Publication
07 Nov 2023 ·
Austria
European countries have been at the forefront in the drive to achieve net zero emissions
4 min read
An upgraded road to net zero
Transportation is responsible for about one-quarter of greenhouse gas emissions and the EU and UK are, once again, well ahead of the curve in terms of adopting electrification. Much of the funding for infrastructure investment has been allocated to transportation infrastructure, in particular upgrading roads and rail lines as well as expanding rail access to replace vehicle transport.
Hopeful for hydrogen
The EU has continued to incorporate hydrogen into the policies designed to meet its net zero commitments and kicked off its hydrogen strategy in July 2020. In March 2023, the EU created its Hydrogen Bank which will hold its first pilot auction for competitive bid in autumn 2023 under the Innovation Fund. In the UK, the Scottish government set out a strategy in December 2022 which aims to utilise hydrogen in fertiliser, refinery and distillery operations.
Securing the future network
Up to now, digital infrastructure has developed on a country-specific basis. Data centres are everywhere and the transition to 5G is ongoing. Several major EU telecommunications companies signed an MoU in 2021 to work towards Open RAN. Some pilot programmes have been launched in Europe, but more progress has been made in the UK, which is an innovator in this space. The major EU firms plan to implement larger deployments by 2025, following the implementation of the security controls that are needed to make Open RAN a reality.
