Decarbonisation

The automotive industry has long been the driving force of the Czech economy, but is currently facing fierce foreign competition and challenges in the area of decarbonisation and sustainability. Despite its strategic position in the automotive industry, the Czech Republic still lags behind its neighbours in circularity and lacks a long-term strategy for the development of the sector. How can we improve the conditions for the development of circular solutions in the automotive sector and attract key investments of the future to the Czech Republic? Come join the discussion and seek answers to these questions!

Coal has been an important part of the Czech economy for decades. As a fossil fuel, however, it is a significant producer of greenhouse gases, especially CO2. Our Research Fellow Jonathan Lyons and Senior Research Fellow Kateřina Davidová write in their commentary about the benefits of decarbonisation and switching to wind energy.

Coal has been an important part of the Czech economy for decades. As a fossil fuel, however, it is a significant producer of greenhouse gases, especially CO2. Our Research Fellow Jonathan Lyons and Senior Research Fellow Kateřina Davidová write in their blog about the benefits of decarbonisation and switching to wind energy.

Katarína Svitková, our research associate, wrote a policy paper on sustainable mobility in Prague. According to Katarína, cities play an important role in reducing the carbon footprint. Therefore, one of the key areas to focus on is urban transport.

After the successful delivery of last year’s project focused on the decarbonization of the Czech automotive industry, the climate team of EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy leads its second round. This time, the project aims to use already acquired knowledge, contacts and resources to help create a conducive environment for discussion between the representatives of the industry and the public sector. It will also contribute to our understanding of the decarbonization pathways through evidence-based research. Lastly, the project aims to raise social awareness about the challenges and opportunities presented by the transition of the automotive industry by organizing events and media briefings. This year’s project will be shaped by the Czech Presidency of the European Council in the second half of the year.

The transition to clean energy requires sufficient critical resources to enable this transformation. Consumption of these materials is expected to grow significantly in the future. How will the EU's decarbonisation efforts evolve in the future? This topic was discussed by our researcher Michal Hrubý in the Studio Leonardo programme of Český rozhlas Plus. According to Hrubý, the problem is not the lack of resources, but the time it takes to obtain the raw materials. In this context, he draws attention to a new legislative initiative of the European Commission, which aims to better coordinate the time of extraction of critical materials.

Our researcher Michal Hrubý attended the conference on Decarbonisation of Automotive Transport where he took part in the debate. We are on the threshold of a decision about the future of Czech car transport. Demand for electromobility is growing exponentially globally, as is the development of battery technology. In the future, these could become value-added products that will kick-start our economy and return the Czech Republic to a leading position in the investment environment. According to representatives of the European Parliament, the state administration, the automotive industry and independent experts on electromobility, it is now important for the Czech Republic to leave the scepticism of change behind and start educating and preparing for the decarbonisation of automotive transport. Not only for the environmental impact, but especially for the future competitiveness of the sector. This was stated in a debate at the Decarbonisation of Automotive Transport conference organised by EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy on Tuesday 1 March.

On Tuesday, 1 March, an online conference entitled Decarbonisation of Czech Car Transport will be held by EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy from 14:00 to 15:30. The event will be broadcast live online and you can watch the live stream on EUROPEUM's Facebook page. You will be able to contribute to the discussion directly during the debate by commenting below the video. The debate will be held in Czech.

The CCS4CEE project analyses the current state of development of CCS (carbon capture and storage) technology in Central and Eastern Europe and aims primarily at renewing the debate on CCS technology and enabling its future deployment in the region.

How do Czech politicians approach the Fit for 55 package? And what should the incoming government focus on? Michal Hrubý, an analyst at EUROPEUM, explains the search for a consensus in his commentary

Analyst and climate policy expert Kateřina Davidová evaluated the COP26 conference in Glasgow for Český rozhlas PLUS. She highlighted the article on coal, the goal of keeping global warming below 1.5 degrees and the formation of an alliance led by Denmark and Costa Rica, which called for a discussion on ending oil and gas extraction.

Michal Hrubý, a Researcher at EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy, wrote under the Think Visegrad in Brussels project his policy paper "Potential for CCS in V4 – will we seize the momentum?".