Between a rock and a hard place: energy and carbon in the new political cycle
At first glance, the EU’s 2024-29 policy cycle may appear focused on the technical implementation of the vast amount of climate legislation agreed under the Fit for 55 package. Yet beneath these technicalities lie important strategic choices. Chief among them is how to boost economic competitiveness while safeguarding climate credibility. Plans for a Clean Industrial […]
Understanding the barriers to recycling critical raw materials for the energy transition
Rising geopolitical tensions and the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic have intensified concerns about securing access to the critical raw materials (CRMs) that are needed for the energy transition. A group of 17 elements referred to as rare earth elements (REEs) are among the CRMs for which security of supply is increasingly becoming a matter […]
Rapidly including the Western Balkans into the EU ETS is the only effective way to phase-out coal and exclude Russia
The Western Balkans power sector is close to collapse. Approximately two-thirds of the Western Balkans’ electricity is generated by lignite, most often by power plants that have operated for over 40 years. The carbon intensity of the region’s electricity sector is three times higher than that of the EU. Almost no power plant can run […]
The gender-blind assumptions of the EU’s green transition require a reality check
The European Green Deal is committed to ‘leaving no one behind’. However, as shown in a study for the European Parliament, co-authored by CEPS, the Fit for 55 package, a series of legislative measures to align EU legislation with the Green Deal, has paid scant attention to its intersectional and gendered repercussions. It seemingly delegates […]
In turbulent times, the EU must make up its mind on offshore wind in low and medium wind speed regions
In pursuing the EU’s strategic autonomy and industrial competitiveness, offshore wind’s significance cannot be overstated. President von der Leyen announcing the European Wind Power Package during her State of the European Union address has confirmed wind energy as a cornerstone of the EU’s upcoming comprehensive industrial policy, which itself is fortified by the Green Deal […]