Environment

Policy matters

Eu - Transport

Czech system promises eco-benefits from reduced congestion
16/09/2013
Traffic congestion brings with it major costs - both economic and environmental. Economically, the cost of congestion in Europe has been estimated at 1% of GDP. In environmental terms, the main impacts are air and noise pollution, and an approximately 30% increase in fuel consumption in traffic...
Tallinn becomes “capital of free public transport”
17/06/2013
On 1 January 2013, Tallinn, Estonia became the first European capital to extend free public transport to all of its residents. The results so far have been encouraging. The Tallinn authorities believe that, if done right, free public transport schemes can encourage a shift from cars to buses and...
Regions test indicators of sustainable development
11/06/2013
A project backed by the European Union's INTERREG IV C programme has been working to show that an alternative is available. The For decades, the best way to measure the development and progress of societies and nations has been debated. Gross domestic product (GDP) as the main indicator of...
Keeping track of WEEE
26/03/2013
Radio frequency identification (RFID) tags can be used to ensure that waste electronic and electrical equipment (WEEE) is correctly processed, and that reuse of components and recycling of materials is maximised, according to a European Union funded project with pilot initiatives in the Czech...
'Concrete' solutions
11/03/2013
The European Union's construction sector faces a testing target. Under the EU Waste Framework Directive (2008/98/EC), it must, by 2020, reuse or recycle at least 70% by weight of non-hazardous construction and demolition waste. In some countries, such as Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands,...
Island communities explore sustainability
11/03/2013
A group of North Sea island communities have combined their energies to test a range of sustainability ideas involving water, energy and materials use, in the European Union funded The island communities - representing Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom -...
SPIRE aims to inspire through resource and energy efficiency  
11/02/2013
A major cross-sectoral partnership is planning to channel €1.4 billion in private sector research spending to resource and energy efficiency in Europe's process industries – those sectors, such as steel and cement, that transform bulk resources into products that underpin modern economies. The...
Tram depots: a blueprint for green building
12/12/2011
Five European cities define the cutting-edge in sustainable urban building with four innovative new tram depots A new series of tram depots offers an answer to the challenge of building new public infrastructure both essential for urban development and constrained by stringent environmental,...
Steel supply chain innovations deliver green benefits
19/09/2011
A better integrated supply chain and consumption-based accounting would enable more efficient use of steel and less waste, so helping reduce the industry’s environmental footprint. The steel sector needs to think about how it can provide the same services with less steel, Julian Allwood from...
28/07/2011
A report from the European Commission Joint Research Centre indicates that environmental improvements in residential buildings could result in overall greenhouse gas emission reductions of 7%. The JRC IMPRO-Building report suggests that such reductions could be achieved without incurring...

Pages