The debate in France today on choosing the electricity mix is set against the backdrop of an ageing production infrastructure that is earmarked for replacement. So, what electricity mix is the answer? And does the country need to build new nuclear reactors in order to have decarbonised electricity?
Nuclear energy has been brought back into the European energy debate due to populist power. Currently, a complex debate is taking place within the EU about whether nuclear power should be part of the Taxonomy for Sustainable Activities. To determine whether nuclear energy can, or even should, play a role in future energy policy, it must fulfil basic criteria of sustainability.
Both in Germany and internationally, the debate on the pricing of greenhouse gas emissions is experiencing a renaissance. However, an enlightened and realistic discussion of ways and means is needed so that CO2 pricing instruments can play a stronger role in climate policy. In this study, climate and energy expert Felix Chr. Matthes of the Öko-Institut examines the relevant elements of a CO2 pricing strategy. He gives an overview of design criteria and mechanisms of action.
The World Nuclear Industry Status Report 2019 (WNISR2019) provides a comprehensive overview of nuclear power plant data, including information on age, operation, production and construction.
This briefing is an overview of the EU’s plans to fund and boost climate action. It also provides policy guidelines and recommendations to EU institutions and national governments as to how to finance a European Green Deal and ensure a smoother transition to a climate neutral economy. Furthermore, it advises civil society organisations on how to engage in the process and ensure a consistent and independent monitoring of progress that will be made in the coming years.
The amount of nuclear waste is growing worldwide. But even 70 years after the beginning of the nuclear age, no country in the world has found a real solution for the radiating legacy of nuclear power.
The EU, its institutions and all Member States must prioritize urgent action in order to implement the Paris Agreement's goal to limit the increase in temperatures to 1.5°C. The MFF 2021-2027 is the last investment cycle to help change course, and a stronger climate performance is urgently needed to reach our 2030 climate targets.
The World Nuclear Industry Status Report 2018 (WNISR2018) provides a comprehensive overview of nuclear power plant data, including information on age, operation, production and construction. WNISR2018 has put particular attention to seven Focus Countries representing about two thirds of the global fleet.
The paper outlines the environmental dimension of the European security policy and security-related foreign policy and discusses how the integration of environmental concerns into this policy framework could – and should – be improved to support the delivery of the 2030 Sustainability Agenda, both in the EU and globally.
Being one of the wealthiest regions in the world, the EU has a lot to give when it comes to the delivery of SDGs in the global context. However, as one of the world’s biggest consumers and trading blocs it also has a lot to answer.
