Intempéries

Global investment in the clean energy transition grew by 17% in 2023, showing resilience despite geopolitical tensions, high interest rates, and inflation. But was it enough to keep the world on track to hit net zero by 2050? To answer this question, we compare 2023 clean energy investment by sector with what’s annually needed to reach net zero by 2050, in partnership with the National Public Utilities Council.

Donderdag werd aan de Scheldeoevers in Hoboken een nieuwe samenwerking gelanceerd tussen River Cleanup en de Vlaamse Instelling voor Technologisch Onderzoek (VITO). Burgers worden opgeroepen om met drones het zwerfvuil langs de Schelde te spotten en zo hotspots in kaart te brengen. Artificiële intelligentie combineert de beelden, zodat nadien gericht opgeruimd kan worden.

Lancée en 2013, l’organisation à but lucratif The Ocean Cleanup a pour objectif de nettoyer les océans des déchets plastiques.

Een meerderheid van de Belgen zet plasticvervuiling in zijn top drie van grootste milieuproblemen, maar weet niet goed waar ze zelf kunnen helpen. Een gemiste kans, zegt de Belgische organisatie River Cleanup, want er is veel dat we kunnen doen.

Quels sont les pays qui rejettent le plus de plastique dans l'océan ? Pourquoi ? Qu'est-ce que cela signifie pour les solutions de lutte contre la pollution plastique ? Voici un regard de côté pour comprendre l'ampleur et les moteurs de la pollution plastique océanique, afin de mettre en œuvre les interventions les plus efficaces pour la réduire.

This study evaluates how Europe can fulfil its goal of “achieving resource security” and “reducing strategic dependencies” for its energy transition metals, through a demand, supply, and sustainability assessment of the Green Deal and its resource needs.

La République démocratique du Congo a mis aux enchères 27 blocs pétroliers et 3 blocs gaziers. Une décision qui, avertissent les ONG de défense de l’environnement, peut avoir des conséquences catastrophiques pour la biodiversité et les communautés locales.

Ember modelling of least-cost power system pathways reveals that a clean power system (70-80% wind and solar) by 2035 should be at the core of energy planning for a net-zero continent by mid-century.

Countries should move from coal to renewable energy without shifting to gas as a “transition” fuel to save money, as high gas prices and market volatility have made the fossil fuel an expensive option, analysis has found. Natural gas has long been touted as a “transition” fuel for economies dependent on coal for their power needs, as it has lower carbon dioxide emissions than coal but requires similar centralised infrastructure, and gas-fired power stations take only a couple of years to build. Earlier this year, before Russia invaded Ukraine, the European Commission angered green campaigners by including gas as a “bridge” to clean energy in its guidebook for green investment.

Metals will play a central role in successfully building Europe’s clean technology value chains and meeting the EU’s 2050 climate-neutrality goal. In the wake of supply disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Europe’s lack of resilience for its growing metals needs has become a strategic concern. This study evaluates how Europe can fulfil its goal of “achieving resource security” and “reducing strategic dependencies” for its energy transition metals, through a demand, supply, and sustainability assessment of the EU Green Deal and its resource needs . It concludes that Europe has a window of opportunity to lay the foundation for a higher level of strate- gic autonomy and sustainability for its strategic metals through optimised recycling, domestic value chain investment, and more active global sourcing. But firm action is needed soon to avoid bottlenecks for several materials that risk being in global short supply at the end of this decade.