4 PM CET – Air traffic is growing again and it’s not good news for the environment
Air travel is bouncing back strongly after the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly driven by leisure flights offered by low-cost airlines with affordable European destinations. According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA) 4.35 billion passengers will be flying this year, getting very close to pre-pandemic record levels.
Environmental organizations believe this could lead to very serious consequences as the sector accounts for 12% of global CO2 emissions. Furthermore, they don’t think initiatives like the recent ban on short-haul flights in France could be effective, and they demand more ambitious plans.
2 PM CET –Â Clean energy in the EU: “Smashing record after record”
In May 2023, for the first time for an entire month, wind and solar generated more electricity than fossil fuels in the European Union, a new report from energy think tank Ember shows.
Another milestone. In May, wind and solar produced more electricity in the EU than fossil fuels – for the first time. 'Europe’s electricity transition has hit hyperdrive. Clean power keeps smashing record after record.'https://t.co/JXs58EwbLL pic.twitter.com/HdOcK0I2DF
— Rutger Bregman (@rcbregman) June 11, 2023
“Almost a third of the EU’s electricity in May was generated from wind and solar (31%, 59 TWh), while fossil fuels generated a record low of 27% (53 TWh),” the think tank writes.
12 PM CET – Poland to file a Motion against the EU’s 2035 fossil fuel car ban
According to Climate Minister Anna Moskwa, Poland will soon appeal against the European Union’s “Fit for 55” regulation banning the sale of fossil fuel-powered cars in the EU from 2035, which received the EU’s final approval on March 28, 2023.
BREAKING: EU countries have given final approval on the landmark law to end the sale of polluting cars in 2035.
The auto industry should move forward with the confidence of knowing that the future of European cars is electric.https://t.co/gh7wZmFq5m
— Transport & Environment (@transenv) March 28, 2023
“We don’t agree with this and other documents from the Fit for 55 package and we’re bringing this to the European Court of Justice. I hope other countries will join,” Moskwa said. “We will file the motion in the coming days.”
10 AM CET –Â 75 of the 112 biggest fossil fuel companies have “largely meaningless” net-zero commitments, finds a new report
A new report by the University of Oxford and the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit, which looked at publicly available data by Net Zero Tracker, found that 75 of the 112 biggest fossil fuel companies now have net-zero commitments (compared to 24 a year ago).
However, the report also found these commitments to be “largely meaningless” as most companies didn’t set short-term reduction targets while less than 5% covered all the emissions they are responsible for.
More companies set #NetZero targets; few have credible plans, new @NetZeroTracker report shows
Less than 5% of the companies setting interim targets and covering all the emissions for which a company is responsible.
📰 >> @wirereporter https://t.co/Z2GssIKEam pic.twitter.com/G2NmsKBEsx
— ECIU (@ECIU_UK) June 12, 2023
Editor’s Note: The opinions expressed here by the authors are their own, not those of Impakter.com — In the Featured Photo: Power plant chimney blowing out smoke. Featured Photo Credit: Ella Ivanescu.
