Analysis and opinion on environmental issues. Updated first of each month.
Latest from COMMENTARY
EEA, Air pollution levels across Europe still not safe, especially for children
Air pollution threats to children’s health
Cross-cutting story 5: Co-benefits of addressing climate change and pollution – European Environment Agency
Intersections of pollution and climate change
1 Apr 2023EEB, Environmental crime is a crime – it’s time to act like it
The legal arsenal to tackle environmental crime is lacking both at national and European level.
1 Mar 2023Oil majors investing 8 times more in biofuels than hydrogen
Charge that oil producers are not being serious about investing in genuinely clean fuels, but choosing the easy, unsustainable biofuels option
1 Feb 2023EEB, The Elephant in the Room of EU Climate Action
Emission reductions in agriculture should take explicit priority in the EU’s climate policy
1 Jan 2023EEA, Energy prosumers and cities
How prosumers (producer-consumers) of renewable energy can help to accelerate the transition to a decarbonisation of society
1 Dec 2022Peter Lehner and Nathan Rosenberg, “Farming for Our Future: Opportunities Abound”
How agriculture can be transformed to help stabilize our climate.
1 Nov 2022EEA, Beating cancer – the role of Europe’s environment
A brief overview of the evidence on the environmental and occupational determinants of cancer in Europe and of EU policy responses.
1 Oct 2022Barry McMullin, Andrew Jackson, Paul R. Price and John Sweeney, “Irish Sectoral Emissions Ceilings under the first Carbon Budget Programme: Flawed both in law and in science”
The Irish government’s flaws in dealing with Sectoral Emissions Ceilings under the first Carbon Budget Programme
EEB/META, World’s First Special Rapporteur on environmental defenders now at the other end of the line
The world’s first Special Rapporteur on environmental defenders under the Aarhus Convention
1 Aug 2022Methane at Sea: Finding the Invisible Climate Killer
So-called ‘green’ liquid natural gas (LNG) contains significant amounts of invisible methane being released into the atmosphere.
1 Jul 2022Michael Northrop, How is it possible that a project like the East Africa Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) could be under serious consideration in 2022
EACOP Must Be Stopped
1 Jun 2022EEA, Europe’s air quality status 2022
The status of concentrations of pollutants in ambient air in 2020 and 2021 by pollutant, with both EU air quality standards and the WHO guidelines
1 May 2022EEA, Europe’s groundwater — a key resource under pressure
On World Water Day 22 March 2022, an overview of the state of groundwater in the EU
1 Apr 2022Michael Northrop, “Financing fails to deliver at COP26”
Finance is uniquely positioned to save the planet, but has already financed 1.5֯ C of warming,
1 Mar 2022An Taisce action on Kilkenny cheese factory planning decision
An Tasice’s role in protecting the heritage and environment of Ireland
1 Feb 2022T&E, “That inedible dish called the EU Taxonomy”
Trying to preserve the EU Taxonomy for sustainable activities and warding off greenwashing
1 Jan 2022Andrew Phillips and Charles Seaford, “The Climate Consensus. The Public’s Views on How to Cut Emissions: Results from the Climate Calculator,” DEMOS
A viable path to meeting the 2030 target chosen by the UK public
1 Nov 2021EU Ombudsman Emily O’Reilly, “Ethical lobbying in a post-COVID world”
If enough people want to change an approach, want to redefine ethical lobbying in a post-COVID-19, climate-challenged world, then change can happen.
1 Oct 2021Nick Evans and Matthias Duwe, “The contribution of national advisory bodies to climate policy in Europe (EEA)”
Growing importance of national climate advisory councils across Europe
1 Sep 2021EEB, “Why EU’s ‘Fit for 55’ is unfit and unfair”
The European Commission’s ‘Fit for 55’ package is high on planet-saving rhetoric but low on ambition.
30 Jun 2021Transport & Environment, “Electric car batteries need far less raw materials than fossil-fuel cars – study”
An electric vehicle (EV) battery uses up just 30kg of raw materials with recycling compared to the 17,000 litres of petrol burned by the average car.
1 Jun 2021Kayle Crosson, Some Commentary on Pending Irish Climate Bill
Getting up to speed on the new pending Irish Climate Bill
1 May 2021Frank Convery and Thomas Sterner, “Framing the Challenge Towards a Deep Climate Collaboration (China, European Union, India, US) – DCC4”
On getting the four largest greenhouse gas emitters (China, the European Union, India and the US) to find ways to collaborate on climate action
1 Apr 2021