World’s first CO2 emissions tariff to be introduced in the E.U. by 2026
The EU wants to introduce CO2 emissions costs on imports of steel, cement, fertilizers, aluminum and electricity, from 2026.
Europe
This archive covers progress stories and milestones from across Europe, spanning health, climate policy, social equity, and scientific research. From small-nation experiments to E.U.-wide initiatives, these reports highlight what is working and why.
Ukraine and Moldova join European power grid, ending their dependence on Russia
ENTSO-E, whose 39 members operate the world’s largest interconnected electrical grid, said the move means they will be able to help maintain the stability of the nations’ power systems.
E.U. looks to cut reliance on Russian gas with new investment in climate-friendly heat pumps
The EU will target programs and policies to accelerate the installation of clean, efficient heat pumps to the tune of 10 million new heat pump installations in the next five years.
Scientists develop a new method for recycling industrial plastic at room temperature in 20 minutes
The researchers at the University of Bath hope the new process will help recycling become less energy intensive, and thus more economically viable.
The U.K. repeals anti-homelessness law
There’s been a shift in policing attitudes overall, with police forces saying that they were moving away from arresting people under this act in favor of more “meaningful solutions.”
Germany aims to get 100% of energy from renewable sources by 2035
Economy Minister Robert Habeck has described the accelerated capacity expansion for renewable energy as a key element in making the country less dependent on Russian fossil fuel supplies.
E.U. adopts new tolling rules in watershed moment for green trucking
By May 2023, haulers operating zero-emissions trucks — battery electric or hydrogen — must be given discounts of at least 50% on distance-based road tolls.
Wales offers £1,600 a month to care leavers in basic income pilot
Every 18-year-old leaving care will be offered £1,600 a month for two years.
Officials said it was the highest amount offered on a basic income scheme anywhere in the world.
Nuclear fusion heat record a ‘huge step’ in quest for new energy source
Nuclear fusion just hit a stunning new benchmark: scientists at the JET facility in Oxfordshire sustained a reaction for five seconds, releasing 59 megajoules of heat — more than double what the same machine produced in 1997. Inside the doughnut-shaped reactor, plasma reached 150 million degrees Celsius, roughly ten times hotter than the sun’s core, fusing hydrogen isotopes the same way stars do. The five-second burst matters because it proves the fuel can be burned stably and repeatably — the foundation any future power plant will need. If researchers can keep building on this, fusion’s promise of abundant, carbon-free energy drawn from seawater could reshape what a just, livable energy future looks like for everyone.
Norway to add gender-neutral pronoun to official Norwegian language
The gender-neutral third-person singular counterpart to the feminine “hun” and the masculine “han” will be “hen.”