Bruce Campbell, Adjunct professor, faculty of environmental and urban change, at York University in Canada writes on The Conversation website about the praise the IEA gave Canada’s policies only weeks after the government’s Environment and Sustainable Development Commissioner released a scathing report on Canada’s climate record. Well, no one said the carbon-neutral energy transition would … Continue reading Reaction to IEA’s review of Canada’s energy policies
New BPIE report: climate impact of new buildings much too high
This week, the Buildings Performance Institute Europe (BPIE) published a new report on nearly zero energy building standards in six member states that show decarbonisation of new buildings in is not happening fast enough. A failure to decarbonise newly constructed buildings could prevent the EU from achieving its climate targets for 2030 and 2050, according … Continue reading New BPIE report: climate impact of new buildings much too high
Europe energy savings practices for business is inefficient, auditors say
Kate Abnett reports on the Reuter’s website that auditors have found that significant EU funding to help businesses save energy were misspent in the 2014-2020 budget. The auditors estimated that projects backed by that funding achieved only 0.3% of the annual savings needed to reach the EU's target to cut final energy consumption by 32.5% … Continue reading Europe energy savings practices for business is inefficient, auditors say
New EEA briefing on lessons learned from COVID-19 pandemic for sustainability
The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted swift and forceful actions by governments and societies around the world. A European Environment Agency (EEA) briefing reflects on these responses and the link between the pandemic and the environment to draw lessons that could be used in making societies more sustainable. What lessons does COVID-19 offer for sustainability? … Continue reading New EEA briefing on lessons learned from COVID-19 pandemic for sustainability
India must pursue a deep decarbonisation strategy encompassing all pathways
India will need to contend with goals across sectors that are at odds with each other, and resolve the contradictions. Deepak Gupta, former secretary of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy and Kollura Krishnan, chairman of CVC India Infrastructure, provide their views in an article on the Financial Express website. Getting it right … Continue reading India must pursue a deep decarbonisation strategy encompassing all pathways
Germany’s new economy and climate protection minister calls for accelerating action to create a climate neutral country
Kate Connolly writes on The Guardian website about the call of the new German climate minister for a threefold increase in the speed with which carbon dioxide emissions are reduced. The minister, Robert Habeck, warned Germany was currently “dramatically behind” in its aim to achieve a goal for 80% of energy to come from renewable … Continue reading Germany’s new economy and climate protection minister calls for accelerating action to create a climate neutral country
The “architectural rebound effect” – new technology has often encouraged extravagant forms of consumption
Bashar Al Shawa, PhD Student in Architecture at the University of Bath writes on The Conversation website that new technology has made many buildings less climate friendly. However, architects can keep pushing the limits of design without making the planet pay. Technology has made buildings less climate-friendly: but we can look back in time … Continue reading The “architectural rebound effect” – new technology has often encouraged extravagant forms of consumption
New study shows coal dependence squeezes Polish taxpayers for €141 billion
Poland’s dependence on coal is costing Polish taxpayers dearly, but the Polish government remains reluctant to shift to clean energy sources, according to a report by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA). “If a coal phaseout is achieved by 2030, the resulting savings would enable Poland to build twice as much clean … Continue reading New study shows coal dependence squeezes Polish taxpayers for €141 billion
US has monumental task to update energy efficiency standards
Nearly three dozen efficiency standards are overdue for an update, and further delays could undercut Biden’s climate goals. Anna Phillips discusses latest developments in an article on The Washington Post website. Biden faces delays in undoing Trump’s war on efficient dishwashers, dryers and lightbulbs that made him ‘look orange’ Before Donald Trump launched his … Continue reading US has monumental task to update energy efficiency standards
“If we want to use renewable energy to keep the atmosphere cool, then mining processes and our current relationship with metals must change”
Scott Dunbar, Davide Elmo and John Steen of the University of British Columbia argue that a sustainable approach to mining metals needed for our renewable energy expansion is definitely possible in an article on The Conversation website. It’s not necessary to trash the environment to extract metals needed for renewable energy The use of renewable … Continue reading “If we want to use renewable energy to keep the atmosphere cool, then mining processes and our current relationship with metals must change”
Energy in Demand - Sustainable Energy - Rod Janssen 