Category: CSR/ECO/ESG

On 28 December 2023, the Commission received a notification in the sense of Article 12(4) of Directive 2003/87/EC (‘ETS Directive’) from Germany, concerning its intention to voluntarily cancel allowances associated with the closure of electricity generation capacities in two ETS installations in its territory in 2022 due to additional national measures. The notification follows the […]

Anna Traveset and Carlos Lara-Romero talk us through the effect of green infrastructure on the restoration of pollination networks and plant performance in semi-natural dry grasslands across Europe. Alongside colleagues, Traveset and Lara-Romero suggest that enhancing ecosystem functions while avoiding biotic homogenisation is a necessity. Introduction and objectives In Europe, semi-natural grasslands are living treasures, nurtured […]

This project is part of my doctoral thesis, which I am carrying out at the University of Jaén and at the Zaidín Experimental Station (ZEE) in Granada, and these are photos of the dream team that made it possible so far! From left, Antonio J. Perea, Jesus Bastida, Sandra Lendínez and me, and comfortably sited […]

The Commission has today published its assessments of the draft updated National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs) of Bulgaria and Poland, which include recommendations on where these 2 countries should raise their ambitions in line with the agreed EU targets for 2030. These follow the individual assessments and recommendations on draft updated NECPs previously published […]

Authors Judy Kingsbury and Marian Farrior share proven practices developed from existing community-based restoration programmes to foster similar programmes around the world. Our article, co-authored with Bradley Herrick, was inspired by the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration and the call to halt and reverse the degradation of Earth’s ecosystems. We share the principles, practices and […]

On 5 June 2023, the revisions of the EU emissions trading system (‘ETS’) Directive by Directive (EU) 2023/958, Directive (EU) 2023/959 and the Regulation on Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (‘MRV’) for maritime transport emissions by Regulation (EU) 2023/957 entered into force. Member States were due to transpose the above-mentioned Directives by 31 December 2023 regarding […]

Benjamin Birch discusses the role of wildlife-friendly habitat in the wider surrounding landscape in promoting farmland diversity. Alongside colleagues, Birch modelled strategies of land sparing and land sharing under different levels of production. Background The conversion of natural habitats to agriculture is one of the greatest threats to biodiversity globally. Currently, 40% of the Earth’s […]

Author Benedict Spracklen used satellite imagery to better understand the impact of prescribed burning of moorland on ecosystem services. Prescribed burning has long played a role in the management of moorland, both in Scotland and across the UK. In Eastern Scotland, moorland burning (muirburn) is carried out to remove old vegetation and encourage new growth, […]

Richard P. Shefferson, University of Tokyo, discusses his article: ‘Life history costs drive the evolution of mycoheterotrophs: increased sprouting and flowering in a strongly mycoheterotrophic Pyrola species’ Figure 1. The non-photosynthetic species Monotropastrum humile, found at the Pyrola japonica field site (photo: R. Shefferson) Background When we think of plants, we think of trees and […]