Environmental EU funds: €1.9 billion

The Conciliation Committee of the European Parliament and the Council reached an agreement on the EU environmental funding programme LIFE+ for European environmental protection and nature conservation. The total budget for the programme will be €1.894 billion for the period 2007-2013.

At least 78 percent of the budget will support projects in the EU Member States.  At least half of the project volume will be dedicated to nature conservation. Contrary to the original plan, the European Commission will select the projects to be funded and monitor their implementation under LIFE+. However, compared to previous programmes , LIFE+ allows EU Member States to define national funding priorities and comment on individual applications. This will allow project funding to be tailored to regional circumstances. In addition, every Member State will be allocated a fixed amount which could be used for eligible projects.. 

Further information:

LIFE+ programme website

European platform for passive houses

26 March 2007 - Recently a new website to promote the building of passive houses in Europe went online.

The term “passive house” refers to a specific construction standard for residential buildings with good comfort conditions during winter and summer, without traditional heating systems and without active cooling. This way, the heating needs in a passive house are reduced to a point where conventional heating systems are no longer necessary. On the website www.europeanpassivehouses.org interested parties can find information about the principle of passive housing.

The housing sector in Europe is in for a major make-over. Many old houses need to be adjusted to the new standards, especially with respect to energy efficiency. Moreover, it is desirable that most new houses will be constructed through the concept of passive housing, because it is a relatively cheap method to achieve energy savings.

The website on passive housing is a part of the project PEP (Promotion of European Passive Houses), which is supported by the European Commission, Directorate General for Energy and Transport.

‘UK: CO2 and RE targets unlikely to be met’

28 March 2007 - The UK target of a 10% share of renewables in electricity supply by 2010 is very likely to be missed. Also the UK’s national 20% carbon reduction goal set for 2010 seems unlikely to be met, according to forecasts by Cambridge Econometrics (CE), an independent research and consultancy organisation in the UK.

According to the CE report, renewable electricity will account for about 8% of the UK’s total energy generation in 2010, which is 2% short of the government’s target. The report pointed out that this is due to little incentive to invest in renewable projects, while conventional combined-cycle gas turbines are profitable. However, if electricity demand grows by only about 1% per year from 2010 and fossil fuel prices remain relatively high, CE projects that the UK could meet its target of 20% renewable electricity by 2020.

Projected emissions reduction progress in the UK will, according to CE, “not be enough”. Emissions projections predict that CO2 emissions will be 14.3% below 1990 levels in 2010 and 15.5% below 1990 levels in 2020.

Despite missing the national CO2 reduction target, CE expects that the UK will meet its Kyoto Protocol target to cut all greenhouse gases by 12.5% below 1990 levels between 2008 and 2012.

The projections are based on current government policy including the Pre-Budget 2006 measures, involving the introduction of the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation from April 2008, and the existing and additional measures announced in the government’s 2006 Climate Change Programme. The projections include a significant fall in coal-fired power generation and a carbon allowance price of €19 in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme in 2010.

More information:

Cambridge Econometrics press release

Scottish renewables sector grows quickly

28 March 2007 - “From a standing start ten years ago, the renewable energy sector has grown considerably employing thousands and making a major impact on the Scottish economy”, says Jason Ormiston from Scottish Renewables, commenting on the survey ‘Scottish Renewables Economics Impact Report ‘07’. 

The renewable energy industry in Scotland currently employs over 2,500 people, and, in 2005, total revenue was £550 million, according to the survey. Ormiston added: “Scottish Renewables does not represent the entire renewable electricity, heat and transport sectors and, therefore, the numbers employed in the renewables industry in Scotland will be considerably bigger than this report reveals.”

According to Ormiston there have been major job gains in technologies like wave, tidal, biomass and microgeneration.

Further information:

Scottish Renewables Economics Impact Report 2007

Even longer on a litre

28 March 2007 - Who said the efficiency of cars couldn’t be much improved? This spring, more than 250 student teams at the European Shell Eco-marathon will try to improve the standing record of 3,140 kilometres on 1 (one) litre of fuel.

In its 23rd year, the economy marathon for motorists will be held in Nogara, France, from 11 to 13 May 2007. The efficiency race originated from a 1939 argument between two Shell employees as to whose car gave a better mileage. To decide the argument, they filled the tanks and drove them dry. That’s still the basic concept.

More than 3000 students in at least 250 teams represent 20 countries in Europe and beyond. The event has the patronage of EU Commissioner for Science and Research, Janez Potocnik, who comments: “Encouraging creative thinking about renewable energy sources is an important step towards a sustainable, emissions-free future. This event shows that science is fun and accessible.”

Further information:

Website Shell Eco-marathon