In 2023, the EU imported €19.7 billion worth of solar panels, €3.9 billion of liquid biofuels, and €0.3 billion worth of wind turbines from extra-EU countries.
In the first quarter of 2024, the EU economy's greenhouse gas emissions were estimated at 894 million tonnes of CO2-equivalents.
In 2022, hard coal for the first time was overtaken by solar energy in electricity generation in the EU.
In 2023, 1.5 million new battery-only electric passenger cars were registered in the EU, raising the total to 4.5 million.
In 2023, renewable energy emerged as the leading source of electricity in the EU, accounting for 44.7% of total electricity production.
Sweden led the way when it came to renewables in heating and cooling, with a 69.3% share, followed by Estonia (65.4%).
Wind and hydropower collectively accounted for over two-thirds of the total renewable electricity generated (37.5% and 29.9% respectively).
In 2022, Romanians were in last place in the European Union in terms of municipal waste production and recycling, according to data published by Eurostat.
In 2022, the share of renewables in transport reached 9.6% at the EU level.
Romania was among the EU states with a high share of renewable energy sources in 2022.
Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions generated by the economic activities of resident units in the European Union last year stood at 3.6 billion tons of CO2 equivalent.
From parcels for online purchases to coffee-to-go cups, packaging is almost everywhere.
In 2021, around 131 kilograms (kg) of food per inhabitant have been wasted in the EU, according to Eurostat.
In the first quarter of 2023, greenhouse gas emissions generated by the economy of the European Union totaled 941 million tons of CO2 equivalent, a decrease of 2.9% compared to the same period in 2022 (969 million tons of CO2 equivalent), shows data published by the European Statistical Office (Eurostat).
In 2021, the source that contributed the most to the EU's primary energy production was renewable energy, respectively 41% of the total energy production in the European Union. In the case of Romania, the main sources of energy in 2021 were natural gas (32.3%), renewable energy (26.7%), solid fuels (14.5%), crude oil (14.1%), and nuclear energy (12.5%).
In absolute terms, the production of electricity from renewable energy sources increased by almost 5% from 2020 to 2021.
51% of Romanian entrepreneurs see sustainability as a way to reduce operational costs, yet the same proportion say implementation is too expensive, according to a new study by BRD Groupe Société Générale. Conducted among micro and small-to-medium enterprises, the research outlines how Romanian entrepreneurs perceive the opportunities and challenges of transitioning to sustainable business models.
The Annual Water Report, based on over 13.5 billion liters of monitored water usage across 5,370 properties in 36 countries, reveals that 67% of properties experience water leakage yearly. With rising water scarcity, increasing tariffs, aging infrastructure, and stricter regulations, property owners are under growing pressure to better understand their water consumption.
Romanian developer Iulius has launched Europe's largest private bioremediation project, investing €29 million to clean 38 hectares of contaminated land in downtown Constanța. The project will transform the former Oil Terminal platform into an integrated urban regeneration complex worth over €800 million.
The European Union is at risk of missing a key United Nations deadline for submitting updated climate targets, as internal disagreements among member states delay a final decision on emissions goals for 2040.
Solar power has rapidly risen to become Hungary's second-largest source of electricity, overtaking gas for the first time in 2024.
