My vacuum cleaner died without previous notice on the day Italy entered its second lockdown. I tried to open it to see if I could still do something to revive it. I was quickly disillusioned by the few repair shops that had remained open: I bought it too many years…

As winter approaches and Europe enters a second wave of COVID-19, the European Commission prioritises issues related to housing quality and domestic well-being. …

The COVID-19 outbreak makes us face an unprecedented situation. Our consumption and social model needs to be reinvented. It seems that governments have decided not to add to the health crisis a social catastrophe that would leave too many people out in the cold. …

I mentioned it in February: the European Commission is not lacking in ambition in terms of sustainability. On 11 March 2020, the EC unveiled its plan for the circular economy. Let’s check it out. What is the circular economy? A circular economy happens “when everything is healthy food for something else” (Sustainability Illustrated). In a…

More responsible consumption and consumers armed against greenwashing in all sectors: the von der Leyen Commission does not lack ambition for the years to come. — The EU has one of the most comprehensive consumer policies in the world. Since 1992, promoting the health, interests and safety of European citizens in all aspects of the economy is part of the EU competencies. It covers areas such as competition, passenger rights, food safety, and financial services. However…

The European Commission is putting the Green Deal ambitions on track. Europe aims at becoming the first “climate-neutral continent” by 2050, and this requires, of course, steady investments and the massive mobilisation of public and private resources. As announced in December, the Green Deal will have to have a robust…

Here are a few intakes on energy poverty and social justice extracted from the European Green Deal Communication presented on 11 December 2019. This is not an exhaustive analysis, but a first assessment. The first point is — of course — the Just Transition fund “to leave no one behind”…

On Thursday 14 November 2020, the European Investment Bank (EIB) adopted a new energy lending policy and confirmed the EIB’s increased ambition in climate action and environmental sustainability. In practice, the EIB voted to end financing for fossil fuel projects from the end of 2021. From 2025, 50% of its…

On 25 July 2019, French deputies and senators agreed on a text aimed at gradually eliminating the “passoires thermiques”(literally, the “thermal sieves”), i.e. the housing that is very poorly insulated (classified as “F” or “G”). …