Energy
90%, Not 100: Germany and France Move to Soften the EU's 2035 Engine Ban
Germany and France have agreed to push for a 90 percent CO2 reduction target for new cars by 2035, replacing the EU's legislated 100 percent and dropping the offset requirements the European Commission had proposed.
12 Ships Struck Near Hormuz in One Week: Record High as Oil Exports Slow
Twelve vessels were attacked near the Strait of Hormuz in the week of 5-11 October, BBC Verify analysis of UKMTO data shows, the highest weekly toll since the US-Israeli war with Iran began. Oil throughput fell to 12.6 million barrels per day on 13 October, down from a pre-war baseline of 17 million.
Germany's Climate Neutrality Bill Rises 20% to €6 Trillion, €290 Billion a Year
A Prognos study commissioned by KfW puts Germany's cost of reaching climate neutrality by 2045 at €6 trillion, up from the €5 trillion estimate in 2021, requiring €290 billion in annual investment from households, businesses and the state.
12-15% Shortfall: EU Gas Network Operators Warn of Winter Supply Gap
Europe's gas network operators project a 12 to 15 percent supply shortfall in a severe winter, with storage at 72 percent of capacity against 83 percent a year ago. Brussels calls the system flexible enough, but the ENTSOG figures point in a different direction.
2036 at Earliest: Poland's First Nuclear Reactor Confirmed Three Years Late
Poland's Tusk government confirmed on October 2 that its first nuclear reactor will not come online before 2036, three years behind the previous schedule, with the second plant's first unit pushed to 2040.
100 Million Barrels: G7 Releases Emergency Fuel After Trump's Diesel Ban Threat
The G7 agreed Friday to release 100 million barrels of diesel and crude oil from emergency reserves, days after the Trump administration threatened to ban US diesel exports to Europe. US Energy Secretary Chris Wright had already said European countries released only a fraction of the stocks they pledged in March.
81 to 51: Italy's Senate Reopens the Nuclear Door 38 Years After Voters Shut It
Italy's Senate passed a nuclear enabling law by 81 votes to 51 on September 23, thirty-eight years after a 1987 referendum rejected atomic power. The law gives the government 12 months to draft licensing decrees; no reactor has been authorised and the first plant is not expected before the mid-2030s.
70.5%: EU gas storage falls below five-year minimum with winter approaching
EU gas storage stood at 70.5 percent of capacity on 24 September 2026, below the five-year minimum and 15.7 points under the historical average for this date. Germany sits at 57 percent and TTF has already crossed 80 euros per MWh.