E.U. mounts legal challenge over Hungary’s record on democracy
The European Union has launched a legal action against Hungary in a deliberate swipe at a country that stands accused by many in Brussels of backsliding on its commitments to democracy.
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.
U.K. launches first research programme on greenhouse gas removal
The U.K. has launched a £8.6 million national research programme to investigate how to remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere, the first of its kind.
U.K. achieves first coal-free day since Industrial Revolution
According to the National Grid, the U.K. did not use coal to generate electricity for a full day on Friday 21 April, the first time since the Industrial Revolution.
Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands want to build an island wind power hub
Showcasing the power of human collaboration at an international level, Germany, Denmark, and the Netherlands hope to work together to build an Island Hub to help harness offshore wind power.
Barcelona to ban old polluting cars in 2019
Barcelona will begin banning cars older than 20 years on weekdays in 2019 in a bid to curb the city’s air pollution problems.
London’s black cabs go electric
Any motorized vehicle will have to meet strict exhaust emissions standards or pay a heavy surcharge to commute around the city center. Electric vehicles (EVs) are one way for drivers to stay compliant and move about freely on the city’s streets.
U.K. emissions fall to lowest level since 19th century
According to the Carbon Brief, CO2 emissions fell by 5.8 per cent in 2016, after coal use fell a record 52 per cent.
Renewables accounted for 90% of Europe’s new power last year
In 2016, 21.1 GW of the 24.5 GW of new energy sources added to Europe’s electrical grids were from renewable sources such as solar, wind, hydro, and biomass.
E.U. court rules U.K. mass surveillance program illegal
Europe’s top court struck a blow against U.K. mass surveillance in 2016, ruling that blanket retention of citizens’ web history, location, and app data couldn’t be justified in a democracy. The case, brought by two MPs from opposing parties, challenged laws letting 48 public bodies access a year of everyone’s data. It drew a clear line: targeted surveillance, yes — indiscriminate collection, no.
Germany unveils the world’s first hydrogen passenger train
The Coradia iLint rolled into Berlin’s InnoTrans rail expo in 2016, looking ordinary except for one detail: its exhaust was water vapor. Six years later, fourteen of these hydrogen-powered trains entered regular service in Lower Saxony, Germany, replacing diesel on a regional line. It was the first working proof that zero-emissions rail could reach beyond electrified tracks.