Climate Change and Environment

Declining water availability in a warming climate stunts tree growth, according to new research.

The European Commission is supporting the World Alliance for Efficient Solutions. The Solar Impulse Foundation (Switzerland) backs the World Alliance and its commitment: collecting 1 000 Efficient Solutions addressing five Sustainable Development goals - Clean Water Clean Energy Sustainable Cities Responsible Consumption & Production and Industry & Infrastructure. The portfolio of 1 000 Efficient Solutions aims to encourage decisionmakers to adopt ambitious environmental targets innovative regulations and sound policies.

To help countries gain rewards for forest protection, researchers have developed a better way to measure the carbon stored by their forests by using drones and satellite signals.

Wastewater treatment is no longer just about making water reusable. Researchers show how energy, nutrients and added value by-products can be extracted from wastewater.

Researchers have made the first discovery of samurai wasp populations in Europe – a promising weapon in the eco-friendly battle against the invasive stink bug.

An EU initiative will help create a more coherent, interdisciplinary and interoperable cluster of environmental research infrastructures.

On Thursday 6 December 2018, Gr3n (pronounced ‘green’) won the Innovation Radar Prize at the major ICT 2018 event in Vienna, Austria, organised by the European Commission. The highly prestigious prize was awarded due to Gr3n’s development of its innovative DEMETO technology that increases both the proportion of PET/polyester that can be recycled, and the overall quality of the recycled plastics produced. This was achieved through Gr3n’s participation in the EU-funded SYMBIOPTIMA project.

According to a new study, global fossil fuel emissions were projected to increase by almost 3 % in 2018.

There’s a more cost-effective way to reopen Europe’s disused and flooded mines. Scientists demonstrate how with a novel robotic underwater ore extraction system.