"They are ambitious, they are necessary… and they put us firmly on a path towards climate neutrality."

That was European chief of all things "green," Frans Timmermans, announcing the Union's new policy on hydrogen in the renewable energy sector. 

You can hear more about the landmark decision in our interview, which today features the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit's Jonathan Marshall. 

Elsewhere in Europe, the UK's finance minister, Rishi Sunak, announced how the government plans to get the country back to work after the pandemic. The headline is that October will mark the end of the furlough scheme. You can read more below and on our website.

Further afield, Walt Disney World in Florida is set to open its doors again on Saturday. That's despite a petition from staff, which raised fears over growing COVID-19 figures in the state. 

Meanwhile, MIT and Harvard have launched a joint legal action against the order from U.S. President Donald Trump earlier this week, which could force international students in the country (a significant population on U.S. campuses) to return home if their classes are taught online. 

Finally, our graphic today looks at the drop in working hours registered across Europe in the first quarter. Is it what you expected? Or have you been working more than the figures show? I'd love to know – our email is at the bottom of the newsletter if you want to get in touch. 

Happy reading, 

Patrick Atack

Digital business correspondent 

P.S. Did you know we send this briefing by email, too? 

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The UK's finance minister, Rishi Sunak, has unveiled a new plan to protect jobs and mitigate the impact of the coronavirus. It includes a discount worth up to $12.55 per person for eating out in August; a "job retention bonus" for firms that re-employ furloughed workers, worth up to $11.3 billion; and companies will receive $1,255 when they take employees off the furlough scheme. 

The European Commission set out a new plan to encourage investment in renewable hydrogen energy in the bloc, as part of the target of net-zero emissions by 2050. Climate Commissioner Frans Timmermans said the plan was needed to turn a "niche" industry into a powerful one.

According to a court filing in the U.S., former Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn electronically transferred $862,500 to one of the men who is accused of later aiding his escape from Japanese custody. Michael Taylor and his son Peter Taylor are trying to avoid extradition to Japan in connection with Ghosn's escape. The trial continues. 

Disney will stick to its plan for reopening Walt Disney World in Florida, though with a limited number of visitors, on Saturday. The company confirmed the plans for the restart would remain intact, despite employees signing a petition to delay, as COVID-19 cases continue to grow in the U.S. state. 

Amazon has injected a further $308 million into its Indian venture, Amazon Seller Services. It is part of a larger strategy to increase Amazon's footprint in India, with e-commerce rising in popularity as customers try to avoid busy shopping areas amid the pandemic. 

New figures from the China Passenger Car Association show auto sales fell  6.5 percent to 1.68 million in June, compared with the same period a year earlier. The dip comes a month after a near-two percent rise on May 2019 figures. 

Airbus staff in Toulouse, France, staged a one-and-a-half-hour strike today over plans to cut up to 15,000 jobs in response to the COVID-19-related fall in air traffic. Unions said up to 8,000 workers were expected to join the action near Toulouse-Blagnac airport. 

U.S. insurer Allstate Corp said it will buy National General Holdings for about $4 billion in cash. The move is intended to grow Allstate's position in automotive insurance. It is already one of the largest U.S. insurance groups. 

Swedish car maker Volvo is to invest in blockchain technology in order to better track its supply chain for its electric vehicle batteries. The firm said the investment would be designed to track key ingredients such as cobalt, and ensure they are not from unethical sources. 

Responding to a new policy from the U.S. federal government, which would force international students out of the country if their course pivots to mainly online teaching, Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have launched legal action. According to a court filing in Boston, the universities are requesting an injunction to stop the move. 

New data have revealed that at least four U.S. national lawmakers have direct links to firms that have benefited from the COVID-19 Paycheck Protection Program, while other figures in Congress have spouses who are linked to companies receiving funds.

Jonathan Marshall is head of analysis at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit and CGTN Europe asked him why the new EU policy on hydrogen is considered essential.

Why hydrogen is considered essential for reducing carbon emissions?

You can use hydrogen instead of high-carbon fuels such as natural gas or coal to make heat, which can be used in industrial practices or in transport. You can turn excess energy into hydrogen, store it up and then ... release the energy when you need it.

Why has the European Commission launched its hydrogen policy, the world's first, today?

It's essential for balancing out [the energy sector], as we move to a more renewable-fueled system, where the electricity we generate is dependent on the weather rather than on just turning power stations on and off. You have to be able to move the energy around from where it's generated to where it's needed.

What's your response to what the EU has announced?

There are good bits and bad things to it. It's quite ambitious. They've set quite a high target for generating what's known as clean hydrogen, which is where you generate it without using fossil fuels. But there's also an undercurrent of using, you know, using natural gas to turn into hydrogen.