Highways still favoured over rail networks in Europe

Research commissioned by the European Mobility4All campaign provides disappointing reading for those who thought that our governments had turned a corner and were giving more attention to our rail systems. Rail networks in most countries have been starved of funding while motorways lengthen, the study shows. Ajit Niranjan explains in an article on the Guardian … Continue reading Highways still favoured over rail networks in Europe →

New study shows that people who work remotely all the time produce less than half the GHG emissions of office workers

In an article on the Guardian website, Patrick Barkham discusses a recent study in the US that shows one day a week of remote working cuts emissions by just 2% but two or four days lowers them by up to 29%. People who work from home all the time ‘cut emissions by 54%’ against … Continue reading New study shows that people who work remotely all the time produce less than half the GHG emissions of office workers →

Seven out of the state’s top 12 insurance companies have pulled back coverage in the last year in California due to wildfires and the rising costs of such risks

This should be a wake-up call for greater efforts to mitigate GHG emissions. The actions of the nation’s biggest state could have implications for U.S. consumers, as more carriers leave disaster-prone states. Brianna Sacks discusses latest developments in an article on the Washington Post website. Are there similar developments where you are? California plans … Continue reading Seven out of the state’s top 12 insurance companies have pulled back coverage in the last year in California due to wildfires and the rising costs of such risks →

Yes, there are ways to help renters improve the energy performance of their homes, so why aren’t they implemented?

Andrew Warren, Chairman of the British Energy Efficiency Federation, writes in the September issue of Energy in Buildings & Industry about an important energy efficiency initiative in Britain that is agonisingly slow to get off the ground. An initiative to improve the energy efficiency of Britain’s rented homes, begun 12 years ago, shows no sign … Continue reading Yes, there are ways to help renters improve the energy performance of their homes, so why aren’t they implemented? →

Europe is facing a “severe public health crisis”, with almost everyone across the continent living in areas with dangerous levels of air pollution

A Guardian investigation has found that 98% of Europeans breathing highly damaging polluted air linked to 400,000 deaths a year. Matthew Taylor and Pamela Duncan discuss the results. Revealed: almost everyone in Europe is breathing toxic air Europe is facing a “severe public health crisis”, with almost everyone across the continent living in areas … Continue reading Europe is facing a “severe public health crisis”, with almost everyone across the continent living in areas with dangerous levels of air pollution →

Forecasts call for an increasing demand for oil even though electric vehicles are growing faster than expected around the world

Robert Brecha, Professor of Sustainability at the University of Dayton questions on The Conversation website why the US is still forecasting oil demand growth, when so many of the indicators lead in the other direction. EV sales growth points to oil demand peaking by 2030 − so why is the oil industry doubling down … Continue reading Forecasts call for an increasing demand for oil even though electric vehicles are growing faster than expected around the world →

British PM and the net zero transition – lessons from history about flip-flopping on the environment

This has been a very interesting week in climate policy in Britain, with the British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, defied official advice and rolled back on the net zero timetable. Marc Hudson, Visiting Fellow, Science Policy at the University of Sussex writes on The Conversation website giving us a history lesson on the experience of … Continue reading British PM and the net zero transition – lessons from history about flip-flopping on the environment →

Energy in Demand News, September 17, 2023

The Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTI) is undergoing some changes. SBTI show companies how much and how quickly businesses need to reduce their GHG emissions to prevent the worst impacts of climate change, leading them on a clear path towards decarbonisation. By guiding companies in science-based target setting, SBTi enables them to tackle climate change … Continue reading Energy in Demand News, September 17, 2023 →

Lessons from China for making developers pay compensation for their ecological impacts

In an article on The Conversation website, Shuo Gao, Eleanor Jane Milner-Gulland, Joseph William Bull and Sophus zu Ermgassen from the University of Oxford explain how the compensation scheme works in China. What are your views? China makes developers pay compensation for their ecological impacts – here’s how this unique scheme works In 2017, … Continue reading Lessons from China for making developers pay compensation for their ecological impacts →

What would it take to make aviation green in the EU?

The European Parliament gave the green light on September 13th to new rules that will increase the quantity of sustainable jet fuel in flights departing from EU airports, marking a major step towards reducing emissions from the notoriously carbon-intensive transport mode. At the behest of the Parliament, an EU label outlining the environmental performance of … Continue reading What would it take to make aviation green in the EU? →