sustainable aviation fuels (SAF). This must rise to 6% by 2030, 20% by 2035, and 70% of by 2050.
European Union
This archive collects solutions-journalism stories and milestones connected to the European Union — from policy advances and clean-energy progress to social initiatives and scientific achievements. It tracks meaningful developments across member states and E.U.-wide institutions.
E.U. lawmakers approve world’s first carbon import tax
At the core of the broader EU package is a so-called “Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism” (CBAM), which seeks to incentivize non-EU nations to increase their climate ambitions.
E.U. parliament passes historic law forcing companies to track deforestation
A new law, passed with an overwhelming majority by the European Parliament, requires companies to demonstrate their products aren’t sourced to deforested land or land with forest degradation, or else risk heavy fines.
Europe establishes its first wild river national park in Albania
Albania’s Vjosa River is now Europe’s first wild river national park, locking in permanent protection across 118 miles of one of the continent’s last large free-flowing rivers. The designation blocks 45 proposed hydropower dams that would have fragmented habitat for otters, Egyptian vultures, and the critically endangered Balkan lynx. It’s the result of nearly a decade of organizing by the Save the Blue Heart of Europe campaign, working alongside the Albanian government, the IUCN, and Patagonia, whose non-profit arm contributed $4.6 million. In a Europe crisscrossed by more than a million dams and weirs, the Vjosa offers a glimpse of what rivers once were — and a model other countries can follow as the world works toward protecting 30 percent of the planet by 2030.
E.U. strikes ‘ground-breaking’ deal to cut maritime emissions
Under the law, which is being hailed as the most ambitious maritime fuel legislation in the world, ship emissions will be reduced by 2% as of 2025 and 80% as of 2050.
E.U. Parliament votes to effectively ban new combustion engine cars by 2035
Final approval is expected to be given by March, meaning the world’s largest trading bloc will soon officially be on track to almost completely phase out vehicles powered by combustion engines.
The E.U. to invest more than $270 billion in its own “green deal”
The Green Deal Industrial Plan will simplify regulation to help get proposed green projects up and running faster, accelerating access to investment, developing programs to train skilled workers in green industries, and more.
Wind and solar were E.U.’s top electricity source in 2022 for first time ever
Wind and solar together generated 22.3% of the European Union’s electricity in 2022, edging past nuclear and gas to become the bloc’s largest power source for the first time ever. What makes this remarkable is the year it happened — Europe was navigating war-driven gas shortages, a once-in-500-year drought that crippled hydropower, and unexpected nuclear outages. Clean energy quietly absorbed most of the shock, with solar alone climbing 24% and twenty countries setting national solar records. Analysts now expect fossil fuel generation to fall by a record 20% in 2023 as the buildout continues. Europe’s experience offers a hopeful signal to the rest of the world: renewables aren’t just keeping the lights on through a crisis — they’re becoming the backbone of a modern grid.
Mammal populations in Europe see dramatic increase over last 50 years
Hunting and habitat loss drove many large mammals in Europe close to extinction. New data shows that many are now flourishing again.
E.U. agrees to include shipping companies in emissions trading system
Starting in 2024, shipping companies will have to buy E.U. carbon permits to cover 40% of their emissions, including methane and nitrogen oxides, rising to 70% in 2025 and 100% in 2026.