The European Commission's first major administrative overhaul in decades is meant to ready the institution for global challenges. But what Brussels bills as modernisation has landed badly among the institution's staff. Read @contexte.com's latest Power article: www.contexte.com/eu/article/p...

My first piece for @contexte.com looks at MCC Brussels, a think tank with ties to Hungary’s conservative Fidesz party. The organisation's aim is to build “an alternative intelligentsia”, which mainstreams ultraconservative rhetoric on issues like gender + migration. www.contexte.com/eu/article/p...

I’m delighted to share that I'm joining the stellar team at @contexte.com as EU politics reporter. In an evolving landscape for EU policy media, Contexte has built a reputation for serious, detailed reportage. I’m looking forward to contributing as we ramp up our English-language coverage.

Hmmm… The restaurant I went to here in the capital of Belgium got the country it’s located in wrong.

As Europe rearms, the European Greens are trying to link military spending with climate measures, ensuring Europe's defence push doesn’t come at the expense of carbon neutrality. However, not all Greens are comfortable with the bloc's rearmament. Read my latest for @eurcorrespond.bsky.social:

So the premise is that VDL survived the motion of censure only to fall on her own sword due to a strongly-worded letter from the perpetually whining Ryanair man?

This was fun: cities matter, and they’re crucial in tackling the climate crisis.

Flights are always more expensive in summer, but these prices are exceptionally high for one-way with Ryanair to Dublin. Are people in Brussels trying to escape the heatwave by travelling to more temperate shores?

In today’s episode of The Jolt, Sean looks at calls for cities to have a greater role in designing EU climate policy, plus an Australian green hydrogen project gets scrapped Listen Now: foresightmedia.com/story/sr2z4p... @kirataylor.bsky.social @sgcarroll.bsky.social

For my final time hosting The Urban Report on @foresight-ce.bsky.social, I'm joined by @ciarancuffe.bsky.social. We discuss his experiences in the EU Parliament, whether defence, competitiveness and climate concerns can co-exist politically, and the role of cities in pushing forward climate action.

In today’s episode of The Jolt, Sean looks at how Munich is funding its transition to carbon neutrality, plus could NATO’s new spending target be good for green energy? Listen now: foresightmedia.com/story/sU3MPN... @smorgan.bsky.social @sgcarroll.bsky.social

In today’s episode of The Jolt, Sean looks at the steps the Finnish city of Turku is taking to achieve carbon neutrality by 2029, plus Kira reports on the United Kingdom’s push to cut electricity... Listen now: foresightmedia.com/story/siot0W... @kirataylor.bsky.social @sgcarroll.bsky.social

As the housing crisis lumbers on, some politicians have asserted that environmental regulations are to blame for the situation, as they make it too difficult and expensive to build. For my latest @foresight-ce.bsky.social audio piece I scrutinised this push to cut regulations. (short 🧵)

Cities across the United States face deep challenges: ageing infrastructure, a lack of economic vitality, and high carbon emissions. Martine Reinhold Kildeby of Bloxhub joins The Urban Report to discuss how the... By @sgcarroll.bsky.social View full episode: foresightmedia.com/story/sp2TbZ...

For many across Europe, purchasing a property seems like a distant dream. To discuss how we can tackle Europe’s housing crisis without exacerbating the climate crisis, I sat down with BPIE's Oliver Rapf. Listen to our conversation on @foresight-ce.bsky.social here:

In today’s episode of The Jolt, Sean looks into how ditching green construction rules could cost Europe in the long run, plus Sam reports on Russia triggering the first official trade complaint against... Listen now: foresightmedia.com/story/smdPlx... @smorgan.bsky.social @sgcarroll.bsky.social

In Wednesday’s episode of The Jolt, Sean looks into a new EU proposal to calculate the carbon embedded in the construction of buildings, plus Sam has the latest details on the EU’s new... Listen now: foresightmedia.com/story/sWORNn... @smorgan.bsky.social @sgcarroll.bsky.social

Constantin Ginet of Siemens joins The Urban Report to discuss a financing model that uses the savings gained through improved energy efficiency to pay off installation costs By @sgcarroll.bsky.social View full episode: foresightmedia.com/story/sdMfYV...

Conservative groups argue the EU bears responsibility for the housing crisis, pointing the finger at expensive green regulation. However, a new report finds EU rules play a crucial role in directing investment towards sustainable & affordable houses. Listen to my chat with the report author below:

There's a great deal of speculation over where the price of the EU's new carbon market (ETS2) will land, with concerns that from 2030 the price will skyrocket to over €200 per tonne. The best defence against high prices, say experts, is adopting Green laws. Check out my new audio analysis below:

Aitor Zulueta from Vitoria-Gasteiz in northern Spain joins the Urban Report to discuss the city's efforts to adapt to increasingly extreme weather and the importance of acting rapidly to cut emissions By @sgcarroll.bsky.social View full episode: foresightmedia.com/story/s3L9gs...

When writing about the ETS carbon market, I opt to say it puts a "price" on carbon. But for general readers, is there a distinction between a carbon "price" and a carbon "tax". If it's money you have to pay to the gov, surely for most people that's a tax, regardless of the EU nomenclature?

Flexible charging tech is set to make owning an #electricvehicle more affordable. I spoke to Serge Colle of EY to discuss how a shift to smart charging will enable drivers to charge when tariffs are at their cheapest and sell energy back to the grid - potentially saving thousands each year.

Great to see the European Commission using acronyms with no explanation in their press releases. We wouldn't want the riff-raff understanding what we're talking about in our secret club.

What if your electric car could decide to recharge when prices were at their lowest? And what if the car could even sell energy back to the grid when there was a demand, earning its owner money? Such a scenario is just around the corner, according to a new study. More on today's ep of The Jolt.

The Trump administration has rapidly undone much of America's climate mitigation progress - in response, local leaders are determined to do more. Brigid Shea of Travis County, Texas, joins the Urban Report to discuss how cities are responding to the Trump era. foresightmedia.com/story/sROAio...

Commissioner Brigid Shea of Travis County, Texas, joins the Urban Report to discuss how cities are responding to the abrupt change in US climate policy By @sgcarroll.bsky.social View full episode: foresightmedia.com/story/sROAio...

In today’s 15 minutes, Kira and Sean look into the difference between the European Union’s clean manufacturing drive and the United States’ fossil fuel revival, plus China... Listen now: foresightmedia.com/story/suaFJA... @kirataylor.bsky.social @sgcarroll.bsky.social

In today’s 15 minutes, Sean looks into the European Union’s controversial new carbon market for cars and buildings, plus farmers in the United States sue the Agriculture Department for... Listen now: https://shorturl.at/04Bn6 @sgcarroll.bsky.social @kirataylor.bsky.social

Mobility innovations, from the ridiculous to the sublime, promise quicker journey times and lower emissions. How can cities navigate this landscape, ensuring they push the mobility transition in the right direction? Four global speakers joined me to discuss: foresightmedia.com/story/sAzVvz...

For the first time, the EU will put a price on emissions from buildings and vehicles. While supporters say the move is vital to achieving climate goals, critics contend ETS2 could lead to social unrest. Listen to the audio article on @foresight-ce.bsky.social: foresightmedia.com/story/sp8Ob2...

99% off calls I receive are spam these days. I’ve stopped picking up altogether - this is from today alone!

Europe is struggling to address a multi-pronged housing crisis. However, an affordable green transition for housing is possible, argues BLOXHUB's Ditte Lysgaard Vind on the latest episode of @foresight-ce.bsky.social's the Urban Report. Listen here: foresightmedia.com/story/sbkfN0...

Rémi Collombet from Efficient Buildings Europe joined me to discuss how building renovations can be applied across Europe. Renovations are a vital piece of the climate puzzle: unless building stock emissions are tackled, the EU is highly unlikely to meet its climate targets. Listen below:

In today’s 15 minutes, Sam and Sean look at what different attitudes towards climate change mean for the energy transition, plus the world breaks another emissions record Listen now: foresightmedia.com/story/sIMPCp... @smorgan.bsky.social @sgcarroll.bsky.social

In today’s 15 minutes, Sean looks into how locally-produced power could offer solutions to some of the energy transition’s challenges, plus Albania and Italy decide to build a new power link Listen now: foresightmedia.com/story/sZmZX0... @sgcarroll.bsky.social @smorgan.bsky.social

Great opinion piece from Laia Segura of @foeeurope.bsky.social on how tackling Europe's inadequate housing stock can help to lift people out of energy poverty. Listen on FORESIGHT:

Despite progress, experts say that climate action is not moving fast enough. In this live episode of The Urban Report, speakers from Bologna and Verona in Italy, the Chilean city of Peñalolén and Moldova’s Străşeni discuss where they stand in their climate journey foresightmedia.com/story/s9h6t9...

Inflation is poisoning politics. There is a guttural feeling that we are being screwed over by forces outside of our control. That prices spiral ever upwards, day after day, year after year, while wages stagnate, or at best slouch forward lethargically. Politicians, armed with stats, offer no balm.

The mass of tourists that flock to #Barcelona annually help to fuel the local economy, but also put a strain on public services and the city's building stock. Barbara Pons Giner from Barcelona Regional joins the Urban Report to discuss striking a balance between visitors and locals.

Europe’s renovation wave is technically feasible. What’s missing is the funding to turn the trickle into a tsunami - read my deep dive on FORESIGHT for a full overview of the challenges and possible solutions to boosting the energy efficiency of Europe's buildings. foresightmedia.com/story/sBLLD9...

In a bid to cut energy usage, the EU aims to renovate large portions of its building stock. But to upgrade these buildings, an army of construction professionals will be needed — far more than is currently available. So, how can Europe close the construction skills gap? My piece for FORESIGHT:

You get the condensed version of a long chat with @sgcarroll.bsky.social covering: -Russian gas -Geothermal joining wind, solar & batteries to power Europe -The EU's heating and cooling strategy -Turning NECPs into investment plans and lots more... #EnergySky foresightmedia.com/story/sRwyjG...

Some pen-wielding journalist holding the European Parliament to account in the press room toilets (first with righteous indignation, then cool-headed politeness).

The City of #Bristol is in the midst of a transformation. The local gov has partnered with two private companies to decarbonise the city, promising thousands of green jobs and over £1 billion of investment into Bristol’s energy system. More on the latest episode of The Urban Report:

While Europe aims to increase the lifespan of its building stock through renovation, in Japan many buildings are designed to last for only 30 years before being torn down. So what can Europe and Japan teach other about the building sector? Listen on FORESIGHT: foresightmedia.com/story/se09nW...

Lasse Frimand Jensen, the mayor of the Danish city of Aalborg, and Liv Öberg from the Swedish city of Umea, join The Jolt to explain how they work with citizens to ensure climate policies cut emissions while improving quality of life. Listen now on FORESIGHT: foresightmedia.com/story/s4yGNL...

Give @sgcarroll.bsky.social's insightful new article on energy poverty in Europe a read. Top experts — incl. @louisesunderland.bsky.social of @regassistproj.bsky.social — explain this complex, persistent problem & offer solutions to help those threatened by energy poverty. bit.ly/3L4X16u

Cities worldwide are experimenting with free-to-use public transport as a means to rein in emissions and cut air pollution. However, evidence suggests that the move is not guaranteed to shift people out of cars. Read more on FORESIGHT Climate & Energy: foresightmedia.com/story/sBLL8k...

The increase in data-driven #smartbuildings is expected to make the global building stock less energy-consuming. However, as with any internet-connected technology, greater digitalisation comes with risks, making buildings more vulnerable to #cyberattacks: foresightmedia.com/story/sdMygp...