New data from energy think tank Ember reveals that in April 2024, the EU witnessed a historic decline in fossil generation. For the first time, less than a quarter of the EU’s electricity (23%) was produced from fossil fuels. This surpassed the previous record low of 27% in May 2023. Last year fossil fuels generated less than a third of the EU’s electricity (33%) for the first time, while solar and wind reached a record 27%, according to Ember’s European Electricity Review. The transition from fossil fuels to solar and wind has continued to gather pace in 2024. Generation from fossil fuels in ..read more

Even though there are currently enough conflict hotspots in the world for a full-scale Third World War to break out, societies and the political circles that guide them have a primary duty to thoroughly examine the concepts of sustainable development and evidence of broad support for putting into practice the global "Sustainable Development Goals" (SDGs), which were unanimously approved by UN Member States in 2015, writes Mazahir Afandiyev: Member of the Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan. In addition to deftly carrying out its responsibilities on all international platforms, Azerbaija ..read more

The revenue from Russian assets frozen by European Union sanctions will be used by the EU to aid Ukraine from next year, if a deal thrashed out by member states’s ambassadors is ratified by Foreign Ministers next week. It’s worth between €2.5 billion and €3 billion a year and represents a major concession by Belgium, where most of the money is held, writes Political Editor Nick Powell. It undoubtedly helped that Belgium currently holds the EU presidency and is that bit more sensitive about criticism of how it’s been handling the majority of Russian assets frozen by EU sanctions. They’re held b ..read more

Four political groups in the European Parliament have issued a joint declaration ‘In Defence of Democracy’. The declaration from the Socialists, Renew, the Greens and the Left is undoubtedly sincere statement of concern about the threat to democratic freedoms. But it should be read in the context not just of the European Elections but of what might come afterwards, writes Political Editor Nick Powell. An expected shift to the right in the elections might give the largest group, the EPP the choice of cooperating with the group to the right of it, the ECR. Neither the EPP nor the ECR have signed ..read more

Surface air temperature anomaly for April 2024 relative to the April average for the period 1991-2020. Data source: ERA5. Credit: Copernicus Climate Change Service/ECMWF. The Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), implemented by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts on behalf of the European Commission with funding from the EU, routinely publishes monthly climate bulletins reporting on the changes observed in global surface air and sea temperatures, sea ice cover and hydrological variables. All the reported findings are based on computer-generated a ..read more

News broke yesterday about Amit Forlit, an alleged hacker wanted by the United States on three charges, one count of conspiracy to commit computer hacking, one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of wire fraud. He was arrested in London on an Interpol Red Notice while attempting to travel to Israel, and an extradition hearing was held at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Thursday 2 May. The criminal charges against Forlit centre on a “cyberespionage campaign on behalf of an unidentified American PR firm”, and the “U.S. allegations include that an unnamed Washington-based PR ..read more

The Bank Alliance, in collusion with the energy traders affiliated with Ukrainian oligarch Ihor Kolomoisky, stole 14,000 Mavic drones from the state. Courts prevent refund - write Gary Cartwright of EU Today. During the last few weeks, the judges of the Kyiv Economic Court and the Pivnichny (Northern) Economic Court of Appeal actually froze the chances of Ukrenergo to recover UAH 1.13 billion (26.7 million euros). This is part of the funds that United Energy, affiliated with Ihor Kolomoisky, at the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine received from electricity resale without paying ..read more

At the end of March, Kazakhstan was hit by a series of massive floods, hitting ten of the country’s seventeen regions. Over 119.000 people have since then been evacuated from their homes in what has turned into one of the largest disasters to hit Kazakhstan in the past eighty years. Even though the events were tragic, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev accentuated they also managed to unite the people of Kazakhstan. “From the first days of the floods, everyone witnessed the active and well-coordinated work of the assembly. The APK’s central and regional headquarters were deployed as soon as possi ..read more

Despite the dire effects encountered after Brexit that considerably weighted down on cross-border e-commerce activity within the EU space, the numbers of international purchasers have recently entered an upward trend. Cross-border e-commerce sales in France, Germany, Spain, Italy, and more register consistent and consequent hikes, showcasing an exploding industry as more money from consumers is spent on foreign retailers’ goods. China’s e-commerce momentum, owing to the strides made forward by heavyweights like Temu, Shein, AliExpress, and others, is the foundation of the cross-border buyer nu ..read more

Worldwide waste management has become more complex to handle over the past decade. We produce much more waste than we recycle, which affects our health and surroundings. According to the European Environment Agency, 4.8 tons of debris is generated per European citizen, and only about half of the municipal waste is recycled.  Interestingly, a considerable part of the total waste consists of packaging, especially plastics, followed by materials from the building, construction, and automotive industries. Experts estimate that most plastic waste could’ve been used for additional pur ..read more