Reports


The EU Energy Challenge: Can innovation fill the gap?

On 14 november 2014, Science|Business organised a summit on the EU energy Challenge, gathering 170 experts from across europe and beyond in academia, industry and policy to debate the answers to those questions and develop insights and recommendations for the european Commission. The summit capped a series of eight high-level academic policy symposia focused on the eu energy R&D challenge, supported by BP.

The Renewable Power Dilemma

Europe is determined to lead the world in the shift to green energy. A key policy goal in the European Commission’s 2050 Energy Roadmap is an electricity system based nearly entirely on renewable energy sources. From fields of windmills in Scotland to solar panel installations across Spain, billions of euros in public and private investment over the past 15 years have kick-started the transition to a low-carbon economy.

The value(s) of science

With Europe’s biggest-ever research programme, Horizon 2020, now underway, Science|Business gathered several leaders in European research, industry and policy to debate the ethical questions that may arise. Their reflections, gathered here, are part of a Science|Business effort to spotlight the ethical dimensions of this vital new EU initiative.

Gas: Too much of a good thing?

Over the past five years, the US shale gas boom has brought about dramatic changes in the North American energy landscape, prompting economic and environmental debate in Europe and other parts of the world. In the US, energy prices have fallen dramatically, helping drive economic recovery from the global recession. But the spread of hydraulic fracturing or “fracking” – the technology used to drill for shale gas – has raised the ire of environmentalists.