You may remember that in March 2023, the final instalment of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) was published. This eight-year long undertaking from the world’s most authoritative scientific body on climate change detailed the devastating consequences of rising GHG emissions around the world — the destruction of homes, the loss of livelihoods and the fragmentation of communities, for example — as well as the increasingly dangerous and irreversible risks should we fail to change course. The IPCC also offered hope, highlighting pathways to avoid these intensifying risks. It identifies readily available, and in some cases, highly cost-effective actions that can be undertaken now to reduce GHG emissions, scale up carbon removal and build resilience. Now, the IPCC has completed its 61st session on Friday, August 2nd. According to the Earth Negotiations Bulletin of the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD): “Among other outcomes, the Panel successfully reached consensus on the outlines for the methodology report on short-lived climate forcers and the Special Report on Cities and Climate Change. . . The Panel also agreed to postpone further consideration of its strategic plan, including the schedule for delivery of the three Working Group reports, until after the scoping meeting for these reports. The Panel agreed to take a decision on the scope, outline, and work plan, including the schedule and budget, at its next plenary session.” We certainly wish them well in this next phase. Meanwhile, we need global decision-makers to take on board the outcomes of AR6. Let’s all help get that message across. It’s not easy when we see how the fossil fuel industry has been misleading the public for decades, as EiD shows in a post this week.
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. Time magazine wrote in 2022 how the universal language of music can help us solve our planetary problem.
Are you up for a quiz? Check out the post on EnerWhizz. Well, that was for July. The quiz for August is now open. Be a winner!
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 tour to the Earth Pyramids in the South Tyrol region of Italy.
- 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.
Eric Arthur Blair (1903-1950), a British novelist, poet, essayist, journalist, and critic who wrote under the pen name of George Orwell, gives us much to reflect on as we cope with this climate crisis: “He is fiddling while Rome is burning, and, unlike the enormous majority of people who do this, fiddling with his face toward the flames.”
EiD welcomes your views about this week’s selection of posts on the zero-carbon energy transition:
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Energy in Demand - Sustainable Energy - Rod Janssen 