-
'The EU needs to be better prepared for new and emerging plant pests'
Plant pests can have severe consequences for the economy, environment and food security, as was seen with a bacterial pathogen that has already killed millions of olive tress across Southern Europe. Experts Sarah Hackfort and Chiel Scholten (Technolopis Group, Germany and The Netherlands) wrote a study... -
Is banning children from social media 'the' answer?
For many parents and policymakers alike, banning children from social media feels like the responsible thing to do in the fight against issues such as anxiety, sleep problems and screen addiction. But researchers warn that a social media ban alone cannot address the full spectrum of risks that children... -
Solutions to make Europe more resilient to raging wildfires
Fuelled by climate change and a shift in land-use practices, wildfires are increasing in number and intensity across Europe. In fact, last year was the worst year for wildfires in Europe in 20 years, according to an EUMETSAT report. Its authors contribute the intensity of the fires to factors like increasingly... -
Assessing EU's direct and indirect energy dependencies
Europe is highly dependent on fossil fuels, and 97% of the EU’s oil consumption is imported as well as 90% of its fossil gas consumption. How can Europe address this issue, especially at a time of geopolitical tensions that have a significant impact on energy and the economy? Assessing EU's direct... -
Why technology alone won't secure Europe's rail future
Rail transport carries only a modest share of passengers and freight across the EU, yet it is widely regarded as one of the most important tools available for meeting Europe's climate targets. The European Union has spent decades building a Single European Railway Area but persistent gaps in governance,... -
The future of automated vehicles in the EU: Interview with Prof. Michael Botsch and Prof. Werner Huber
Technology can take over an increasing amount of tasks when it comes to driving a vehicle - like braking or steering. The European Union is currently implementing and possibly reviewing some aspects of its regulation in the field of automated, connected and also self-driving vehicles, while vehicle manufacturers... -
Towards a planetary boundary framework
In 2009, a team, led by the climate scientist Prof Johan Rockström, identified nine natural processes that regulate Earth’s biosphere and keep it stable. These include climate change, biosphere integrity, land-system change, freshwater change, biogeochemical flows, novel entities, ocean acidification,... -
Carbon dioxide removal technologies: can they help us fight climate change?
The final document of the last United Nations Climate Change Conference, more commonly known as COP30, acknowledges that the world is approaching an overshoot – that is, exceeding the 1.5 °C global warming threshold. Reducing future emission will be essential, but no longer sufficient: we will also need...