Cities' demand for energy, resources and land will grow globally in the coming decades as urban populations continue to grow rapidly, yet only a fraction of the world's cities have developed targets and strategies for moving to net zero emissions.

That's the stark warning in a major new report produced by the International Energy Agency (IEA) for the G7, which says reducing urban emissions is "essential" for the world to meet its energy and climate targets. He adds that digital solutions that can manage energy consumption patterns and optimize urban infrastructure can play a significant role in reducing emissions from cities. (Michael Holder, more at businessgreen.com)

Green City Times has produced a guide to the climate change mitigation policies and strategies that must be implemented to achieve net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions globally. In order to take effective climate action, all nations, states and countries around the world must meet the climate targets set by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

Targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions were first outlined in the Paris Climate Agreement. The GHG reduction targets have since become more ambitious, so that they now include net zero and carbon neutrality targets. (More on greencitytimes.com)

Recently received revision  guidelines on the energy efficiency of buildings  supports the EU's wider effort to achieve a carbon-neutral economy while improving people's quality of life, reducing household and business energy bills, strengthening the building ecosystem and contributing to Europe's energy independence. in accordance with the REPowerEU plan. The Directive specifically targets the worst performing buildings and households, which are exposed to energy poverty and at risk of energy prices. (More at energy.ec.europa.eu)

As the world struggles to combat climate change, scientists agree that protecting what remains of Earth's vast rainforests is a key priority. When forests are lost, less carbon can be absorbed from the atmosphere. And when trees are burned to clear land for agriculture, the release of huge amounts of CO2 further accelerates global warming.

The importance of forests in the "compensation" of greenhouse gas emissions has long been recognized. Many forest landowners, including a growing number of national governments, offer carbon credits as compensation for forest conservation and emission avoidance. (News Desk., more at thenews.com)

Researchers successfully converted CO ₂  to methanol by shining sunlight on individual copper atoms deposited on a light-activated material, a discovery that paves the way for the creation of new green fuels.

An international team of researchers from the University of Nottingham's School of Chemistry, the University of Birmingham, the University of Queensland and the University of Ulm designed a material made of copper anchored on nanocrystalline carbon nitride. Copper atoms are embedded in a nanocrystalline structure that allows electrons to pass from carbon nitride to CO ₂ , which is a necessary step in the production of methanol from CO ₂  under the influence of sunlight. The research was published in the journal Sustainable Energy & Fuels  Journal of the Royal Society of Chemistry. (UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM, more at eurekalert.org)

In February 2024, the European Commission presented its assessment of the EU's 2040 climate target. The Commission recommended reducing the EU's net greenhouse gas emissions by 90 % by 2040 compared to 1990. The 2040 climate target will reaffirm the EU's commitment to combating climate change and will shape our path beyond 2030 to ensure the EU achieves climate neutrality by 2050. The climate neutrality target is at the heart of the European Green Deal and is a legally binding target set out in European climate law.

The EU's 2030 climate target is to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55 % compared to 1990. The 2040 climate target is our next intermediate step on the road to climate neutrality. (More on climate.ec.europa.eu)

The EU mission label was awarded today to 23 cities that are part of the EU mission focused on climate neutral and smart cities, which is one of the EU missions within the Horizon Europe program. The brand recognizes cities' plans to achieve climate neutrality as early as 2030 and aims to facilitate access to public and private funding to achieve this goal. The first ten cities received the mark in October 2023.

The EU Mission Brand was awarded by Iliana Ivanova, Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, during a ceremony with mayors and city representatives at the EU Research and Innovation Days, Europe's largest forum to discuss the future of science and innovation and to creating solutions with citizens and stakeholders.

23 cities received the label: Ioannina, Kalamata, Kozani, Thessaloniki (Greece), Heidelberg (Germany), Leuven (Belgium), Espoo, Lahti, Lappeenranta, Tampere, Turku (Finland), Barcelona, Seville (Spain), Pecs (Hungary). , Malmö (Sweden), Guimaraes, Lisbon (Portugal), Florence, Parma (Italy), Marseille, Lyon (France), Limassol (Cyprus) and Izmir (Türkiye). (More on ec.europa.eu)

Given the urgency of the matter, more entities are pledging their net zero goals. (more…)

Although the idea of a climate-neutral society is indeed ambitious, there are still several obstacles that will need to be overcome. Here are some relevant examples:

• Costs of implementing climate-neutral policies.
• Appreciate new technologies such as DMFC power supplies as alternatives to traditional methods.
• Political stumbling blocks and legislative tussles associated with climate neutrality.
• Educating the average consumer about the benefits of climate neutrality.

Likewise, there are certain parts of the world that may be hesitant to adopt a climate-neutral mindset simply because of the logistics alone. This is why developed countries must be willing to provide assistance when needed. Nevertheless, some governments are more likely to provide climate-neutral services than others.

51toCarbonZero's mission is to enable large corporations faster and (more…)

It is 2040 and the green revolution in the European Union is 90 percent complete.  Climate neutrality is within reach as the bloc has managed to reduce its collective greenhouse gas emissions to a tenth of 1990 levels, in line with a target proposed 16 years ago. 

The result is a transformed continent - no matter how much the EU's leading politicians, weary of regulations and wary of elections, try to play down the consequences in 2024. Getting here was not easy: government coalitions broke up, companies closed and farmers besieged Brussels more than once. (ZIA WEISE
and GIOVANNA COI, more at www.politico.eu)

The Council and the European Parliament today reached a preliminary agreement on a regulation establishing a framework for strengthening Europe's net-zero manufacturing ecosystem, better known as the Net Zero Industry Act (NZIA). The regulation aims to support the industrial deployment of net-zero technologies needed to achieve the EU's climate goals, using the power of the single market to strengthen Europe's leadership in industrial green technologies.

The "Net Zero Industry Act" sets a target for Europe to produce 40 % of its annual needs for deployment in net zero technologies by 2030 based on National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs) and to capture 15 % of global market value . for these technologies.

During the negotiations, MEPs secured an approach based on a common list of technologies to be supported including, among others, all renewable technologies, nuclear energy, industrial decarbonisation, grids, energy storage technologies and biotechnology. The law will simplify the permitting process and establish maximum terms for approving projects depending on their scope and output.

The agreement provides for the creation of "Net-Zero Acceleration Valleys" initiatives, which will speed up the permitting process by delegating parts of the environmental assessment evidence collection to member states. (More on europarl.europa.eu)

In today's fast-paced business environment, companies face the daunting challenge of simultaneously pursuing sustainability and efficiency while striving to meet Net Zero goals. It is a complex puzzle and many organizations are struggling to piece it together.

This fight is not without consequences. Failure to address sustainability and efficiency challenges can lead to missed opportunities, increased costs, and a growing disconnect between companies and their environmentally conscious stakeholders. The stakes have never been higher.

Net Zero Standards offer a clear way forward. These standards provide guidance and serve as a compass for businesses navigating the environment of sustainability and efficiency. (More on 51tocarbonzero.com )

The Commission welcomes the temporary political agreement reached today between the European Parliament and the Council on the Commission's proposal for the revision of the directive on the treatment of municipal wastewater . This revised directive  substantially will strengthen the protection of human health and the environment against the harmful discharge of municipal wastewater . It will also lead to cleaner rivers, lakes, groundwater and seas throughout Europe.  

Thanks to the new measures, more nutrients will be removed from urban wastewater and new standards will be applied to micropollutants. The Directive will now apply to a wider number of areas as it will also apply to smaller agglomerations from 1,000 inhabitants .   

According to "polluter pays" principle the new law will ensure that the cost of this protection is partially covered by the responsible industry, rather than water charges or the public budget. In addition, the waste water sector will lead to energy and climate neutrality .

The revised directive on the energy performance of buildings moves a step closer to the finish line with the reaching of a provisional agreement. The changes include goals for the renovation of residential and non-residential buildings and the gradual phasing out of heating with fossil fuels. Banks are expected to play a key role in financing the transition.

The European Union has created a strategic program to combat climate change and transform the EU economy into a climate-neutral, green and fair society. The European Climate Act enforced in 2021 marked the main commitment to the transition by making the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the EU by 2030 a legal requirement.

To achieve this, a set of proposals for revising and updating EU legislation has been introduced through the "Fit for 55" package. The legislation proposed amendments in 12 different policy areas ranging from land use and forestry to aviation and maritime transport. One of the most conditional points is the revision of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), as it contains economic, social and financial characteristics.

Researchers present an innovative framework for achieving carbon neutrality in urban areas in a paper published in Environmental Science and Ecotechnology . The study, which focuses on Wuyishan, a service-oriented city in southern China, highlights the importance of inclusive strategies that consider both indoor and outdoor greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for effective carbon mitigation. This study presents a strategy for urban carbon neutrality. It introduces a thorough method of calculating and reducing greenhouse gas emissions and highlights the importance of the often-overlooked off-boundary emissions, which account for 42 % of Wuyishan's total emissions. This approach innovatively combines life-cycle assessments with sector-specific analyzes that cover all aspects of a city's emissions. In Wuyishan, mitigations include expanding solar power, switching to electric vehicles, and improving agricultural practices. The study highlights the need to address both internal and external sources of emissions to develop effective carbon reduction strategies. This is particularly important for cities in developing countries, which face unique challenges and opportunities for sustainable growth due to rapid urbanization and industrial change. (TransSpread)

The EU plans to be carbon neutral by 2050, but to get there it has to overcome two decade-long milestones – each of which means massive adaptation by industry and consumers. The first of these has already been established: achieving at least a 55 percent reduction greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 compared to the 1990 baseline. Now the 27-member European Union is tackling the next phase of the transition: its ambitions to combat climate change by 2040. The bloc's environment ministers began discussions on the target on Monday before the European Commission presents its impact assessment reports on different climate target scenarios early next month. These developments will inform the positions that crystallize in the next European Commission and European Parliament that will emerge from the EU elections this June, with a formal EU proposal to be formulated in late 2024. (Julien GIRAULT)