In the spotlight
Oil and gas companies are digging in. That’s why COP28 must force a phase-down of fossil fuels
reuters, 16.11.2023
COP28 is just a few weeks away, and if we are to have any hope of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees and a positive outcome at the conference, we must see the oil and gas sector start to move the needle. So far there has been well-publicised controversy surrounding the conference and its ties to oil and gas.
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Almost all global warming indicators behind target: Report
deutschewelle-en, 14.11.2023
The measures taken to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius are “lagging significantly,” according to a new research released on Tuesday. The report comes ahead of the COP28 UN Climate Change Conference going to be held in Dubai at the end of the month.
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EU promises ‘substantial’ climate damage funding pledge
politico-eu, 13.11.2023
The European Union will make a “substantial” financial pledge toward a new fund for climate damages, the bloc’s Climate Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra said today.
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Digital transition
The murky world of data brokers
elpais-en, 13.11.2023
Most people know that Google, Meta and other tech giants have an insatiable voracity for information. But they probably know little about the shadowy market where personal information is bought and sold by data brokers — enigmatic companies that diligently build vast databases of user information to sell.
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Environmental sustainability
Driving change: leveraging European satellites for Arctic preservation and climate action
theparliament, 06.11.2023
Earth observation technologies help us understand the consequences of climate change, and enable a deeper understanding of the Arctic environment.
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New data story: EU Regional emissions pathways to net-zero
ec-europa, 03.10.2023
A new interactive data story published on the cohesion open data website allows readers to explore regional trends in greenhouse gas emissions in the EU between 1990 and 2021. Find out which regions produce the lowest greenhouse gas emissions per person, which sectors contribute the most to emissions, and how the EU has decoupled economic growth from emissions.
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Mobility & Energy
A western hemisphere minerals strategy for the energy transition
csis, 16.11.2023
Mining in the popular imagination often conjures images of huge open pits with enormous machines moving car-sized scoops of material one at a time. It evokes an industrial landscape that few find appealing. Yet the mining of critical minerals is, as the name suggests, critical. This is because they are essential to transitioning the world from a hydrocarbon-based economy to a future fueled by clean, renewable energy to mitigate the worst effects of climate change.
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Science policy & Communication
Russia now wielding AI tools in online disinformation wars
irishtimes, 16.11.2023
Despite government and corporate attempts to bring in bans and restrictions, Russian online disinformation campaigns continue to reach the eyes and ears of North Americans and Europeans – largely because containment efforts are too lax, according to a US expert on Russian affairs.
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EU launches TikTok, YouTube child protection probe
deutschewelle-en, 09.11.2023
The European Commission has sent formal requests for information to YouTube and TikTok on the firms’ child protection obligations. Commissioner Thierry Breton had said that child protection is an “enforcement priority.”
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COST and ERC unite for research excellence in Europe
sciencebusiness, 31.10.2023
Both the European Research Council (ERC) and COST contribute to the free flow of ideas and researchers in Europe, welcoming individuals regardless of their scientific field, career status, and country of origin. The ERC focuses on excellence, supporting both research and researchers, while COST plays a unique role as a bridge.
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Agriculture & Food
EU to renew herbicide glyphosate approval for 10 years
independent-ie, 16.11.2023
The European Union will extend glyphosate’s authorisation for 10 years, even though its member states failed to agree over the active ingredient in Bayer AG’s Roundup weedkiller.
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Curious news
Pay for ad-free Facebook? Here’s what’s going on
maltadaily, 10.11.2023
Facebook and Instagram users are now faced with a choice: pay €10 or €12 monthly for an ad-free experience or continue accessing the platforms for free with ads. Meta, the parent company, is extending this choice to Instagram users as well, aligning with tougher EU rules targeting tech giants.
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