Energy

Emission reductions under the world’s current climate pledges are “only 20%” of what is needed to limit global warming to 1.5°C, the International Energy Agency has warned in a new report, while its director, Fatih Birol, urged the EU to do more to support global ambitions.

The European Commission does not plan to propose an efficiency standard that would end the sale of fossil fuel powered heating systems, an official from the executive’s energy directorate said on Tuesday.

The European electricity industry is worried that divergent member state responses to rising energy prices may jeopardise EU climate ambitions and slow down the build-out of renewables.

Making waste-to-energy plant operators pay for their CO2 emissions would incentivise waste prevention and recycling, while the plans of some to use carbon-capture technology are little more than an “expensive distraction”, campaigners argue on the basis of reports released this week.

Campaigners and analysts have urged EU member states to follow in the footsteps of the UK by planning to phase out all fossil fuel power capacity by 2035.