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This briefing by Ember provides recommendations for the European Commission's 'European grid package' to accelerate the upgrade, digitalisation, and expansion of European grid infrastructure. Ember argues that electricity grids should be treated as strategic infrastructure essential for economic growth and competitiveness, rather than just technical assets. The document proposes a shift toward independent and integrated planning, the establishment of a financing 'one-stop-shop', and the adoption of a TOTEX-based regulatory approach to incentivise flexibility and grid-enhancing technologies over traditional capital-heavy reinforcements.

This report by Ember analyzes the final National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs) of EU Member States to project the bloc's energy trajectory for 2030. The findings indicate a structural shift toward a cleaner, electrified economy characterized by declining gas demand and rising renewable energy generation, though some targets still fall short of REPowerEU ambitions.

The report argues that the European Union's 2020 hydrogen strategy was overly ambitious and requires recalibration to align with market realities. It advocates for a pragmatic, implementation-focused approach that prioritizes 'hard-to-electrify' sectors—such as steel, maritime, and fertilizers—while utilizing a combination of mandates ('sticks') and targeted funding ('carrots') to bridge the cost gap between renewable hydrogen and fossil-based alternatives.

This briefing by Ember analyzes the European Union's grid policy framework, identifying over 80 action points across various legislative and non-legislative files. It evaluates the roles of the European Commission, EU institutions, and Member States in expanding and modernizing electricity infrastructure to support renewables and electrification, while providing three specific recommendations for the new EU Energy Commissioner to improve implementation, financing, and digitalization.

This report by Ember advocates for the implementation of transparent grid hosting capacity maps to accelerate the energy transition in Europe. It outlines how such maps can reduce grid connection queues and optimize network use, discusses new EU legislative requirements for TSOs and DSOs, and proposes a framework for an "ideal" map including substation-level granularity and open-source data access.

The European Climate Neutrality Observatory's (ECNO) second annual assessment indicates that while the European Union is moving toward climate neutrality in terms of policies and indicators, the pace of the transition is currently too slow.

This briefing by Zero Carbon Analytics argues that maintaining climate policy continuity in the EU can enhance energy security, reduce costs for citizens, increase global competitiveness, and create employment opportunities, provided it is paired with robust social policies.

This research paper by Ember analyzes draft National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs) from EU Member States to determine if current national ambitions align with the REPowerEU plan and the Fit-for-55 package. The analysis finds that while renewable energy targets have increased significantly since 2019, the EU is still projected to fall short of its 2030 goals for renewable electricity share, solar capacity, and wind capacity.

This report by Ember proposes an ambitious wind and solar expansion plan for Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries to improve energy security and lower electricity prices. Using the PyPSA-CEE model, the study argues that accelerating renewables deployment could reduce wholesale power prices by 29% and make the region electricity self-sufficient by 2030.

This briefing by Ember argues that the European Union's Fit-for-55 renewable energy target of 40% for 2030 is outdated due to the rapid acceleration of clean technology deployment. Based on industry forecasts for solar, heat pumps, and electric vehicles, the analysis suggests the EU is currently on course to reach a 45% renewable energy share by 2030, with the potential to reach 50% if policy and financial support are strengthened.

The report 'Ready, Set, Go: Europe’s Race for Wind and Solar' by Ember analyses the gap between current wind and solar deployment rates in the European Union and the capacities required to align with a 1.5C climate pathway by 2030. It finds that the EU is not on track, with annual additions forecast to reach only half of the required levels by 2026. The report identifies administrative permitting barriers as a primary cause of underperformance, noting that permitting times frequently exceed EU legislative limits.

This briefing by the Stockholm Environment Institute examines the implementation of Green Public Procurement (GPP) in the road transport and construction sectors of Sweden and the Netherlands. It analyzes the governance structures, tools, and barriers that influence the adoption of low-carbon procurement practices in these two EU Member States.

This report by Ember analyzes the National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs) of EU countries to assess the trajectory of the EU power sector toward 2030. It finds that while renewable energy is expected to grow, the EU is not on track to meet the European Commission's recommended 55% emissions reduction target due to slow fossil fuel phase-outs and insufficient wind and solar deployment, particularly in seven specific member states.

This report by Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe and Sandbag analyzes the draft National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs) of 21 EU Member States that use coal for electricity. It finds that the EU is on track to miss the goal of stopping coal use by 2030 to limit global warming to 1.5°C, with 60 GW of capacity projected to remain in 2030.

This briefing by the Stockholm Environment Institute explores the operationalization of the Planetary Boundaries framework for the European Union. By downscaling global safe operating spaces using an equal-per-capita allocation, the document assesses the EU's environmental performance and suggests entry points for integrating these boundaries into EU policy-making to ensure the region lives within planetary limits.

This document is an addendum to the report 'Biofuels—At What Cost? A review of costs and benefits of EU biofuel policies', published by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) in August 2013. The addendum provides corrected 2011 estimates for EU biofuel subsidies, specifically revising the figures for fuel excise tax exemptions, and details the calculation methodologies used for budgetary support and market price support.

This research paper introduces a three-step analytical framework for evaluating policy coherence within the European Union, focusing on the interactions between sector-specific and environmental policies.

This 2012 report by the Stockholm Environment Institute analyzes the implementation of the European Union's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) within the Baltic Sea Region (BSR) during the 2007-2013 period. It examines the challenges of integrating agricultural productivity with environmental boundary conditions, such as nutrient reduction and biodiversity conservation. The report argues that the diversity of farming systems in the BSR should be an asset and recommends that post-2013 CAP reforms shift toward treating environmental services as a core value of farming rather than a precondition for payment, while introducing 'soft measures' to improve transboundary cooperation and stakeholder engagement.

This report by Sandbag assesses the 2017 Effort Sharing Regulation (ESR) deal, which sets emission reduction targets for non-ETS sectors in the EU for 2021-2030. The authors argue that the current -30% target is insufficient for Paris Agreement goals and advocate for project-based cooperation between Member States to achieve reductions cost-effectively and avoid carbon lock-in in lower-income countries.

This report by Ember provides an interim analysis of 15 draft National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs) from EU Member States, focusing on the power sector transition. It finds that while wind and solar capacity targets have increased significantly since 2019, they still fall short of REPowerEU goals. The analysis highlights a critical lack of quantified targets for electricity storage and flexibility, as well as poor data quality and transparency across the submitted plans.