24 April - 28 April 2023

ESC’ weekly Sustainability Newsletter contains a selection of the week’s most relevant information, webinars, and events in the sustainability field. It will typically be published at the end of the week. Any upcoming important developments will be announced within our regular news posts.

The newsletter provides an information update (news, press releases, regulations, and reports) as well as an overview of past and upcoming events (conferences, workshops, meetings). An overview of previous sustainability newsletters can be found here.

Date:
Type:
Source:
Links:

21 April 2023
Press release
EU

EU press release on EU-India aviation summit: The summit took place from 20-21 April 2023 in Delhi, India. The event focused on EU-India air transport relations, including exploring the potential for deepening the EU-India aviation relationship as well as the shared challenges, such as growing air traffic, congestion, sustainability and maintaining safety in this very dynamic sector. The summit confirmed the shared objective of further deepening EU-India political, technical, and industrial cooperation on aviation. Both sides are confident that closer cooperation will generate significant opportunities for their respective industries, strengthen consumer benefits and make air travel between Europe and India more efficient, greener and safer.

Date:
Type:
Source:
Links:

21 April 2023
Press release
IRU

IRU press release on new EU emissions trading system (ETS II): The press release cites IRU EU Advocacy Director Raluca Marian saying that “We do not see this deal as a major decarbonisation achievement." and further “It is doubtful that the basic conditions for a massive shift to zero-emission heavy-duty vehicles, such as the vehicles themselves, not to mention the adequate charging and refuelling infrastructure needed across the EU, will be in place in just four years.” The latter refers to the compromise to launch ETS II in 2027 – compared to 2024, a start date initially supported in the European Parliament, or even 2025 and 2026, as originally proposed by the European Commission.

Date:
Type:
Source:
Links:

25 April 2023
Press release
EU Council

EU Council press release on 'Fit for 55' key pieces of legislation: The Council adopted five laws that will enable the EU to cut greenhouse gas emissions within the main sectors of the economy, while making sure that the most vulnerable citizens and micro-enterprises, as well as the sectors exposed to carbon leakage, are effectively supported in the climate transition. The laws are part of the 'Fit for 55' package, which sets the EU's policies in line with its commitment to reduce its net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels and to achieve climate neutrality in 2050. The vote in the Council is the last step of the decision-making procedure.

Date:
Type:
Source:
Links:

26 April 2023
Publication
EU Journal

EU Journal publishes regulation on binding annual greenhouse gas emission reductions by Member States: The EU Official Journal (OJ) published today the Regulation (EU) 2023/857 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 April 2023 amending Regulation (EU) 2018/842 on binding annual greenhouse gas emission reductions by Member States from 2021 to 2030 contributing to climate action to meet commitments under the Paris Agreement, and Regulation (EU) 2018/1999. You will find the link to the OJ publication on the left.

Date:
Type:
Source:
Links:

26 April 2023
Press release
European Parliament

Date:
Type:
Source:
Links:

28 April 2023
Committee
Comitology Register

112th Meeting of the Climate Change Committee: The Climate Change Committee meets today for its 112th session. Main points on the agenda are a) Setting the new annual emission allocation for the years 2023 to 2030 following the review of the Effort Sharing Regulation (ESR), b) Procedures for verifying the CO2 emissions of passenger cars and light commercial vehicles in-service, and c) Revision of the Modernisation Fund Implementing Act. No agenda point includes a vote, but presentations and information updates.

Date:
Type:
Source:
Links:

24 April 2023
Conference
NSS 2023

2nd North Sea Summit (NSS) took place in Ostend, Belgium: Following the footsteps of the first edition of the North Sea Summit held in May 2022 in Esbjerg, Denmark, the second North Sea Summit took place in Ostend in Belgium on 24 April 2023. In addition to the founding countries of Belgium, Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands, the North Sea Summit II in Ostend brought also together France, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Norway and Luxembourg. This is the largest ever coalition around energy in the North Sea.

Date:
Type:
Source:
Links:

24-25 April 2023
TRAN Meeting
EP TRAN

European Parliament TRAN Committee Meeting:  The TRAN Committee of the European Parliament met over two days. Main agenda items were a) Public hearing on Future challenges for the rail infrastructure: Single European Track Access charges and investments needed towards decarbonisation, and b) Feedback on the TRAN mission to Genova and Florence, 3-5 April 2023. There was also a dialogue held with the EU Transport Commissioner, Adina Vălean, on the latest and upcoming transport-related proposals.

Date:
Type:
Source:
Links:

25 April 2023
Trilogue Meeting
ReFuelEU Aviation

Trilogue meeting between Council and Parliament on RefuelEU Aviation: the principal goal of this initiative is to increase the supply and demand for sustainable aviation fuels in the EU. This would reduce the environmental impact of aviation and therefore contribute to the EU's climate objectives. The last trilogue meeting on 8 December 2022 did not deliver any agreements on the file so that the negotiations were delayed to 2023 under the Swedish presidency.

Date:
Type:
Source:
Links:

25 April 2023
Registration
IPIC 2023
ESC info

Registration is now open for IPIC2023 in Athens on 13-15 June 2023: IPIC2023 (International Physical Internet Conference) has announced that the registration is now open. The 9th IPIC edition 'Expanding the Logistics Scope' will take place on 13-15th June 2023 in Athens, Greece. Early registrations are available until 5 May 2023 and differ for ALICE members, speakers, reviewers, regular visitors, and students and start-ups.

Date:
Type:
Source:
Links:

28 April 2023
Meeting
EU Council

Meeting of EU Working Party on Transport - Intermodal Questions and Networks: the WP meets today to discuss several transport related topics amongst which are the European Court of Auditors special report n° 08/2023 "Intermodal freight transport: EU still far from getting freight off the road", high-level agreement between the EU and Western Balkan partner regarding the adaptation of indicative maps within the TEN-T regulation, the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on Union guidelines for the development of the trans-European transport network, and the directive on the framework for the deployment of Intelligent Transport Systems in the field of road transport and for interfaces with other modes of transport.