There is more evidence that the corporate world is dropping or missing goals to cut GHG emissions. In an article in the Financial Times (behind a paywall), it is mentioned that large corporations such as Unilever, the Bank of America and Shell have “in the past year dropped or missed goals to cut emissions or to shrink ties with the most polluting sectors. Others have simply skipped over their promise to improve.” The article goes on: “Most have justified the failure to keep up the effort with a common complaint: political and regulatory factors outside companies’ control are slowing progress. These include a failure of standard-setting and clear regulation, insufficient government support, and delays in the rollout of new technologies.” Furthermore, “The missed targets matter because ambitions were for the most part relatively low to start with. The median goal of 51 major companies was to cut emissions just 30 per cent by 2030, the non-profit groups NewClimate Institute and Carbon Market Watch concluded in a joint study this year. This compares with the need to cut global emissions by 43 per cent by the end of the decade, which is what the UN body of scientists, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, says is needed to keep within the boundaries of ideally 1.5C of global warming above pre-industrial levels that was set down in the Paris agreement in 2015.”
The same FT article had an important chart originally in an IPCC report. And we’re backsliding? As the American former professional tennis player, John McEnroe, once said: “You can’t be serious!” Well, we better soon be.
In the context of COP29 in Azerbaijan in November, there is a global call to the UNFCCC to include cultural heritage, the arts and creative sectors in climate policy. Check out 10 musicians who are taking on the climate crisis.
In planning travel over the upcoming weeks, here is some useful news to help you along:
- Lonely Planet provides 6 of the best European train routes for summer 2024
- For the best hikes in Europe in 2024, there are many good suggestions on the 57 hours website. For those who want to combine hiking with food and wine, check out the Hedonistic Hiking website.
- 5 stunning spring cycling destinations in Europe are recommended on the Get Your Guide website.
- There is always the option of virtual tourism at the Xplore Nature Channel. There are now 130 videos. Find out more about the channel here. Why not start with a nature walk in Lithuania through a beautiful forest to the Baltic Sea.
Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990), an American conductor, composer, pianist, music educator, author, and humanitarian, gives us his views on success: “To achieve great things, two things are needed; a plan, and not quite enough time.”
EiD welcomes your views about this week’s selection of posts on the zero-carbon energy transition:
- New EEA monitoring tool and briefing on plastics circularity
- Explaining the concept of ‘net zero’
- Spain’s energy transition: “We need to engage more people and more industries in demand-side management”
- New discussion paper on opportunities and priorities for climate adaptation in the built environment in the EU
- Concerns in UK that EPCs can be “riddled with inaccuracies”
- Edinburgh just made it illegal to advertise SUVs
- It is essential to provide SMEs with access to financing, training, and support to help them prioritise energy efficiency and achieve their business goals
- Canada’s push against greenwashing is working
- Young climate activists just won a ‘historic’ settlement
Please send your comments on any of the posts. Please follow us on X at @EnergyDemand and @rodjanssen. Please recommend EiD to your friends and colleagues.
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Energy in Demand - Sustainable Energy - Rod Janssen 
This is great – thank you!!!