Handy thing you might not know: all Dublin City Libraries Dublin libraries have a home energy saving test kit, which you can take out for free (as you would a book) I picked it up in Inchicore library in the stormy winds (pictured, for no reason) and gave it a go. Thread on what's in it:

Bezahlbarer #Klimaschutz im Gebäudesektor: Der Entwurf zur #Gebäuderichtlinie setzt Impulse für den Klimaschutz und stärkt die sozialverträgliche Ausgestaltung der Maßnahmen, begrüßt DMB-Bundesdirektorin Melanie Weber-Moritz die Entscheidung des Europaparlament bit.ly/3mNW09X

Last week MEPs voted for an ambitious EU buildings directive—and one reason this is very important is that it will help clarify how many buildings are due for renovation over the next decade. That’s essential to offset the sort of concerns raised in this morning’s The Economist👇

Von der Leyen: Nuclear not 'strategic' for EU decarbonisation – @EURACTIV euractiv.com/section/energy…

Hard days feel like this

Speech Isabel Schnabel 🇪🇺🇺🇦 : Inflation in the euro area and the US - causes, persistence, outlook (presentation slides) ecb.europa.eu/press/key/date…

Focusing TLRTROs and such like instruments more on building renovation and other green priorities would be one route.

consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press…

Luckily Dutch buses are built to float

Buildings Directive #EPBD is the last part of #Fitfor55 to be negotiated. At its centre is a proposal for Minimum Energy Performance Standards #MEPS to kick start #renovation I explain 3 designs on the table - Commission, Parliament, Council - & impact. tinyurl.com/3dmn5dn3

Here in Florence you can see workers using rockclimbing techniques to renovate building facades. Presumably much cheaper and faster than using scaffolding - and fun.

With just a couple of weeks to go before the ‘trilogue’ negotiations on the EU buildings directive begin, here’s a reminder of how important it is to get a good and ambitious deal for the 100m Europeans living in energy poverty – euractiv.com/section/buildi…

Ok, so what exactly is happening in Spain? POLITICOEurope has got you covered with this longer analysis of the situation in which we dig into what Pedro Sánchez's is hoping to achieve with the snap elections he's called for July 23. 🧵⬇️ politico.eu/article/spanis…

Lots of noise from all sides ahead of the first trilogue on the buildings directive today. In fact the Commission, Parliament and Council aren’t so far apart, but there’s the usual jockeying for position before settling down to figure out a deal. politico.eu/article/eus-gr…

I think this is the best obituary of Cormac McCarthy - economist.com/culture/2023/0… from The Economist economist.com/culture/2023/0…

Whether or not you like heat pumps, district heating or hydrogen for heating: ➡️ One thing we should all be able to agree on is that we need a lot more insulation for our leaky buildings in Europe. Here's why. 🧵

Sure does seem a lot simpler and safer just to build renewables and insulate houses! bbc.com/future/article… via BBC Future

Isn’t the real question where the quantitative easing money went? Seems far too little of the hundreds of billions went on emissions cuts, energy efficiency, renewables. economist.com/leaders/2023/0… from The Economist economist.com/leaders/2023/0…

We’re doing a tour of the ‘villages perchés’ (hilltop villages) by Nice, and many have clever architecture to keep the old houses lived in. Here in Contes, there’s a free lift from the old town down to the new part, so you can get to the shops or your car.

A fox in a box It was on the top floor of a neighbouring apartment block… The fire brigade were called in to take it away and release it in the woods. Well done them 👏