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Sean Goulding Carroll

@sgcarroll.bsky.social
272 followers 210 following 58 posts

EU politics reporter with Contexte. Formerly, FORESIGHT Climate & Energy and Euractiv. Get in touch: scarroll@contexte.com

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Sean Goulding Carroll @sgcarroll.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Roberta Metsola's ambition to lead the EU Parliament for a third term is an open secret. At @contexte.com, we looked at what S&D and Renew are likely to ask for in exchange for their support for the EPP politician — and where they draw red lines. Read it here: www.contexte.com/eu/article/p...
contexte.com
The midterm reshuffle tests Parliament’s political centre - Contexte
Roberta Metsola is expected to seek a record-breaking third term at the helm of the European Parliament. But with the far-right becoming increasingly assertive, political rivals face a more delicate b...
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Sean Goulding Carroll @sgcarroll.bsky.social · 21/05/2026
After three rounds of tense negotiations, the European Parliament and Council reached an agreement at around 2am on 20 May on the controversial EU–US trade deal. For @contexte.com, I looked at what was agreed, what happens next - and why it matters. www.contexte.com/eu/article/p...
contexte.com
Explained: The EU–US trade deal - Contexte
Contexte answers your key questions about the deal the EU struck with its largest trading partner — from tariffs and political pressure to what still needs to happen before it can enter into force.
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Anna Hubert @annahbrt.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
🗓️Save the dates: the Commissioners' debate on China returns 29/05. An "orientation debate" on public procurement is set for 03/06. The revision is now expected 01/07. And ETS revision now scheduled for 15/07.
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Sean Goulding Carroll @sgcarroll.bsky.social · 13/04/2026
No kerosene tax but inter-EU flights are subject to the emissions trading system.
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Sean Goulding Carroll @sgcarroll.bsky.social · 10/03/2026
Geopolitical shocks from Washington — from tariffs to security threats — is upending the European Parliament’s ability to conclude US-related files. The frenetic pace of the White House is clashing with the Parliament's consensus-building culture. More: @contexte.com www.contexte.com/eu/article/p...
contexte.com
Trump turmoil leaves Parliament’s US files in limbo - Contexte
MEPs will meet Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič in Strasbourg on 10 March to discuss whether to resume work on the EU-US trade deal negotiated in Turnberry last year.
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Sean Goulding Carroll @sgcarroll.bsky.social · 24/02/2026
Trump's social media site Truth Social appears to have crashed - the only thing that remains visible is "Proudly Made in America". A wonderful bit of poetic irony.
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Sean Goulding Carroll @sgcarroll.bsky.social · 22/12/2025
The European Commission's first major administrative overhaul in decades is meant to ready the institution for global challenges. But what Brussels bills as modernisation has landed badly among the institution's staff. Read @contexte.com's latest Power article: www.contexte.com/eu/article/p...
contexte.com
Commission overhaul sparks staff backlash - Contexte
Critics say the reform of the European civil service reflects the top-down decision-making that has defined Ursula von der Leyen’s second term. The Berlaymont maintains the review process is ‘highly i...
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Sean Goulding Carroll @sgcarroll.bsky.social · 17/12/2025
My first piece for @contexte.com looks at MCC Brussels, a think tank with ties to Hungary’s conservative Fidesz party. The organisation's aim is to build “an alternative intelligentsia”, which mainstreams ultraconservative rhetoric on issues like gender + migration. www.contexte.com/eu/article/p...
contexte.com
How a Hungarian think tank is rewriting Brussels’ political boundaries - Contexte
MCC Brussels says it wants to build “an alternative intelligentsia” in the EU capital to challenge the centrist worldview. But as the European Parliament shifts rightward and new alliances emerge, cri...
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Sean Goulding Carroll @sgcarroll.bsky.social · 22/10/2025
I’m delighted to share that I'm joining the stellar team at @contexte.com as EU politics reporter. In an evolving landscape for EU policy media, Contexte has built a reputation for serious, detailed reportage. I’m looking forward to contributing as we ramp up our English-language coverage.
about.contexte.com
[Press release] Sean Carroll Joins Contexte As EU Politics Reporter - Contexte - Deep information
Contexte announces the appointment of Sean Carroll as EU politics reporter. In this role, he will contribute to the launch of a new English-language vertical fully dedicated to the world of EU public ...
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Sean Goulding Carroll @sgcarroll.bsky.social · 05/10/2025
Hmmm… The restaurant I went to here in the capital of Belgium got the country it’s located in wrong.
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Sean Goulding Carroll @sgcarroll.bsky.social · 22/09/2025
Thanks to @ciarancuffe.bsky.social for chatting with me for the article.
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Sean Goulding Carroll @sgcarroll.bsky.social · 22/09/2025
As Europe rearms, the European Greens are trying to link military spending with climate measures, ensuring Europe's defence push doesn’t come at the expense of carbon neutrality. However, not all Greens are comfortable with the bloc's rearmament. Read my latest for @eurcorrespond.bsky.social:
europeancorrespondent.com
Europe's green defence spending | The European Correspondent
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Sean Goulding Carroll @sgcarroll.bsky.social · 16/07/2025
Incredibly biased headline and angle, running with the notion that any challenge to motonormativity destroys commerce. It implies that people that cycle or walk instead of driving are an economic drain.
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Sean Goulding Carroll @sgcarroll.bsky.social · 08/07/2025
So the premise is that VDL survived the motion of censure only to fall on her own sword due to a strongly-worded letter from the perpetually whining Ryanair man?
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Ciarán Cuffe @ciarancuffe.bsky.social · 03/07/2025
This was fun: cities matter, and they’re crucial in tackling the climate crisis.
foresightmedia.com
Maintaining the focus on climate in a turbulent era
In a world beset by military conflict and economic woes, climate issues are taking a political backseat. Co-chair of the European Green Party and former MEP Ciarán Cuffe joins The Urban Report to disc...
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Sean Goulding Carroll @sgcarroll.bsky.social · 02/07/2025
Flights are always more expensive in summer, but these prices are exceptionally high for one-way with Ryanair to Dublin. Are people in Brussels trying to escape the heatwave by travelling to more temperate shores?
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Foresight Climate & Energy @foresight-ce.bsky.social · 30/06/2025
In today’s episode of The Jolt, Sean looks at calls for cities to have a greater role in designing EU climate policy, plus an Australian green hydrogen project gets scrapped Listen Now: foresightmedia.com/story/sr2z4p... @kirataylor.bsky.social @sgcarroll.bsky.social
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Sean Goulding Carroll @sgcarroll.bsky.social · 30/06/2025
For my final time hosting The Urban Report on @foresight-ce.bsky.social, I'm joined by @ciarancuffe.bsky.social. We discuss his experiences in the EU Parliament, whether defence, competitiveness and climate concerns can co-exist politically, and the role of cities in pushing forward climate action.
foresightmedia.com
Maintaining the focus on climate in a turbulent era
In a world beset by military conflict and economic woes, climate issues are taking a political backseat. Co-chair of the European Green Party and former MEP Ciarán Cuffe joins The Urban Report to disc...
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Foresight Climate & Energy @foresight-ce.bsky.social · 26/06/2025
In today’s episode of The Jolt, Sean looks at how Munich is funding its transition to carbon neutrality, plus could NATO’s new spending target be good for green energy? Listen now: foresightmedia.com/story/sU3MPN... @smorgan.bsky.social @sgcarroll.bsky.social
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Sean Goulding Carroll @sgcarroll.bsky.social · 26/06/2025
made daily with FOOD
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Foresight Climate & Energy @foresight-ce.bsky.social · 23/06/2025
In today’s episode of The Jolt, Sean looks at the steps the Finnish city of Turku is taking to achieve carbon neutrality by 2029, plus Kira reports on the United Kingdom’s push to cut electricity... Listen now: foresightmedia.com/story/siot0W... @kirataylor.bsky.social @sgcarroll.bsky.social
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Sean Goulding Carroll @sgcarroll.bsky.social · 20/06/2025
I wrote a long piece examining fare-free public transport. Investing in frequency and quality, with targeted subsidies for those who need them, seems to be a better option. foresightmedia.com/story/sBLL8k...
foresightmedia.com
The true cost of free public transport
Cities worldwide are experimenting with free-to-use public transport as a means to rein in emissions and cut air pollution. Yet, experts suggest that the move may not be as effective as thought, with ...
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Sean Goulding Carroll @sgcarroll.bsky.social · 17/06/2025
For more, listen to the piece here: foresightmedia.com/story/sB8DUT...
foresightmedia.com
Green regulation rollback is not the answer to the housing crisis
With the housing crisis ongoing, conservative politicians have recommended reducing environmental regulations to accelerate home construction. While doing so may affect prices in the short term, it wi...
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Sean Goulding Carroll @sgcarroll.bsky.social · 17/06/2025
In a nutshell, experts say that cutting green regulations on housing now is a short-term move that will lower upfront costs while pushing up living costs, and which will likely mean that buildings need to be renovated in the future to meet climate/comfort standards.
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Sean Goulding Carroll @sgcarroll.bsky.social · 17/06/2025
The housing affordability crisis stems from more than just a lack of supply - inequality, financial speculation, and inefficient use of existing housing stock also play a part. Indeed, addressing the housing crisis will partly involve reexamining how we use the buildings that we already have.
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Sean Goulding Carroll @sgcarroll.bsky.social · 17/06/2025
However, experts warn this ignores long-term costs: higher energy bills, poor living conditions, and climate harm. A lower purchase price would likely be offset by the cost of living in the home, which would require considerably more fuel to heat/cool, often with additional climate harm.
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Sean Goulding Carroll @sgcarroll.bsky.social · 17/06/2025
Politicians such as Donald Trump and Keir Starmer have argued that slashing environmental regulations will ease the housing crisis by speeding up construction. Doing so, they say, would "unleash" the construction sector to build more homes, boosting supply and dropping prices.
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Sean Goulding Carroll @sgcarroll.bsky.social · 17/06/2025
As the housing crisis lumbers on, some politicians have asserted that environmental regulations are to blame for the situation, as they make it too difficult and expensive to build. For my latest @foresight-ce.bsky.social audio piece I scrutinised this push to cut regulations. (short 🧵)
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Sean Goulding Carroll @sgcarroll.bsky.social · 05/06/2025
No mention of who these organisations are or who’s funding them? Just taking them at face value?
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Foresight Climate & Energy @foresight-ce.bsky.social · 04/06/2025
Cities across the United States face deep challenges: ageing infrastructure, a lack of economic vitality, and high carbon emissions. Martine Reinhold Kildeby of Bloxhub joins The Urban Report to discuss how the... By @sgcarroll.bsky.social View full episode: foresightmedia.com/story/sp2TbZ...
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Sean Goulding Carroll @sgcarroll.bsky.social · 22/05/2025
For many across Europe, purchasing a property seems like a distant dream. To discuss how we can tackle Europe’s housing crisis without exacerbating the climate crisis, I sat down with BPIE's Oliver Rapf. Listen to our conversation on @foresight-ce.bsky.social here:
foresightmedia.com
Existing buildings hold the key to Europe’s housing crisis
To fix housing supply issues, lawmakers' first instinct may be to ramp up construction. Before doing so, it’s important to examine how we are using existing structures, as they can often be used more ...
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Foresight Climate & Energy @foresight-ce.bsky.social · 20/05/2025
In today’s episode of The Jolt, Sean looks into how ditching green construction rules could cost Europe in the long run, plus Sam reports on Russia triggering the first official trade complaint against... Listen now: foresightmedia.com/story/smdPlx... @smorgan.bsky.social @sgcarroll.bsky.social
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Foresight Climate & Energy @foresight-ce.bsky.social · 07/05/2025
In Wednesday’s episode of The Jolt, Sean looks into a new EU proposal to calculate the carbon embedded in the construction of buildings, plus Sam has the latest details on the EU’s new... Listen now: foresightmedia.com/story/sWORNn... @smorgan.bsky.social @sgcarroll.bsky.social
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Foresight Climate & Energy @foresight-ce.bsky.social · 07/05/2025
Constantin Ginet of Siemens joins The Urban Report to discuss a financing model that uses the savings gained through improved energy efficiency to pay off installation costs By @sgcarroll.bsky.social View full episode: foresightmedia.com/story/sdMfYV...
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Sean Goulding Carroll @sgcarroll.bsky.social · 23/04/2025
Conservative groups argue the EU bears responsibility for the housing crisis, pointing the finger at expensive green regulation. However, a new report finds EU rules play a crucial role in directing investment towards sustainable & affordable houses. Listen to my chat with the report author below:
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Sean Goulding Carroll @sgcarroll.bsky.social · 22/04/2025
There's a great deal of speculation over where the price of the EU's new carbon market (ETS2) will land, with concerns that from 2030 the price will skyrocket to over €200 per tonne. The best defence against high prices, say experts, is adopting Green laws. Check out my new audio analysis below:
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Foresight Climate & Energy @foresight-ce.bsky.social · 09/04/2025
Aitor Zulueta from Vitoria-Gasteiz in northern Spain joins the Urban Report to discuss the city's efforts to adapt to increasingly extreme weather and the importance of acting rapidly to cut emissions By @sgcarroll.bsky.social View full episode: foresightmedia.com/story/s3L9gs...
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Sean Goulding Carroll @sgcarroll.bsky.social · 27/03/2025
When writing about the ETS carbon market, I opt to say it puts a "price" on carbon. But for general readers, is there a distinction between a carbon "price" and a carbon "tax". If it's money you have to pay to the gov, surely for most people that's a tax, regardless of the EU nomenclature?
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Sean Goulding Carroll @sgcarroll.bsky.social · 19/03/2025
Flexible charging tech is set to make owning an #electricvehicle more affordable. I spoke to Serge Colle of EY to discuss how a shift to smart charging will enable drivers to charge when tariffs are at their cheapest and sell energy back to the grid - potentially saving thousands each year.
foresightmedia.com
EV drivers could earn thousands per year
Flexible charging technology is set to make owning an electric vehicle more affordable. Serge Colle of EY joins the Urban Report to discuss how a shift to smart charging will enable drivers to charge ...
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Sean Goulding Carroll @sgcarroll.bsky.social · 11/03/2025
Great to see the European Commission using acronyms with no explanation in their press releases. We wouldn't want the riff-raff understanding what we're talking about in our secret club.
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Sean Goulding Carroll @sgcarroll.bsky.social · 10/03/2025
What if your electric car could decide to recharge when prices were at their lowest? And what if the car could even sell energy back to the grid when there was a demand, earning its owner money? Such a scenario is just around the corner, according to a new study. More on today's ep of The Jolt.
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Sean Goulding Carroll @sgcarroll.bsky.social · 07/03/2025
The Trump administration has rapidly undone much of America's climate mitigation progress - in response, local leaders are determined to do more. Brigid Shea of Travis County, Texas, joins the Urban Report to discuss how cities are responding to the Trump era. foresightmedia.com/story/sROAio...
foresightmedia.com
City leaders push back against Trump’s climate destruction
The Trump administration has rapidly undone much of the country’s climate mitigation progress. In contrast, many local and regional leaders are determined to do more. Commissioner Brigid Shea of Travi...
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Sean Goulding Carroll @sgcarroll.bsky.social · 05/03/2025
What’s the reason behind Ireland’s poor performance? Are heat pumps installed in low numbers? (In fairness, there’s an argument to be made against including biomass as environmentally positive, though it is technically “renewable”)
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Foresight Climate & Energy @foresight-ce.bsky.social · 05/03/2025
Commissioner Brigid Shea of Travis County, Texas, joins the Urban Report to discuss how cities are responding to the abrupt change in US climate policy By @sgcarroll.bsky.social View full episode: foresightmedia.com/story/sROAio...
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Foresight Climate & Energy @foresight-ce.bsky.social · 28/02/2025
In today’s 15 minutes, Kira and Sean look into the difference between the European Union’s clean manufacturing drive and the United States’ fossil fuel revival, plus China... Listen now: foresightmedia.com/story/suaFJA... @kirataylor.bsky.social @sgcarroll.bsky.social
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Foresight Climate & Energy @foresight-ce.bsky.social · 25/02/2025
In today’s 15 minutes, Sean looks into the European Union’s controversial new carbon market for cars and buildings, plus farmers in the United States sue the Agriculture Department for... Listen now: shorturl.at/04Bn6 @sgcarroll.bsky.social @kirataylor.bsky.social
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Sean Goulding Carroll @sgcarroll.bsky.social · 24/02/2025
Interesting, thanks! Its intended future use makes that “ACAB” graffiti on the pillar all the more poignant.
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Sean Goulding Carroll @sgcarroll.bsky.social · 23/02/2025
How soon until the chop comes? I’ve walked past it for several years and its condition seems much the same. Are there vacancy or dereliction taxes or similar penalties in Brussels? Or can property owners sit on it and wait for better market conditions to sell?
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Sean Goulding Carroll @sgcarroll.bsky.social · 19/02/2025
Thanks to @tomorrowmobility.bsky.social for hosting, @eiturbanmobility.eu for supporting, and @karenvancluysen.bsky.social of POLIS; Genesis Gavino of the City of Austin, Texas; Gintarė Janušaitienė of the Lithuanian Ministry of Transport; & Rogelio Biazzi of Rosario, Argentina for joining me.
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Sean Goulding Carroll @sgcarroll.bsky.social · 19/02/2025
Mobility innovations, from the ridiculous to the sublime, promise quicker journey times and lower emissions. How can cities navigate this landscape, ensuring they push the mobility transition in the right direction? Four global speakers joined me to discuss: foresightmedia.com/story/sAzVvz...
foresightmedia.com
Designing the future of urban mobility
The way people move around urban spaces is changing rapidly. In this live episode of The Urban Report, speakers from the United States, Argentina, Lithuania and city-network POLIS discuss the role of ...
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