Some of the world’s biggest companies (including IKEA and Unilever), finance houses, cities and regions have joined forces to urge governments to increase their climate ambition ahead of a February 2025 deadline to deliver their emission-cutting plans to the United Nations. The coalition is named Mission 2025. It is convened by Groundswell – a collaboration between non-profits Global Optimism, Systems Change Lab, and the Bezos Earth Fund. Mission 2025 aims to reassure political leaders they have powerful support for bold action. It is spearheaded by Global Optimism’s Christiana Figueres, who oversaw the Paris Agreement in 2015. Ms Figueres is quoted on the Reuter’s website: “ “We think that governments are still very timid about what they’re going to be including in their NDCs [Nationally Determined Contributions].” Is your country one of those timid governments? Will Mission 2025 be a game changer? We can only hope.
Two weeks ago, EiD mentioned how successful the recent eceee summer study had been. eceee has just published Rod’s reflections on the 2024 summer study. What was your reaction?
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. Talia Smith-Muller writes on the Berklee Online website about a selection of songs about climate change and the environment.
In planning travel over the upcoming weeks, here is some useful news to help you along:
- Lonely Planet’s train expert provides his top 5 rail journeys in Europe for 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.
Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971), a Russian composer and conductor with French and American citizenship, widely considered one of the most important and influential composers of the 20th century, gives us his views on inspiration: “Just as appetite comes by eating, so work brings inspiration, if inspiration is not discernible at the beginning.”
EiD welcomes your views about this week’s selection of posts on the zero-carbon energy transition:
- Two new EEA reports on how Europe can respond to the pressing and complex societal challenges while moving towards long-term sustainability goals
- “There are no valid economic arguments against rapidly shifting from burning polluting fossil fuels to cleaner energy sources”
- “Pension savers and the general public are being misled when it comes to sustainable finance”
- The Modernisation Fund accused of repeatedly allocating public money to waste incineration and fossil gas projects
- 80 percent of people globally want stronger climate action by governments according to UN Development Programme survey
- New EEA assessments on key air pollutant emissions
- Klimate R Us
- Denmark to impose world’s first carbon tax on farmers
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 