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.
European Union
This archive tracks progress tied to the European Union, the political and economic bloc representing member states across Europe. Stories here cover E.U. policies, agreements, and initiatives that advance health, climate, human rights, and economic well-being.
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.
E.U. strikes deal on world-first carbon border tariff
The levy aims to prevent European industry from being undercut by cheaper goods made in countries with weaker environmental rules and incentivize trading partners to decarbonize.
Heat pump sales are soaring around the world
Sales of the climate-friendly heating technology are set to hit record levels, especially in Europe where some countries are seeing sales double in the first half of 2022 compared with the same period last year.
E.U. agrees to new law preventing import of goods linked to deforestation
The law will require companies to produce a due diligence statement showing that their supply chains are not contributing to the destruction of forests before they sell goods into the EU – or they could face hefty fines.
Connecticut becomes one of the first U.S. states to require schools to teach climate change
A recent national survey of science teachers found that most middle school and high school teachers devote just one to two hours of instruction on climate change during the entire academic year.