A task force convened by the UN secretary-general has criticised the use of carbon credits to offset emissions outside of state-regulated schemes. The Financial Times (behind a paywall) reports that the task force’s draft report opposes companies using credits “to cancel out their carbon dioxide footprint, putting it on a collision course with big oil and technology groups.” The UN believes that companies should be investing to curb their emissions. The FT notes that “Big polluters such as Chevron and ExxonMobil as well as technology companies such as Microsoft and Apple have included carbon offsetting in their plans to fulfil climate promises made to investors.” It says that industries that are “carbon intensive in production, such as steel and cement, also rely on carbon credits in the private markets to offset their greenhouse gas emissions to meet net zero targets.” Let’s hope that the final report gets a good airing at COP29. These companies have to be much more aggressive in mitigating their own emissions.
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. Fanny Po Sim Head interviews the award winning composer Brian Field about music, musicians and climate change.
Are you up for a quiz? Check out the post on EnerWhizz. Only a few more days to play this month. Yes, you can be a winner too!
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.
- Climbing House provides the 11 Top Climbing Spots in Europe.
- Epic Road Rides provides their choice of the best places to cycle for a cycling holiday this summer.
- 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 Turkey.
- CopenPay – To get tourists to act more sustainably Wonderful Copenhagen is launching a new initiative: Pay for a variety of Copenhagen attractions with climate-friendly actions.
Norman Cousins (1915-1990), an American political journalist, author, professor, and world peace advocate provides us with an important message to reflect on this week: “It makes little difference how many university courses or degrees a person may own. If he cannot use words to move an idea from one point to another, his education is incomplete.”
EiD welcomes your views about this week’s selection of posts on the zero-carbon energy transition:
- Climate friendly Paris Olympic Games focused on low carbon, repurposed construction
- Blueprints for a low energy economy
- Have you ever felt it difficult to express your climate anxiety in conversation with older relatives?
- EnerWhizz Training Camp: Quiz Your Way Into Energy Efficiency
- China is on the verge of bending its emissions curve from years of steep growth into a flat plateau
- Britain’s energy transition: great expectations from carbon capture technology
- “Old buildings are more than just relics of the past, they are treasures waiting to be salvaged”
- Extreme heat from climate change shown to have serious effect on mental health
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 