The European Union will review fracking and the environmental concerns over fracking's technique this year, EU energy commissioner Günther Oettinger says in an interview with German newspaper Die Welt. Fracking involves the injection of water, sand...
The European Union plans to reduce energy prices for industry to stimulate growth, create jobs, and improve the competitiveness of European companies, according to a report in German newspaper Die Welt. These are the main points to be discussed at a summit...
The European Commission has launched a call for proposals, offering €31.5 million ($40.4 million) for the best 45 eco-innovation projects. Businesses across Europe have until 5 September to submit their proposals for bringing novel environmental...
Emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) from installations participating in the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) decreased in 2012, but the surplus of emission allowances increased, the European Commission says. "The good news is that emissions...
Merck KGaA (Darmstadt, Germany) is leading a consortium sponsored by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (Bonn) to develop cobalt-based, dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC) for use in photovoltaic and other indoor and outdoor applications, the...
The sixth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Stockholm Convention has agreed to begin phasing out the use of hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) in little more than a year, according to a report from Agence France-Presse. HBCD is used in furniture...
The European Commission, following a vote by EU member states today, will proceed with a plan to restrict the use of three neonicotinoids used as insecticides on a variety of crops, including sunflowers, corn, and canola. The restriction will be in place for...
VinylPlus, the European polyvinyl chloride (PVC) industry's sustainable development program, recorded 362,076 m.t. of PVC recycled last year, keeping it on track to meet the challenge of recycling 800,000 m.t./year by 2020, the British Plastics Federation...
Researchers from the University of Exeter,UK, have developed a method to produce biodiesel from E. coli bacteria, the university announced. The technology, which is still being trialed, produces biodiesel that is almost identical to conventional biofuel, the...
Mounting consumer pressure and legislation such as plastic bag bans and global warming initiatives will increase demand for biodegradable plastics in North America, Europe, and Asia from 269,000 m.t. in 2012 to nearly 525,000 m.t. in 2017, representing an...