Honoured as 2011 European Green Capital by the European Commission, Hamburg, Germany is seizing the opportunity to accelerate its growth as a city of the future. Educational programmes that reach across the community and across the Continent , ambitious carbon emissions reduction targets, aggressive leadership in the management and servicing of renewable energies, and major … Read more
The European Commission has adopted a comprehensive strategy, ‘Transport 2050’, for a competitive transport system designed to increase mobility, remove major barriers in key areas and fuel growth and employment. At the same time, the proposals will dramatically reduce Europe’s dependence on imported oil and cut carbon emissions in transport by 60% by 2050. To … Read more
The EU must put extra legislation in place in the lifetime of the current European Commission if it is to meet its commitment to cut domestic carbon emissions by 80-95% by 2050, the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) has warned. The European Commission recently released its ‘Roadmap to a low carbon society’ which outlined the … Read more
Grocery retailer Sainsbury’s is using experimental technology to help reduce the UK’s dependence on fossil fuels. Many people are unaware of the strain the National Grid comes under at peak times, as coal-fired power stations across the country have to be ‘switched on’ to meet the increased demand on the UK’s electricity supply. Power station … Read more
The Amazon rainforest, long regarded as a valuable carbon sink slowing climate change, is in danger of becoming a major source of greenhouse gas emissions. New research shows that the 2010 Amazon drought may have been even more devastating to the region’s rainforests than the unusual 2005 drought, which was previously billed as a one-in-100 … Read more
Energy and utilities firms have expressed optimism concerning the growth prospects for Europe’s electricity market in 2011. A poll of 60 power equipment and service providers and their customers undertaken at Power-Gen Europe 2010 found that the majority of respondents (75%) see a strengthening in market demand next year, despite the uncertainty surrounding international climate … Read more
The European Photovoltaic Industry Association (EPIA) presented concrete evidence at COP16 in support of an accelerated deployment of photovoltaic (PV) solar electricity across the globe to bring clean energy to both the developed and developing world. According to EPIA’s paradigm shift scenario, by 2020, photovoltaic (PV) energy could contribute as much as 12% of the … Read more
EirGrid has launched SmartGrid, an iPhone application that allows users to browse and graphically view key energy-related data in easy and intuitive format. From the effect of household devices on carbon emissions to wind forecasting, SmartGrid provides the user with a real-time view of system demand and carbon emissions. A key feature is the real-time … Read more
The NTR Foundation, the independent philanthropic organisation established by NTR plc, has been announced as the principal sponsor of the Carbon Disclosure Project, Ireland 2010. The annual project aims to collect and distribute high quality information that motivates investors, corporations and governments to take action to prevent dangerous climate change. This is the second year … Read more
Dublin is leading the way in cutting its carbon emissions and is on track to becoming one of Europe’s first energy-smart cities. Projects include the world’s first carbon neutral convention centre, a wholly sustainable urban park and an innovative clustering scheme for homeowners to join together to retrofit their houses. Dublin city signed up to … Read more