Keeping climate at the top of the agenda

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As the Nature Restoration Law slowly deflates, it is tempting to write off the EU Green Deal as dead. But the Brussels law-making machine is still churning out important new green rules.

This week, the Parliament’s plenary will vote on several climate-related proposals: limiting trucks’ CO2 emissions, setting up a carbon removal certification system, tackling methane emissions, reforming Europe’s electricity market rules and preparing for new hydrogen markets. 

With the business case for decarbonisation becomes more and more self-evident, there is an openness amongst business and political leaders to maintain the momentum on climate action.

In conversation with Euractiv’s Jonathan Packroff, Volvo Group CEO Martin Lundstedt called for ambitious carbon pricing and was not opposed to tougher CO2 standards for trucks. 

Meanwhile the Commission is actively trying to protect its green industrial champions – Nikolaus Kurmayer has the story on the Commission’s new probe into Chinese-supplied solar projects and Commissioner Thierry Breton’s support for a new solar charter.

At an international level the EU is working steadily to exit the “climate-wrecking” Energy Charter Treaty, as covered by Olivia Gyapong.

And in case more motivation is needed, decision makers know that the enormous bills for climate adaptation are already starting to fall due – and these bills are only going to get larger. Paul Messad has the story. 

But the agenda of the next European Commission will be heavy on economic competitiveness and industry.  To remain a top political priority, climate action must be integral to this programme.

This is by no means guaranteed. A leak of EU leaders’ draft 2024-2029 Strategic Agenda seen by Euractiv does contain references to the climate and the energy transition. But these topics are nowhere near as central as they were in the Green Deal.

The scramble has already begun to shape the agenda for the remainder of the 2020s. The coming weeks may prove critical for Europe’s climate commitment. 

[Donagh Cagney]

• Europe’s industrialists want deep reform of power market to tackle €800b grid spending gap – By Nikolaus J. Kurmayer
• Europe’s industry and power sector emissions plunge 15% in 2023 – By Nikolaus J. Kurmayer

• SOFIA. Bulgaria using Turkish Stream pipeline as a geopolitical weapon, reveals ex-PM Borissov. Sofia has introduced a special gas tax on the transmission of Russian gas through the Turkish Stream to punish Austria for its opposition to Bulgaria joining Schengen, the leader of Bulgaria’s largest party GERB Boyko Borissov announced on Wednesday. Read more.

Germany’s Greens want the EU to go 100% renewable. In a set of recommendations to the next European Commission, the think-tank foundation of the German Greens and NGO heavyweight DUH have urged a 100% renewable energy target for 2040 – and at least 55% renewables for 2030.

That would not just be all electricity, but all transport and heating would have to be fully electrified. And they have a vision not only for Germany, but for other EU countries too.

The two groups want the EU to “reintroduce binding national renewable energy targets” and call for “infringement procedures to accelerate the implementation of legislation for flexibility solutions by the member states.” Recommended reading for wonks, if only to see how much makes it onto the agenda. [Nikolaus J. Kurmayer]

Europe’s gas storage remains comfortably full. As winter comes to an end, European gas storage facilities are fuller than ever before. At least 670 TWh or 68 billion cubic meters are in storage from Portugal to Lithuania. 

Austria stands out with storage still more than 70% full, which could last the country an entire year. “A good basis for suppliers to tackle further diversification,” regulator E-Control said on Thursday (4 April) – a tongue-in-cheek reminder for municipal utilities to look for suppliers other than Gazprom. 

The Guardian captured it well: “Is the energy crisis over? No,” Tomas Marzec-Manser, head of gas analytics at the data provider ICIS, told the paper. Another independent analyst, Seb Kennedy, called it “Schrödinger’s gas crisis,” after the physicist Erwin Schrödinger. Europe is both in a gas crisis, and not. Prices are down, supplies remain uncertain. Schrödinger was, of course, Austrian. [Nikolaus J. Kurmayer]

• The Russian gas transit to Europe via Ukraine must end in 2025 – By Sergiy Makogon

• 10 April. Stocktaking on the clean transition dialogues.
• 10-11 APRIL. Parliament Mini-Plenary (Brussels)
• 15-16 APRIL. Informal Energy Council
• 22-25 APRIL. Last Parliament plenary session before the European elections
  • Circularity requirements for vehicle design and on management of end-of-life vehicles

• 30 MAY. Energy Council 
• SPRING 2024. First European Climate Risk Assessment
• 6-9 JUNE: European elections
• 17 JUNE. Environment Council (Luxembourg)
• 27-28 JUNE. European Council

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[Edited by Zoran Radosavljevic]

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