Dr. Reinhold Mitterlehner, Austrian Economy Minister

Austria leads Europe when it comes to sourcing the highest percentage of electricity from renewable sources, and by 2020 an impressive 71% of its electricity is expected to be powered by renewable energy from hydropower to wind power.

Next year Austria will host EWEA’s Annual Event and from February 4-7 visitors to the conference and exhibition in Vienna will also get the chance to sign up for trips to visit the country’s renewable energy fleet.

US Presidential candidate Mitt Romney

While there is no doubt that the US is the number one economy in the world and its international influence — from popular culture to military power — is second to none, trying to understand the nation’s domestic political scene is far from an easy task.

Take for example recent stories regarding climate change denial, a wind power-related lawsuit, and a new poll showing the majority of Americans favour wind energy.

Last week, at the first of three scheduled Presidential TV debates, a number of newspapers and websites have reported that neither Democrat candidate Barack Obama nor Republican Mitt Romney are even speaking about climate change.

UK Chancellor George Osborne

This week international firms and energy companies including Mitsubishi Power Systems and Siemens have threatened to slash planned investments in the UK unless George Osborne, the UK Chancellor, shows real commitment to developing a low carbon economy and delivering green growth. The Times reported that if these firms carry out their threats, hundreds of UK jobs are at risk.

In the same week a separate call came from more than 50 businesses including household brands like Microsoft, Asda, EDF and Sky for the UK government to put in place a 2030 target on decarbonising the power sector, saying that this would stimulate investment and revamp the UK’s ageing energy infrastructure.

In response to these messages, Osborne did say investing in renewables is important, but he immediately undermined this by announcing a new generous tax regime for shale gas extraction. Osborne also supports a new “dash for gas” which would involve building around 20 new gas-fired power stations, raising carbon emissions and diverting investments in renewable energy.

That’s not a title you have been expecting is it? But this week, as models graced the catwalk at the Paris fashion week, wind turbines did exactly that.

Karl Lagerfeld sent out model’s clad in Chanel’s spring-summer collection on a solar-panelled catwalk dotted with a dozen towering, white, swishing wind turbines. Not only that but throughout the collection there were hints of renewable energy: a disc-shaped hat with a giant transparent rim that recalls a spinning turbine, a mini-dress embroidered in a blue solar panel-like pattern and a t-shirt festooned with sketches of turbines.

Asked about the inspiration for his latest wear, Lagerfeld talked about “volume” and “lightness” and reportedly called turbines “beautiful”. “If I had to build a house, I would put them in the garden,” he said according to France 24. Click here to see the renewable energy catwalk.

Hundreds of defects have been detected in nuclear power stations across Europe, according to a European Commission report leaked to German and French media. Fixing these faults could run up a bill of €10-25 billion, the report says.

Die Welt, a German daily newspaper, says that the European Commission investigation into the continent’s nuclear fleet – originally prompted by the Fukushima nuclear disaster – paints a devastating picture of the safety measures in the EU’s nuclear power plants.

French daily Le Figaro claims that none of France’s 58 nuclear power plants met standards outlined by the International Atomic Energy Agency. Some 19 French reactors have no seismic measuring instruments, and some have inadequate safety and rescue equipment, the paper said.