38796 research outputs found
Sort by
Environmental and economic assessment of waste lubricant oil management in the EU
No full textOf the 4.3 million tonnes lubricating oils placed on the EU28 market in 2017, 2 Mt (47 %) were potentially collectible. Of the 1.6 Mt collected, 61 % were regenerated and 39 % followed energy recovery pathways, such as conversion to fuel or combustion in industrial boilers, kilns and incinerators. Considering that energy recovery also offers important benefits, it is still unclear to which extent a further increase of regeneration would bring additional benefits. To answer this question, the present study applies life cycle assessment and costing methods to analyse the impacts of eight alternative pathways for the management of waste oil, including three regeneration pathways (hydro-treatment, solvent extraction and distillation) and five energy recovery pathways (two types of distillation into fuel oil, direct incineration in cement kilns, in hazardous waste incinerators and in industrial boilers). Whereas regeneration outperforms all energy recovery pathways from a climate change perspective, achieving savings of 344–537 kg CO2-eq t−1 of waste oil regenerated, the results are more nuanced when considering the life cycle costs, where regeneration (achieving cost savings of 236–357 EUR t−1) is robustly superior only to the different forms of direct incineration. A similar outcome is observed for the full environmental life cycle costs. In terms of policy implications, the findings suggest that current evidence would not justify a general preferential treatment and support of waste oil regeneration vis-a-vis the other treatment channels, especially conversion to fuel.JRC.B.5 - Circular Economy and Sustainable Industr
Preparing for water resilience: Mapping the water needs of the EU energy system
Get PDFThe EU energy sector's water needs are a critical aspect of its operations, with significant implications for water resources management and policymaking. With droughts and heatwaves expected to become more frequent and intense due to the effects of climate change, exacerbating water stress in the EU, it is important to quantify the water needs of the energy sector now and in the future.
This brief provides an estimation of the water required by all the activities related to the supply of energy in the EU.JRC.C.7 - Energy Transition Insights for Polic
Integrating the EU Twin (Green and Digital) Transition? Synergies, Tensions and Pathways for the Future of Work
Get PDFThe green and digital transitions are increasingly described as the ‘twin transition’ in EU policy documents, social partners’ strategic plans and academic debates. However, the exact meaning of this term remains ambiguous, and the interconnections between these transitions are largely unexplored. This paper aims to clarify the motivations and pitfalls behind their ‘twinning’ and assess where and how their convergence might be successful. It considers the socioeconomic risks, policy trade-offs and implications for the future of work. The analysis covers major EU employment and social policy developments concerning workers’ environmental and digital rights, as enshrined in legislation that presents a ‘mix’ between two distinct legal areas. A key finding is that the transitions are often treated as separate rather than integrated phenomena, with limited direct spillovers. However, despite shifts in institutional agendas and inconsistencies in understanding, the underlying priorities remain deeply entrenched. This paper identifies regulatory gaps and rigidities that maintain outdated, inflexible and hierarchical organisational paradigms, which are ill-suited to the demands of the twin transitions. It also calls for regenerating labour regulation to foster positive interactions and modernisation of work practices. The proposed normative changes should promote worker-oriented flexibility, universal labour protection and worker participation in technological and green initiatives, paving the way for more sustainable working arrangements.JRC.B.6 - Industrial strategy, skills and technology transfe
Research and Innovation on the decarbonisation of the European Waterborne Sector
Get PDFThis policy brief aims to provide an overview of the R&I landscape related to waterborne decarbonisation in the European Union (EU) providing a review of projects and initiatives focused on technologies, operational measures and coordination and support actions. Additionally, we present a qualitative assessment of some concluded EU projects on the topic to extrapolate additional insight on lessons learnt and potential for improvement.JRC.C.4 - Sustainable, Smart and Safe Mobilit
Delivering the EU Green Deal - Progress towards targets
Get PDFThis report provides a comprehensive assessment of progress towards the European Green Deal (EGD), the European Union’s transformative agenda for achieving climate neutrality by 2050. The analysis encompasses 154 quantifiable targets from 44 policy documents between 2019 and 2024 across key sectors such as climate, energy, circular economy, transport, agriculture and food, ecosystems and biodiversity, water, soil and air pollution.
The study shows that significant achievement has been delivered so far but progress needs to accelerate in many areas. As of mid-2024, 32 of the 154 targets are currently “on track” and 64 are identified as “acceleration needed” meaning that more progress is needed to meet the targets on time. Furthermore, 15 of the targets are found to be “not progressing” or “regressing”, and for 43 of the targets no data is currently available. The timing of the binding policies, most of which have been recently agreed and are expected to deliver results in the coming years, is a significant factor influencing these assessments.
This report integrates all EGD actions and related policies, offering an assessment of the EU’s green transition based on robust data and science. It identifies priority areas for intensified efforts to meet short-term implementation goals and contribute to the long-term ambition of a sustainable, fair, just, and climate-neutral Europe by 2050. This collective work serves as a benchmarking tool, providing scientifically grounded guidance for future EU policies and programmes.JRC.D.1 - Forests and Bio-Econom
Data Story: The Road to Parity - Tracking Women’s Political Representation
Get PDFDespite progress made in recent years towards more gender balance in political representation, this goal has not been reached yet. Multidimensional indices and scoreboards can be useful to keep track of progress and setbacks, and identify areas for improvement. This data story provides insights on women's political representation using relevant indices and scoreboards both at global and EU level. The analysis shows that progress has been slow and no country is likely to achieve gender equality targets by 2030, the target year for the achievement of SDGs. However, the SDG Index illustrates how trends at the country level can move substantially towards or away from gender parity over a short period of time. Positive stories stem from a number of countries where gender parity has been advanced with political commitment, targets and different quota systems. The analysis of the situation in the EU using the Gender Equality Strategy Monitoring Portal shows moderate progress in achieving gender balance in national parliaments, and a slower trend in local/municipal councils. Significant country differences persist when it comes to women's representation in politics across the EU. The story ends by highlighting the association between women's political representation and quality of government, and how more equal representation contribute to more diverse perspectives in policymaking and a stronger democracy that better reflects the society.JRC.S.3 - Science for Modelling, Monitoring and Evaluatio
Housing Wealth Across Countries: The Role of Expectations, Institutions and Preferences
Get PDFHomeownership rates and holdings of housing wealth differ immensely across countries. We specify and estimate a life cycle model with risky labor income and house prices in which households face a discrete–continuous choice between renting and owning a house, whose sale is subject to transaction costs. The model allows us to quantify three groups of explanatory factors for long-run, structural differences in the extensive and intensive margins of housing: the homeownership rate and the value of housing wealth of homeowners. First, in line with survey evidence, we allow for differences in expectations of house prices. Second, countries differ in the institutional set-up of the housing market: maximum loan–value ratio and costs of renting, maintaining, and selling a house. Third, we allow for differences in household
preferences: the dispersion in discount factors, the share of housing expenditure, and the bequest motive. We estimate the model using micro data from five large economies and provide a decomposition to interpret what drives the cross-country differences in housing wealth. We find that all three groups of factors matter, although preferences less so. Differences in homeownership rates are strongly affected by (i) house price beliefs and (ii) therental wedge, the difference between rents and maintenance costs, which reflects the qualityof the rental market. Differences in the value of housing wealth are substantially driven by housing maintenance costs.JRC.B.1 - Economic and Financial Resilienc
Projection of household-level consumption expenditures in a macro-micro consistent framework
No full textThis paper presents a new approach for projecting (updating) household-level consumption expenditures in line with the existing macro-projections on aggregate consumption and demographic dynamics. Our macro-micro modelling exercises reveal that the use of outdated microdata could lead to an overestimation of direct climate policy costs as well as benefits from compensatory measures. In terms of distributional impacts, using unadjusted microdata may overstate the regressivity of costs and the progressivity of after-transfer welfare impacts. Our analysis of inequality dynamics underscores the relevance of accounting for changes in the population age structure. Overall, the results highlight the importance of using fully consistent macro and micro datasets in policy evaluations. The study further emphasizes the value of producing consumer expenditure projections to quantify the relative uncertainties (robustness) of results in relation to (un)expected shifts in household consumption patterns, assessments of different policy instruments, and comparisons of diverse policy-relevant metrics.JRC.C.6 - Economics of Climate Change, Energy and Transpor
Competence Centre on Participatory & Deliberative Democracy - Newsletter Edition I (January 2025)
No full textA regular email publication for the Community of Practice on Citizen Engagement & Deliberative Democracy to inform them about the news, events and activities of the new Competence Centre on Participatory and Deliberative Democracy. This edition includes news about the Corporate Guidance Publication, as well as training registration and other ongoing projects.JRC.S.2 - Science for Democracy and Evidence-Informed Policymakin
Research and Innovation on Urban Rail in Europe
Get PDFUrban rail plays a crucial role in the European Union's transport policies. Nevertheless, the Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy and TEN-T Regulation focus on high-speed rail services, the new Urban Mobility Framework considers urban rail an integral part of public transport services while a direct policy document on urban rail is missing.
This Brief presents an overview of eighteen research and innovation (R&I) projects that have urban rail in their scope or directly stimulate development in the area. These projects are grouped into four thematic areas: energy efficiency, reducing environmental impact, communication and smart mobility, and socio-economic impact. The Brief highlights the importance of urban rail in promoting sustainable and efficient transport, and identifies key areas for further research and development. By exploring the scopes and achievements of these projects, this Brief aims to inform and guide future urban rail development initiatives.JRC.C.4 - Sustainable, Smart and Safe Mobilit