In brief | 24 February ‘26
Reuters: Germany's once-vibrant auto heartland falls on hard times
Falling demand in the auto supply chain is squeezing hundreds of smaller manufacturers and threatening job security and municipal services in Germany's industry-rich Baden-Wuerttemberg region, which holds an election on 8 March.
Bloomberg: Germany raises green steel aid for Salzgitter to €1.3 billion
Steelmaker’s Salcos project that aims to use hydrogen to power a blast furnace will receive an additional 322 million euros in subsidies to plug a funding gap, after other financial commitments fell through.
Politico: Merz heads to Beijing as Germany Inc. reels from ‘China shock’
China once underpinned Germany’s industrial growth but has now become a force behind its deindustrialisation.
Bloomberg: Europe’s biggest business lobby calls for carbon market overhaul
Europe’s largest business lobby called for reforms to the region’s multi-billion euro carbon market to better support industry, piling on more pressure to amend the bloc’s main emissions-cutting tool.
E3G: Carbon Capture and Storage Ladder – 2026 update
Metric assesses CCS applications across key industrial sectors, evaluating their climate value for 2030 and 2050 based on three core criteria: competition from alternatives, mitigation potential, and feasibility.
PIK: How “clean-up certificates” lead to better climate protection
Market forces activated by clean-up certificates linking emission rights to a removal obligation can greatly strengthen the fight against global heating without placing an extra burden on the economy.
Aurora Energy Research: Germany, Great Britain, Italy top battery investment in Europe
Aurora predicts that by 2030, European battery capacity will exceed 80 gigawatts (GW).
RIFS: Study reveals hidden climate impact of digital industries
Digital industries were responsible for around 4.1 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions in 2021, yet the bulk of these emissions were not captured by existing emissions accounting standards or official climate assessments.
European Commission: Commission seeks input to shape its strategy for coastal communities
Strategy will focus on unlocking the potential of the blue economy through innovation, decarbonisation, generational renewal and improved connectivity, while reinforcing climate resilience against threats such as rising sea levels, erosion, and biodiversity loss.