The European Perspective
Germany’s Carbon Capture Pivot
In a significant policy shift, Germany’s government has approved a draft law to permit and regulate Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS). The legislation opens the door for capturing CO2 from industrial processes—excluding coal plants for now—and storing it underground or transporting it via pipelines (Clean Energy Wire). This is a pragmatic, if overdue, acknowledgment that intermittent renewables alone cannot decarbonise heavy industries like cement and steel. While Berlin insists this doesn’t signal a return to conventional nuclear power, the move reflects a growing realism about the costs and complexities of the energy transition (Clean Energy Wire). The EU is concurrently developing regulations to create a viable market for CCS, mandating that oil and gas producers provide a collective 50 million tonnes of annual CO2 injection capacity by 2030 (European Commission). This top-down, state-led approach to building a carbon storage market is a gamble; its success will depend on whether the regulatory framework can incentivise genuine private investment and innovation rather than merely creating a subsidised utility.
Europe’s Sovereign Launch Capability Re-Asserted
The European Space Agency (ESA) successfully launched its new Ariane 6 rocket for its third mission, placing the MetOp-SG A1 weather satellite into orbit from Kourou, French Guiana (Arianespace, ESA). This launch is critical for Europe’s strategic autonomy in space, providing independent access for both commercial and institutional payloads. The Ariane 6, with a payload capacity of up to 21.6 tonnes to low Earth orbit, is Europe’s answer to a market increasingly dominated by private American firms. The MetOp satellite will deliver high-resolution data for weather forecasting and climate monitoring, enhancing Europe’s scientific and environmental surveillance capabilities (ESA). While the programme has faced significant delays and cost overruns, this successful flight demonstrates a renewed competitive footing and reduces reliance on foreign launch providers.
AI Accelerates Drug Discovery
Researchers have deployed Artificial Intelligence to identify a new class of antibiotics, dubbed “archaeasins,” derived from ancient microbes (bioengineer.org). A deep learning model scanned proteins from hundreds of Archaea species, organisms known for thriving in extreme environments. Lab tests of 80 of these AI-identified peptides showed a remarkable 93% success rate in inhibiting drug-resistant bacteria (bioengineer.org). This breakthrough highlights how AI can drastically shorten the discovery pipeline for novel drugs by analysing vast biological datasets far beyond human capacity. Separately, Alphabet’s Isomorphic Labs is reportedly preparing for human trials of its first AI-designed drugs (Hindustan Times). This shift from computational models to clinical application marks a validation point for AI in medicine, promising to lower development costs and attack previously “undruggable” targets.
Catch the next Gist for the continent’s moving pieces.
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