The Global Gender Gap Index annually benchmarks the current state and evolution of gender parity across four key dimensions (Economic Participation and Opportunity, Educational Attainment, Health and Survival, and Political Empowerment). It is the longest-standing index tracking the progress of numerous countries’ efforts towards closing these gaps over time since …
A report by the European Environment Agency (EEA) has concluded that eco-innovation amongst small and medium enterprises (SMEs) faces 'major financial barriers' across the EU. Green innovations in smaller businesses have stalled, although the increasing economic value of environmental improvements and the development of green markets are leading to change. …
German Chancellor Angela Merkel promised 750 million euros ($1 billion) to the United Nations Green Climate Fund, the first major pledge it has received. The fund, designed to channel climate aid to poor nations, has so far only had seed capital to help set itself up. In May, it opened …
Aid group Oxfam has called on other rich nations to follow the example of Germany, which has promised €750m ($1bn) for the UN's fledgling Green Climate Fund. "This announcement ends the deafening silence we've had so far around the empty Green Climate Fund that is supposed to support poor countries …
China may struggle to cut carbon emissions to levels that prevent the worst effects of global warming, a United Nations study of 15 major emitters showed. The UN said per-capita emissions from burning fossil fuels needs to fall to 1.6 tons in 2050 from 5.4 tons now across the 15 …
Implementing patient cost sharing in the form of copayments, coinsurance, and deductibles is one of the more reliable methods for reducing health care costs. But imposing cost sharing reduces patients' demand for medical care, which sets the interests of insurers at odds with the interests of health care providers and …
European Union authorities have reached a deal with Germany on how to make its proposed green energy law compatible with EU state aid rules, the bloc's antitrust chief said on Wednesday. The European Commission has been examining Germany's revamped renewables legislation (EEG), which protects heavy industry from the cost of …
Response to foodborne disease outbreaks is complicated by globalization of our food supply chains. Rapid identification of contaminated products is essential to limit the damage caused by foodborne disease. Worldwide, foodborne disease outbreaks are responsible for $9B a year in medical costs and over $75B in economic losses. Yet relevant …
Report is the first of its kind to prescribe concrete actions that the biggest 15 economies must take to keep warming below 2C The United Nations was presented with a roadmap to avoid a climate catastrophe on Tuesday, prescribing specific actions for the world’s biggest economies to keep warming below …
When birds land, their wings adjust to the airstreams, allowing them to spend as little energy as possible. By contrast, aeroplanes use clunky landing flaps that help channel the air but also waste large amounts of energy. A research team, financed by the EU, has developed a new material that …
German Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel believes a ruling by the European Union's top court on Tuesday has removed any lingering EU obstacles to Berlin's renewable energy law. "The European Court of Justice has send a clear signal on the continued support of renewable energy in Europe," Gabriel said in a …
The U.K. government said it will reduce the risk of power blackouts by guaranteeing payment for about 80 percent of peak demand for electricity generation. Generators of power from fuels including gas, nuclear, oil and gas will get the payments in return for ensuring electricity is provided when needed, the …
European Union carbon permits had the biggest quarterly gain in six years as lawmakers consider permanent measures to curb a surplus that helped push prices to a record low. December allowances climbed 25 per cent since March 31, the most for a quarter since June 2008, according to data from …
Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Wednesday she would push back decisively against the European Commission if it raises further objections to Germany's system of green power subsidies. "You can't simply start to question support systems which have been in place for years without thinking about how we make the transition. …
If Europe adopted a style of farming that abstains from plowing after a harvest, local temperatures could drop as much as two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit), researchers said Monday. The reason lies in the color of the soil: untilled land is lighter and reflects sunlight, making the area cooler …
German drinking water costs may increase with contamination of supplies from pollutants such as pesticides and pharmaceuticals rising faster than in other European Union nations, according to a lobby for utilities. “Water companies have to make increasingly high efforts in some German regions to ensure the well-known high quality of …
Germany on Tuesday proposed that industrial companies generating their own electricity pay a higher surcharge than previously planned, as the country seeks to keep costs for renewable energy under control and overcome objections from the European Commission. The move comes after the European Union's executive arm objected to an initial …
Britain and Germany have broken records for generating solar electricity in the last few weeks, according to new industry figures. Germany generated over half its electricity demand from solar for the first time ever on 9 June, and the UK, basking in the sunniest weather of summer during the longest …
Germany, the world’s biggest solar market by total capacity, is set to install the fewest panels since 2008 after subsidies fell faster than prices. Germany added 818 megawatts of panels in the first five months of the year, a 45 percent drop from a year earlier, the BSW-Solar lobby said …
The European Union’s attempt to cap greenhouse-gas emissions over the next 16 years is threatened again as rising pollution from the bloc’s biggest economies show even developed nations want to burn cheap coal. Germany, Europe’s largest economy, boosted consumption of the fuel by 13 percent in the past four years, …
European Commission leaders in Brussels have recommended that Europe aims for an energy saving target of 27% by 2030. The recommendation comes in spite of calls for a more ambitious energy savings target of 40% in a letter signed by Environment Ministers from seven European countries. The Commission's President José …
