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Newsletter (copy 22)
South Australia joins Denmark in targeting 100% renewables by 2027
Happy Tuesday, dear reader.
Some good news to get things started:
The US department of energy expects coal’s share of the electricity mix to fall to 15% this year, from 17% in 2023.
Nearly two-thirds of Los Angeles voters approved a measure requiring the city to ramp up investments in cycling, bus and pedestrian infrastructure.
California is on a roll. In 10 of the past 11 days, renewables have met all of the state’s electricity needs during the middle of the day.
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South Australia has officially brought forward its net 100% renewable electricity target by three years, to 2027.
Wind-powerhouse Denmark has the same ambition, but is slightly ahead as things stand. In 2023, the Scandinavian nation sourced 88% of its electricity from renewable technologies, versus South Australia’s 71%.
Announcing the revised goal, which the local grid operator says is achievable, South Australian premier Peter Malinauskas said: “Meeting this target will not only drive environmental outcomes – it will drive state prosperity.”
- Read the full story here.
The French government is doubling down on efforts to slash textile waste and make the clothing industry more sustainable.
The latest: In mid-March, parliament’s National Assembly approved new legislation that will penalise “fast-fashion” products — essentially mass-produced, cheap clothing that’s not made to last. The bill now moves to the Senate for final approvals.
If implemented, fast-fashion brands will have to pay a fee of as much as €10 on their products. The revenue raised will be used to subsidise more sustainable clothing options — particularly from local brands.
Fast-fashion companies will also need to be more transparent about their environmental impacts, and will be barred from advertising (including via social media influencers).
The context: This is the latest, yet most comprehensive, effort to crack down on waste in the clothing sector.
In October 2023, the French government began subsidising repairs of clothes and shoes. Under the scheme, consumers can claim up to €25 for clothing repairs from a €154 million fund that’ll run through 2028.
- Read the full story here.
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The European Parliament has adopted new regulations that will require the installation of solar panels on buildings across the region, among other decarbonisation measures.
Why it matters: Buildings are responsible for 40% of the EU’s energy consumption and 36% of the bloc’s greenhouse gas emissions, per the European Commission.
Behind-the-meter solar installations help to reduce buildings’ power-related emissions, while also putting vacant rooftops and facades to use.
The latest: Where technically and economically feasible, EU member states will have to deploy solar systems on both new and existing public and commercial buildings and on all new residential buildings by 2030, according to the new EU Solar Standard.
- Read the full story here.
Power company Vattenfall has started building a gigantic heat pump that will use residual heat from a wastewater treatment facility to warm some 45,000 households.
Why it matters: Heating and cooling accounts for almost half of global energy use and over 40% of energy-related carbon dioxide emissions, so decarbonising the sector will be critical to meeting climate goals.
Residential and industrial-scale heat pumps, which rely on similar technology to air conditioners, are expected to play a major role in the transition. They’re more efficient than conventional technologies — they transfer and amplify heat, rather than generating it from scratch — and are cheaper to run.
The latest: Vattenfall said in a statement the installation of the 75MW heat pump at the Reuter West power plant, which should be complete in 2026, “will make a significant contribution to decarbonisation at this location.”
The heat pump will be connected to the purification stage of the Ruhleben sewage treatment plant and will feed into Berlin’s district heating network. It will yield emissions savings equivalent to taking 36,000 cars off the road.
- Read the full story here.
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