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Energy Consumption and Energy Efficiency trends in the EU, 2000-2022
Get PDFThis report discusses the latest status of the energy consumption trends in the European Union (EU), focusing on the four main energy-consuming sectors: residential, tertiary, transport, and industry. During the last few years, there have been notable efforts by the EU to cut energy consumption and improve energy efficiency, as outlined in the energy consumption targets for 2020 and 2030. The report explores the energy consumption progress from 2000 to 2022. Trends in this period may have been affected by three significant events: the financial and economic crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the war in Ukraine. Special focus is drawn on changes in the use of electricity and natural gas, as well as the penetration of renewable energy sources in the energy mix. The report assesses energy indicators such as energy intensity and energy consumption per capita. In addition, it identifies and analyses the key factors influencing energy consumption trends, such as economic growth, population, heating demand, household characteristics, and energy prices. Findings show that in 2022, primary and final consumption in the EU decreased compared with 2000 and compared with the previous year, but still remained far from the 2030 EU energy efficiency targets. The transport and tertiary sectors showed increases during the studied period. Finally, among the driving factors affecting energy consumption, climatic variations, economic conditions, and energy prices were significant.JRC.C.2 - Energy Efficiency and Renewable
WATER RESILIENCE EXPERIMENT
Get PDFThe Water Resilience Experiment aims to contribute to the European Commission’s Water Resilience Strategy through the lens of design for policy and behavioural insights. The project focused on increasing cross-DG collaboration around the water topic and reducing the policy-implementation gap by engaging stakeholders across different levels of governance. The project adopted a holistic, cross-cutting, and systemic approach. The experimentation built on various workstreams generating qualitative insights from governance across local, regional, national, and international levels. Workstreams included the collection of citizen stories, participatory research conducted by innovation labs engaging numerous regional stakeholders, an analysis of the media discourse on water in 9 EU languages, and a collection of case studies as basis for a serious game. During workshops and serious gaming sessions, 55 policymakers and over 60 scientists collaboratively analysed research outcomes using systemic and visual thinking approaches, fostering deeper insights and strengthening collaboration. We identified three essential dimensions for a comprehensive approach to water resilience: the framing of the topic, common internal organisational practices, and the interplay between EU and local knowledge in implementation. Based on these observations, the Water Resilience Experiment proposes eight transformative actions to strengthen the Commission’s internal and external water resilience efforts, directed at policymakers, water-focused groups, and communities within and beyond the Commission.JRC.S.1 - EU Policy Lab: Foresight, Design & Behavioural Insight
A twin transition in regulatory toxicology: moving toward Chemicals 2.0 and phasing out animal testing
No full textThe European regulatory framework on chemicals is at a crossroads. There are calls for the framework to be more effective, by better protecting people and the environment. There is also room for it to be more efficient and cost-effective, by harmonising assessment practices across sectors and avoiding the need for unnecessary testing. At the same time, there is a political commitment to phase out animal testing in chemical safety assessments. In this commentary, we argue that these needs are not at odds with other. On the contrary, the roadmap to phase out animal testing could also be the transition pathway to a more efficient, effective and sustainable regulatory ecosystem. Central to our proposal is a framework based on biological reasoning in which biological questions can be answered by a choice of methods, with non-animal methods progressively becoming the only choice. Within this framework, a tiered approach to testing and assessment allows for greater efficiency and effectiveness, while also introducing considerations of proportionality and cost-effectiveness. Testing strategies, and their component methods, should be developed in tandem and be judged in terms of the protection levels they inform, rather than their ability to predict the outputs of animal tests.JRC.F.3 - Systems Toxicolog
European Research and Innovation in Zero-Emission Heavy-Duty Road Transport
Get PDFThis report provides a comprehensive overview of European research and innovation in support of zero-emission heavy-duty road transport. The report analyses 153 projects, 151 of them funded under FP7, Horizon 2020, and Horizon Europe, and two from the European Investment Bank. The analysed projects cover a wide range of topics from battery chemistry to deployment and operations of the zero-emission vehicles.
The report showcases the significant advancements in developing and demonstrating the technologies, standards, and best practices, and identifies the challenges and opportunities for future research and innovation. The report contributes thus to European transport and research and innovation policy discussions on zero-emission heavy-duty vehicles and infrastructure development.JRC.C.4 - Sustainable, Smart and Safe Mobilit
Chapter Seven - Impact of soil erosion on soil organic carbon loss and its implications for carbon neutrality
No full textSoil erosion significantly affects soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics, impacting carbon neutrality and climate change mitigation. Accelerated erosion depletes SOC, leading to increased greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, particularly CO2 and CH4, thereby undermining efforts toward achieving carbon neutrality. Despite its importance, the relationship between soil erosion, SOC loss, and carbon neutrality is not yet fully understood. This study evaluates the effects of soil erosion on SOC loss and its implications for carbon neutrality through a combination of modeling and field observation. Analyses of SOC stocks, carbon saturation, carbon sequestration potential, and erosion rates were conducted to assess how erosion-induced SOC loss influences GHG (CO2, CH4, and N2O) emissions. Global SOC loss from erosion is estimated at 0.9–1.31 Pg C/year, with potential increases under climate scenarios (RCP (Representative Concentration Pathways) 2.6 and RCP 8.5). The study emphasizes integrating models like the Erosion-Deposition Carbon Model (EDCM) with carbon sequestration dynamics for accurate carbon budgeting. In steep sloping alpine agricultural regions, annual SOC losses ranged from 11.8 % to 16.5 %, with particulate organic matter (POM) being more vulnerable to erosion than mineral-associated organic matter (MAOM). Erosion resulted in SOC redistribution, increasing CO2 and CH4 emissions, particularly in depositional zones, exacerbating the negative impact on carbon neutrality. Current IPCC methodologies do not adequately account for SOC losses from erosion, leading to incomplete GHG assessments. Soil erosion scenarios show increased CO2, CH4, and N2O emissions while reducing carbon sequestration potential. These findings highlight the need for targeted soil management strategies to mitigate the harmful effects of erosion on SOC and to enhance carbon sequestration, contributing to global carbon neutrality goals.JRC.D.3 - Land Resources and Supply Chain Assessment
Challenges and opportunities for the EU labour market from AI development
Get PDF→ The European Commission adopted the Digital Europe Programme to equip the EU workforce with the necessary skills to cope with labour market changes induced from innovation in ad-vanced digital technologies as AI.
→ Clerical work and cognitive tasks are considered to be more exposed to AI substitution, whereas manual, operational, and technical tasks are comparatively less exposed.
→ AISE is a job-specific AI exposure metric based on data from financed start-ups whose output could potentially replace a job.
→ Results reveal the existence of a gap between potential and actual AI exposure, as start-ups are more likely to adopt AI development in niche tasks.
→ The AISE-based analysis reveals that cognitive jobs are heterogeneously AI-exposed, and exposure depends on advanced cognitive skills requirements.
→ Beyond technical feasibility and economic via-bility, ethical and social considerations and trust in AI capabilities determine job expo-sure to AI.
→ Considering EU countries’ structure of the la-bour market, Germany and Belgium are the most actually AI-exposed. The largest gap be-tween potential and actual exposure is de-tected for Sweden and Italy, the former be-ing more potentially AI-exposed than actu-ally. The opposite is true for Italy.JRC.B.6 - Industrial strategy, skills and technology transfe
Vessel strikes as a pressure to marine biodiversity
Get PDFMarine mammals and other marine megafauna are subject to a variety of impacts related with human activities. Among those, the collisions with vessels (generally known as ship strikes, or vessel strikes) are a significant source of death and severe injuries for large cetacean species, such as fin whales or sperm whales, especially in areas that are subject to intense maritime traffic, such as the Mediterranean Sea. Other large marine vertebrates, such as sea turtles or whale sharks, are also affected by this issue, but limited information is available on the incidence of vessel strikes on species other than cetaceans. Within the EU waters, stranding networks are actively collecting information on the causes of death of cetaceans, seals, and sea turtles that strand along the coastlines, while a number of research projects, NGOs and research institutions that monitor live megafauna in the open sea to assess their abundance and distribution also collect information on the concurrent incidence of threats, such as those related to maritime traffic. This report addresses the issue of vessel strikes as a pressure to marine biodiversity, including information on monitoring, impacts, and potential mitigation measures, through a review of the scientific literature and reports produced within the international agreements in place to deal with marine mammal research and conservation, as well as by directly addressing the institutions dealing with strandings and live megafauna monitoring through a dedicated questionnaire on this issue.JRC.D.2 - Ocean and Wate
EUSO/ESDAC Newsletter No 175 - April 2025
No full textThe April edition of the EU Soil Observatory (EUSO) newsletter is now available, providing the latest highlights and insights on soil-related research and policy developments within the European UnionJRC.D.3 - Land Resources and Supply Chain Assessment
European Digital Innovation Hubs Network's activities and customers
Get PDFThe European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIH) Network of digital innovation intermediaries, established in 2023, aims to accelerate the adoption of advanced digital technologies among SMEs and Public Sector Organisations across European regions. Covering nearly 90% of European regions, the EDIH Network provides tailored digitalisation support services, including AI, cybersecurity, and high-performance computing. As of September 2024, EDIHs have reached over 200,000 participants and/or companies through 5,000 events, delivering over 18,000 services. EDIHs operate close to their customers, with a broad regional but limited international service coverage. The Digital Maturity Assessment Tool (DMAT) reveals that firms' digitalisation processes follow a structured path, with digital business strategy driving development and human-centric digitalisation and data management becoming central at higher levels of maturity. 90% of firms show an increase in their digital maturity level score after EDIH interventions.JRC.T.1 - Digital Econom
Mobilising Science, Technology and Innovation to enhance energy efficiency and renewable energy application in Seychelles
Get PDFRecognizing the crucial role of science, technology, and innovation (STI) in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), this report is set within the broader context of the European Commission’s global and regional initiatives, underscoring the commitment to the Global Gateway initiative. It forms part of a collaborative endeavour by the Joint Research Centre (JRC) and the Directorate-General for International Partnerships (DG INTPA) of the European Commission, focusing on five African countries. Within this framework, the report focuses on Seychelles, exploring STI's role in addressing the country's critical sustainability challenges, particularly in enhancing energy efficiency and integrating renewable energy sources. The objective is to boost energy efficiency and renewable energy uptake by formulating an STI for SDGs Roadmap through participatory and co-creative approaches. The methodology involves comprehensive desk research, stakeholder workshops, interviews, and surveys to collect insights from public and private sectors, NGOs, and academia. Findings highlight Seychelles' significant reliance on fossil fuels, inefficient electricity production, and underutilized renewable energy potential. Key policy recommendations include strengthening STI governance, enhancing human capital, and fostering eco-innovation through focused R&D. The report's originality lies in its tailored approach to leveraging STI for reinforcing Seychelles' energy resilience and sustainability, which provides a well-structured portfolio of STI investments specifically tailored to Seychelles' sustainability challenges and offers a valuable framework for other countries facing similar sustainability issues.JRC.B.3 - Territorial Developmen