More interesting reading . . .

Two new reports from the OECD and the UK government should definitely be on EiD readers’ bookshelves.

From the OECD

The OECD Environmental Outlook to 2050: The Consequences of Inaction presents the latest projections of socio-economic trends over the next four decades, and their implications for four key areas of concern: climate change, biodiversity, water and health of environmental pollution.

The report explains that the costs of inaction could be colossal, both in economic and human terms. Without new policies:

• World energy demand in 2050 will be 80% higher, with most of the growth to come from emerging economies (for North America about +15%, for OECD Europe +28%, for Japan +2.5, for Mexico +112%) and still 85% reliant on fossil fuel-based energy. This could lead to a 50% increase in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions globally and worsening air pollution.
• Urban air pollution is set to become the top environmental cause of mortality worldwide by 2050, ahead of dirty water and lack of sanitation. The number of premature deaths from exposure to particulate air pollutants leading to respiratory failure could double from current levels to 3.6 million every year globally, with most occurring in China and India. Because of their ageing and urbanised populations, OECD countries are likely to have one of the highest rate of premature death from ground-level ozone in 2050, second only to India.

From the UK

The Hills Fuel Poverty Review is a key report for anyone who wants to have a better understanding of the target and definition of fuel poverty in Britain.  In October 2010 the UK government announced it would commission an independent review to take a fresh look at the fuel poverty target and definition because it wanted to focus its available resources where they will be most effective in tackling the problems underlying fuel poverty.  The report, entitled Getting the Measure on Fuel Poverty, was published March 15^th.

The report stresses that more than 200,000 additional people will be living in “fuel poverty” within four years without concerted ministerial action to tackle the issue.  It estimated the size of the “fuel poverty gap” – the additional money that poor families have to pay to keep warm compared with middle or higher income people with typical costs – at €1.32 billion. This means that fuel-poor households will face costs nearly €720 a year higher on average than better-off households.