“Building a passive house was the best decision we ever made”

Arlene Harris writes on the Irish section of The Times website about the positive aspects of having a passive house. What is your experience? Passivhaus concept isn’t a load of hot air Parents of teenagers will recognise how irritating it can be when their children take long showers and use up all the hot … Continue reading “Building a passive house was the best decision we ever made” →

New IISD report: G20 backtracks on fossil fuel funding phase-out

G20 governments are still spending more than half a trillion USD on oil, gas, and coal each year—and the pandemic has likely undone any progress on phasing out this support. In Doubling Back and Doubling Down: G20 Scorecard on Fossil Fuel Funding, researchers considered recovery commitments and pre-pandemic policies to rank G20 countries' progress in … Continue reading New IISD report: G20 backtracks on fossil fuel funding phase-out →

Changing some of our energy use routines due to the pandemic really can have significant benefits for ourselves and the planet

Philipp Grünewald, EPSRC Fellow, Department of Engineering Science at the University of Oxford writes on The Conversation website about learning from the first lockdown to provide us with important lessons as we cope with the current pandemic. Four energy-saving lessons from the first lockdown which may help us through the winter The gold standard … Continue reading Changing some of our energy use routines due to the pandemic really can have significant benefits for ourselves and the planet →

Shift to construction with wood could lead to a cleaner, greener future

Harry Cockburn writes on The Independent website that there are many environmental benefits from using wood as the construction material of choice, according to researchers at Aalto University in Finland, and the Finnish Environment Institute. Cities made of wood 'could store huge amounts of carbon and cut construction emissions' The construction material of choice … Continue reading Shift to construction with wood could lead to a cleaner, greener future →

We need to recognise that electricity is only part of the necessary transformation for a cleaner, better tomorrow

George Loumakis, Lecturer in Energy at Glasgow Caledonian University writes on The Conversation website to clear up some mistakes that are commonly made to understand the difference between energy and electricity. As we design decarbonisation strategies, understanding the differences is critical. Energy isn't just electricity – the common mistake obscuring the mammoth task of … Continue reading We need to recognise that electricity is only part of the necessary transformation for a cleaner, better tomorrow →

By shifting current policies and fundamental program designs, next-generation energy efficiency programmes can be a crucial tool for meeting deep carbon-reduction goals

Val Jensen writes on the Greentech media website about the need to revamp energy efficiency programmes to meet long-term energy and climate objectives. While he speaks about the United States, there are no doubt lessons for all of us. Revamped Energy Efficiency Programs Are the Key to Deep Carbon Reductions Across the U.S., governments … Continue reading By shifting current policies and fundamental program designs, next-generation energy efficiency programmes can be a crucial tool for meeting deep carbon-reduction goals →

Blog from Stuart Fairlie: Don’t reinvent the wheel for commercial property retrofit

In the same way that Government-approved technical standards provided the foundation for the Green Homes Grant and the low energy retrofit of millions of UK homes, so similar energy efficiency standards are now being developed that should pave the way for the retrofit of commercial buildings. The only trouble is, the first draft of these … Continue reading Blog from Stuart Fairlie: Don’t reinvent the wheel for commercial property retrofit →

Concerns about “net-zero energy ready” buildings in Canada

As many countries around the world are planning on ambitious energy efficient buildings, Canada has run into some problems for new buildings. John Bleasby discusses latest developments in an article on the Daily Commercial News website Energy efficiency advocates concerned about direction of 2020 NBC Two groups representing Canada’s leading edge of building energy … Continue reading Concerns about “net-zero energy ready” buildings in Canada →

The European Academies Science Advisory Council Perspective on Transformative Change

This pandemic reminds us how vulnerable this planet, and in particular humanity, really are. Another striking reminder is the latest publication of the European Academies Science Advisory Council (EASAC) available on its website. For more on the report see also: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q90lDeis7-o and https://youtu.be/5Gk9prsjmEg. Resistance and Challenges to Green Deals should not be underestimated “Scientific knowledge of climate … Continue reading The European Academies Science Advisory Council Perspective on Transformative Change →

New EEA briefing on the environmental impact of COVID-19 measures

The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting restrictions imposed to fight the spread of the disease have provided some short-term positive impacts on Europe’s environment, according to a European Environment Agency (EEA) briefing published this week. These include temporary improvements in air quality, lower greenhouse gas emissions and lower levels of noise pollution. However, the assessment also … Continue reading New EEA briefing on the environmental impact of COVID-19 measures →