Amsterdam bans creation of new hotels
Another piece in the overall strategy to reduce tourist flows to the city
This makes it the fourth EU country to wean itself off the polluting energy source
Portugal had 2030 as the planned target year when coal should stop being used as a fuel for electricity production. It decided that was too far off of a deadline, and just this past weekend the last coal plant in the country shut down.
Environmental group Zero said in a statement that the Pego plant in central Portugal, 150 kilometres northeast from Lisbon, had been the country's second-largest emitter of carbon dioxide, adding that "freeing ourselves from the biggest source of greenhouse gases was a momentous day for Portugal".
The good news is that this makes the Iberian country, the fourth in the EU to stop using coal for power generation – the other three being Belgium, Sweden and Austria. 60%-70% of the national electricity is produced through renewable sources already, but that also means there is still a hefty share of imported fossil fuels used for the same purpose.
Even the news of the plant’s closure was not received with applause from all sides since there is already talk that the major shareholder in the facility, Tejo Energia, might have plans to reconvert the plant to burn wood pellets instead.
“Freeing ourselves from our biggest source of greenhouse gases is a momentous day for Portugal. But it is soured by the prospect of the plant being converted to burn forests,” said Francisco Ferreira, President of ZERO Portugal, in a press release. “Ditching coal only to switch to the next worst fuel is clearly not an answer. Instead, the focus should be on rapidly upscaling our renewable energy capacity in wind and solar.”
Apparently, EU rules are still fairly ambiguous on whether wood-burning could be classified as a renewable source of energy, although these might be tightened up given vibrant activism around the issue, based on solid research.
Legislators and magnates have to await a preliminary ruling from the European Court of Justice
The building will then serve as the site for a new museum dedicated to Finnish-Russian relations
Another piece in the overall strategy to reduce tourist flows to the city
In addition, the federal government has launched the National Week of Action against Bicycle Theft to raise awareness of the issue and the new solution
The facility will replace the need to have water supplied by tankers from Valencia
Modern traffic lights do more than regulate the flow of vehicles at crossroads, they also collect enormous amounts of data
Experimenting with public transport provision in Germany is clearly in a state of creative fervour
Legislators and magnates have to await a preliminary ruling from the European Court of Justice
It also set the standards for a better European parking card for people with disabilities
The benefit will last until the Dutch parliament adopts the transgender law
Experimenting with public transport provision in Germany is clearly in a state of creative fervour
It also set the standards for a better European parking card for people with disabilities
Urban dwellers across the EU are having a say in making their surroundings friendlier to people and the environment.
Forests in the EU can help green the European construction industry and bolster a continent-wide push for architectural improvements.
Apply by 10 November and do your part for the transformation of European public spaces
Catch up with some recommendations for the 2024 European Capital of Culture programme from the mayor of Tartu
An interview with the ICLEI regional director for Europe аfter the close of COP28
An interview with a member of the No Hate Speech Network team