Climate and energy
Cheaper oil, geopolitical effects
Oil has already dropped to three-quarters of the price it had in June. This may have economic consequences: some wished for while others are to be feared.
Climate change diplomacy in Spain’s future foreign policy
This paper analyses Spain’s climate diplomacy in line with the Elcano report titled ‘Towards a Strategic Updating of Spain’s Foreign Policy’ and the State Foreign Action and Service Law (Ley de la Acción y del Servicio Exterior del Estado, LAESE).
Nabucco’s coup de grâce
On 28 June 2013 the Shah Deniz Consortium (SDC) took a historic decision that put an end to a decade-long pipeline race to bring Central Asian gas to Europe. The big loser was Nabucco, a project that the European Commission once considered ’strategic’ for the opening of the Southern Gas Corridor.
The short-sightedness of the EU’s long term energy infrastructure vision
On 14 October the European Commission made public its selection of the first set of Projects of Common Interest (PCIs) regarding Europe’s energy infrastructure.
Mounting pressure on Moroccan economic policy reform
Since the November 2011 legislative elections, the Moroccan government led by the Justice and Development Party (PJD) has struggled to keep the economy on track despite the global economic crisis and the impact of the Arab revolts.
Climate change and energy in the EU: global challenges, collective responsibilities
Beyond their environmental impact, climate change and energy security involve associated risks related to economic vulnerability and international security. Addressing these challenges will require a new, ambitious multilateral post-Kyoto agreement and a global deal between energy suppliers and importers. Sharing competences on climate-energy issues, the EU and Member States have a responsibility to provide joint, effective responses at the global governance level.
Critical metals: risks and opportunities for Spain
In recent years there has been a rapid expansion in the global renewable-energy and energy-efficiency technology markets. However, most low-carbon technologies require so-called ‘hi-tech’ or ‘critical’ metals, for the majority of which the EU’s member states have high import dependency rates.
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