healthier, happier and richer

CER has now published my short policy brief ‘How to expand renewable energy after 2020′.

The Centre for European Reform has published my policy brief Connecting Europe’s energy systems.  In this, I argue that Europe’s energy infrastructure urgently needs to be modernised, to maximise renewable energy use, so the Commission’s proposals on infrastructure should be adopted as soon as possible (see Centre for European Reform: Connecting Europe’s energy systems).

The European Emissions Trading System must be overhauled. The cap should be lowered, and combined with a price floor and ceiling and border tax adjustments.

David Buchan has written a valuable paper on European electricity policy, in which he argues convincingly that harmonising the various national schemes would be more efficienct and so cut costs. The level of subsidy could continue to differ, but the design of the schemes should be made more consistent.

Germany is planning several new coal and gas power stations – without CCS – to replace its nuclear stations. This is bad for the climate and also a waste of money.

Denmark, the current president of the European Council of Ministers, should stand firmly behind the Commission’s proposals on energy efficiency and not give in to the demands of other member states.

The Centre for European Reform has now published a short paper by John Peet, who is Europe editor of the Economist, and me on the EU Budget.

The UK is running another competition on CCS. But practical progress so far has been precisely zero. And Eon and RWE have pulled out of their UK nuclear joint venture. So there’s a real risk that the UK will experience another ‘dash for gas’ without CCS.

Four former heads of Friends of the Earth wrote to prime minister, David Cameron, earlier this week, arguing against nuclear power. In response, five environmental authors – including me – have written to Cameron arguing in favour of new nuclear.

President Obama has again asked the US Congress to agree a budget which cuts the more than $40 billion in tax breaks for oil, gas and coal producers over the next decade. The president’s budget proposals are sensible and should be passed by Congress. But they won’t be. The left-right divide on climate in US politics is unnecessary.