The circular economy should be everyone’s business – new report by Anders Wijkman

In the autumn of 2021 Anders Wijkman prepared a paper for the Global Challenges Foundation that was presented in Glasgow at COP 26. It was one of a series of papers with a focus on the need to improve governance in a number of areas. Anders wrote this to EiD: Among quite a number of … Continue reading The circular economy should be everyone’s business – new report by Anders Wijkman →

Fuel poverty: new report compares approaches to energy affordability in the EU and Australia

The EU and Australia have important similarities when it comes to the energy sector, such as a vast grid that crosses jurisdictions and shared governance arrangements. A new report shows what the EU and Australia can learn from each other as they address fuel poverty. Sangeetha Chandrashekeran, Senior Research Fellow, Australian Research Council Centre of … Continue reading Fuel poverty: new report compares approaches to energy affordability in the EU and Australia →

The appalling neglect of fuel poverty in England is now being starkly revealed

Fuel poverty had slipped down the political agenda for many years. With one in six households now having to face the choice of eating or heating it is now back with a vengeance. Andrew Warren, chairman of the British Energy Efficiency Federation, a long-time follower of policies and programmes related to fuel poverty, discusses latest … Continue reading The appalling neglect of fuel poverty in England is now being starkly revealed →

IPCC: New climate change report to sound warning on impacts

This coming week, the IPCC will be publishing its second of three major reports. The study will focus heavily on regional impacts as well as on cities and coastal communities. Matt McGrath previews the findings in an article on the BBC News website. A new report on the impacts of climate change will likely … Continue reading IPCC: New climate change report to sound warning on impacts →

Low-tech sustainable solutions prioritise simplicity and durability, local manufacture, as well as traditional or ancient techniques

Chris McMahon, Senior Research Fellow in Engineering at the University of Bristol explains the benefits of low-technology in our path to sustainability without the need to always look towards high-tech solutions in an article on The Conversation website. Low-technology: why sustainability doesn’t have to depend on high-tech solutions It’s a popular idea that the path … Continue reading Low-tech sustainable solutions prioritise simplicity and durability, local manufacture, as well as traditional or ancient techniques →

What does the Energy Charter Treaty have to do with the Ukraine crisis?

The German government has been worried about being sued by the fossil fuel companies behind the Russian gas pipeline. This potential litigation is due to the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT). Yamina Saheb, a friend of EiD used to head the ECT’s energy efficiency unit and is now an energy policy analyst at the OpenExp think … Continue reading What does the Energy Charter Treaty have to do with the Ukraine crisis? →

The development of a green hydrogen economy in Africa is gathering considerable attention

Patrick Prestele writes on the ESI-Africa website. Africans realise that to meet their Paris climate obligations they need to achieve significant carbon emission reductions, even though the carbon footprint is relatively low. Green hydrogen is seen as a major solution. Analysis: Green hydrogen, the new energy frontier in Africa The 2015 Paris Climate Agreement, … Continue reading The development of a green hydrogen economy in Africa is gathering considerable attention →

China’s removal of renewable energy subsidy will affect fight against climate change

China, the largest emitter of greenhouse gases, is also the largest user of energy and amid this, the country's growing population is putting pressure on Beijing to amend plans to fulfil its ever-growing energy needs. China's subsidy policy was mostly to cover excessive installation and production costs of renewable energy but the country has decided … Continue reading China’s removal of renewable energy subsidy will affect fight against climate change →

Pressing the need for humanity to become more “long-termist” in its outlook

Rupert Read, Reader in Philosophy at the University of East Anglia provides his concerns in an article on The Conversation website that our species and our political-economic systems are “dangerously short-termist” as we address the climate crisis. What are your views? Climate crisis and the dangers of tech-obsessed ‘long-termism’ As a philosopher who thinks … Continue reading Pressing the need for humanity to become more “long-termist” in its outlook →

China raises efficiency targets for energy-intensive industries

Eric Ng writes on the South China Morning Post that higher energy efficiency bars have been set in China for companies in sectors ranging from oil refining to non-ferrous metals smelting. The new policies will ‘amplify the trend of the strong getting stronger’, analyst says Climate Change: China’s new five-year energy efficiency targets to … Continue reading China raises efficiency targets for energy-intensive industries →