Alberto Vela
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albertovela.bsky.social
Alberto Vela
@albertovela.bsky.social
Climate & energy noisemaker | Strategic comms at @eeb.org | Ex-journo in Brussels | Opinions (still) my own.
Reposted by Alberto Vela
OMNIBUS I found in breach of EU law as it departed from basic procedural guarantees such as public consultation.

This @ombudsman.europa.eu recommendation carries important implications for omnibuses to come and the whole simplification agenda www.ombudsman.europa.eu/en/recommend...
Recommendation on the European Commission’s compliance with ‘Better Regulation’ rules and other procedural requirements in preparing legislative proposals that it considered to be urgent (983/2025/MAS...
The three cases concern how the European Commission applied its ‘Better Regulation’ rules and other procedural requirements when preparing legislative pro...
www.ombudsman.europa.eu
November 27, 2025 at 9:16 AM
The EU always tells its story in that banner; until now.

Since I arrived here, the Commission has proudly showcased its flagship policies on its main building: recovery funds, RePowerEU… But this term? Nothing. Seems the deregulation and simplification agenda isn’t exactly banner material.
November 22, 2025 at 12:52 PM
Reposted by Alberto Vela
El dinero que recibe España del turismo lo perdemos en comprar combustibles fósiles. En el siglo XXI el sol puede convertirnos en una superpotencia renovable e industrial y romper el círculo. Gran columna de @martavictoria.bsky.social y @capitanrenovable.bsky.social

elpais.com/clima-y-medi...
La verdadera soberanía energética
España recibe el doble de horas de sol que el norte de Europa: si un panel fotovoltaico instalado aquí genera el doble de electricidad, ¿por qué no aprovechar esta ventaja competitiva?
elpais.com
November 7, 2025 at 2:09 PM
Feels like no one’s talking about energy efficiency in Brussels these days… but it could actually be one of the big EU success stories

27% of NextGenEU funds (€91 billion!) have gone into energy-saving measures: renovating buildings, supporting SMEs, helping households cut bills - latest data shows
October 31, 2025 at 10:19 AM
It’s telling (and worrying) that Spain stands alone in NATO for questioning such an arbitrary and unrealistic target. Meanwhile, Trump’s best friend wants to count a bridge from mainland Italy to Sicily as NATO defence spending (!) www.politico.eu/article/ital...
October 16, 2025 at 3:09 PM
Dark enlightenment alert: the US fuels coal to power the AI boom.

Washington's energy policies are completely unacceptable. Their climate denialism will take a toll on everyone’s lives. Time to boycott American AI and demand green labels for AI running on renewables.
Trump administration spending $625m to revive dying coal industry
White House allocating 13.1m acres of public land to coal mining, which has been on rapid decline over past 30 years
www.theguardian.com
October 6, 2025 at 10:20 AM
Totally with @davekeating.substack.com on this: "EU bureaucracy is a tired obsession national leaders use to bash Brussels - especially to distract from their own mistakes."

Given the huge challenges we face, is cutting paperwork really the EU’s priority? Are Germany’s problems really about this?
European leaders arrive at the Copenhagen #EUCO summit this morning dodging Russian drones, ready to talk about an unravelling world where Europe is menaced by Russia and China to its East and the US to its West.

What's the German chancellor coming with? A laundry list of complaints about red tape.
As Moldova chooses EU, Merz bashes Brussels
The German Chancellor will come to the Copenhagen summit Wednesday with a classic strategy: blame the EU for national economic woes. Gone is the fleeting hope that Merz would be Europe's new champion.
davekeating.substack.com
October 1, 2025 at 1:33 PM
Reposted by Alberto Vela
NGOs and trade unions want to draw attention to what they call a "deregulation wave" in the EU. They claim that the commission is putting the environment as well as social and labour rights at risk by prioritising competitiveness.
Activists lead three-day march on Brussels against EU's 'deregulation wave'
NGOs and trade unions want to draw attention to what they call a "deregulation wave" in the EU. They claim that the commission is putting the environment as well as social and labour rights at risk by prioritising competitiveness.
euobserver.com
September 24, 2025 at 6:52 AM
Reposted by Alberto Vela
La factura climática crece cada día que pasa y sin embargo la UE sigue mermando el Pacto Verde. El poder de la ciudadanía para sostener consensos sociales es clave para RESISTIR. @albertovela.bsky.social @xanlopez.xyz 👇

www.elsaltodiario.com/cambio-clima...
La ola reaccionaria frena la lucha climática de la UE cuando la emergencia planetaria más apremia
El retraso de la votación sobre el objetivo de reducción de emisiones para 2040 supone un triunfo del bloque menos favorable al fin de los combustibles fósiles y el último capítulo de un giro en las p...
www.elsaltodiario.com
September 20, 2025 at 12:56 PM
Reposted by Alberto Vela
La ola reaccionaria frena la lucha climática de la UE cuando la emergencia planetaria más apremia.

Un panorama de lo que está pasando en Bruselas con el análisis de @xanlopez.xyz y @albertovela.bsky.social.

En @elsaltodiario.com.
www.elsaltodiario.com/cambio-clima...
La ola reaccionaria frena la lucha climática de la UE cuando la emergencia planetaria más apremia
El retraso de la votación sobre el objetivo de reducción de emisiones para 2040 supone un triunfo del bloque menos favorable al fin de los combustibles fósiles y el último capítulo de un giro en las p...
www.elsaltodiario.com
September 19, 2025 at 7:34 AM
⚛️ Europe’s “nuclear renaissance” comes with a huge dissonance: political momentum is rising, but the EU industry struggles with delays, high costs, and stiff foreign competition. In this piece, @steporciello.bsky.social asks the right question: Will new nuclear benefit Europe - or others?
Nuclear is coming in from the cold - but will it be made in Europe? - Euractiv
EU countries revive nuclear ambitions but face questions over industry strength and dependence on foreign suppliers
www.euractiv.com
September 8, 2025 at 12:41 PM
Extreme weather driven by climate change made wildfires in Spain, Portugal 40 times more likely

4⃣️0⃣️ times

Unfortunately, the fires we experienced this summer are a sign of what's to come.
Weather that drove Iberian wildfires is 40 times more likely due to climate change, report says
The hot, dry and windy conditions this summer that fueled the worst wildfires in Spain for at least three decades are 40 times more likely to recur due to human-caused climate change, according to an analysis by World Weather Attribution.
www.reuters.com
September 4, 2025 at 12:03 PM
Climate goals and energy sovereignty often dominate debates on renewables

But for small villages, the story is much more personal. Solar & wind revenues increase municipal finances, improve services, create indirect jobs, enhance crop yields, fund rewilding...

Here are some rural success stories 👇
Five ways renewables can keep villages alive
From fresh income streams to stronger farms, this is how solar and wind power are quietly transforming life in the European countryside.
meta.eeb.org
August 28, 2025 at 10:39 AM
Reposted by Alberto Vela
La desaparición de los datos climáticos, la nueva fase del negacionismo político.

Trump elimina la evidencia científica. "Europa no es inmune a esta “motosierra” populista", advierte @albertovela.bsky.social.

Lo cuento en @lavanguardia.com.
www.lavanguardia.com/natural/2025...
La desaparición de los datos climáticos, la nueva fase del negacionismo político
A principios de siglo, ante la curva ascendente del calentamiento global, el Congreso de los Estados Unidos ordenó a todos los gobiernos a elaborar y publicar cada
www.lavanguardia.com
July 29, 2025 at 10:06 AM
Heat pumps are now outselling gas boilers in Germany. In Belgium, EV sales are beating petrol cars.

There’s still a long road ahead, but let’s be clear: this shift isn’t automatic. It’s the result of smart public policies and the right mix of carrots and sticks.

We must keep the momentum going!
🔥 BREAKING: Heat pumps now outsell gas boilers in Germany!

A major climate milestone - and proof that fossil-free heating works when policy delivers:

✅ National ban on fossil fuel boilers in new buildings
✅ Strong EU-level renewable heating rules
✅ Public funding to help households make the switch
Heat Pump Sales Top Gas Boilers in Germany for the First Time
Sales of heat pumps in Germany surpassed gas boilers for the first time as a ban on dirty heating systems forces a shift to cleaner energy.
www.bloomberg.com
July 28, 2025 at 3:19 PM
Reposted by Alberto Vela
A EEUU le viene fatal que Europa instale energías renovables. Porque cuantas más renovables instalamos, menos GNL importaremos de EEUU. Si no importamos combustibles fósiles (ni de ellos ni de otros que los venden en dólares), no demandaremos su moneda, que se depreciará provocando inflación en EEUU
Trump tells Europe to “stop the windmills”
July 26, 2025 at 2:03 PM
👑
"Train is the new private jet." Dua Lipa continues to promote taking the train over flying, boarding a Eurostar to London at Gare du Nord. This is climate-conscious messaging done right. Posted by lejeuneengage on IG.
July 15, 2025 at 8:58 AM
Reposted by Alberto Vela
💢 If Europe is serious about a clean industrial revival, it must make green criteria mandatory in public contracts!

Every year, €2 trillion in public money flows to companies via procurement.

🌱 What if all that went to green frontrunners?

Recycled steel, low-carbon cement, and more 👇
Green Industry Needs a Buyer: The State
If Europe is serious about its clean industrial revival, it must harness public procurement and make green criteria binding.
meta.eeb.org
June 13, 2025 at 1:17 PM
Reposted by Alberto Vela
Bigger cars = more pollution 😷

A large pickup truck emits over twice the CO2 of a small car like a VW Golf—36 kg vs 16 kg per 100km. Worse still, people hit by larger cars are far less likely to survive.

We need to stop #carspreading to protect our climate and our health.

@cleancitiescampaign.org
May 28, 2025 at 8:01 AM
The track record of CCS projects in the last decades tells a story of oversized promises and undelivered results.
Despite 30yrs of failed projects &millions in public funding thrown down the drain,EU has spent the past yrs turbocharging policies to support CarbonCaptureUtilisation&Storage. Our research showed how corporate capture is locking Europe into a fossil-fuelled future👉 corporateeurope.org/en/carboncoup
The Carbon Coup | Corporate Europe Observatory
The CCUS Forum, a little known event with no legitimacy and filled to the brim with fossil fuel polluters has largely been steering regulation and public funding for a risky, costly, and repeatedly fa...
corporateeurope.org
May 27, 2025 at 4:39 PM
Reposted by Alberto Vela
They say it can’t be done, but here we are, California is generated 106% of California’s entire state electricity demand from renewables.

California has a population bigger that 154 other countries around the world. It’s the 4th largest economy, in the world.

Let that sink in.
#energysky #greensky
May 24, 2025 at 11:06 PM
🔎 Spot the multitasker

Proud to be part of the environmental civic movement, especially in these times of disinformation and democratic erosion
𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿 - 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗺!❤️‍🔥

This week, our members gathered to elect a new Board, welcome 12 new organisations to the EEB family, and chart together our way forward as Europe's largest and most diverse network of environmental NGOs. #EEB25
May 22, 2025 at 10:06 AM
Reposted by Alberto Vela
We can now reveal where each country stood during the meeting:

In favour: 🇳🇱🇪🇸🇮🇪🇧🇪🇫🇮🇫🇷🇱🇺🇵🇹🇸🇮🇸🇪🇦🇹🇲🇹🇩🇰🇪🇪🇵🇱🇷🇴🇸🇰

Against: 🇩🇪🇧🇬🇮🇹🇬🇷🇨🇾🇨🇿🇭🇷🇱🇹🇭🇺

Neutral: 🇱🇻
🚨🚨🚨 Big news in Brussels: A majority of 17 member states have supported the Dutch proposal to launch a review of the EU-Israel Association Agreement for possible breaches of human rights in the Gaza Strip, @euronews.com has learned.
May 20, 2025 at 5:28 PM
No one should be left behind in the transition to a decarbonised Europe.

The EU has the tools to make this happen; most immediately, the Social Climate Fund, which could subsidise 20 million heat pumps for low-income households. A giant leap forward 👇
🔥 𝐂𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐍 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐓 𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐎𝐋𝐔𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍? 🔥

📢 New EEB study: Just one-third of the EU’s Social Climate Fund could

✅ Deploy 20M heat pumps
✅ Cover every energy-poor household in 9 EU countries
✅ Cut EU gas use by 11%

Carbon revenues = a game changer for homes

📘 Read the report: www.coolproducts.eu/heating-and-...
May 19, 2025 at 9:08 AM
From all sectors, the most telling is transport. Both for China and Europe.
Decarbonisation means electrification, for the most part. And #China leaves the US and Europe in the dust. Here is the disaggregated chart:
May 12, 2025 at 2:47 PM