Does it make economic sense to save the planet?

The UK chancellor of the exchequer, Philip Hammond, has warned against cutting UK emissions to net zero. But failing to act will have dire consequences explains Fiona Harvey in an article in The Guardian. It is absurd to question whether we can afford to keep our planet liveable The chancellor, Philip Hammond, has written … Continue reading Does it make economic sense to save the planet? →

Explaining what net-zero emissions means in practice

We constantly hear about net zero carbon emissions. The EU is expected to commit to going carbon neutral. But what will net-zero emissions mean in practice? What are negative emissions, and why do we need them? D Ruby Russell unpicks the jargon in an article on the Deutsche Welle website. Net-zero by 2050: What … Continue reading Explaining what net-zero emissions means in practice →

Canada’s vehicles have the highest average fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions per kilometre driven

Blake Shaffer from the University of Calgary writes on The Conversation website about the poor fuel efficiency of Canada’s vehicles. There are some good graphs that compares Canada with many countries. How is your country doing? When it comes to vehicles, Canada tops the charts for poor fuel economy Usually when Canada is at … Continue reading Canada’s vehicles have the highest average fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions per kilometre driven →

How we label an issue determines how we frame it. Language choices really do matter

Dimitrinka Atanasova, Lecturer in Linguistics at Lancaster University and Kjersti Fløttum, Professor of Linguistics at the University of Bergen, in an article on The Conversation website, discuss the importance of language as we discuss climate change. Climate change or climate crisis? To really engage people, the media should talk about solutions Days after the … Continue reading How we label an issue determines how we frame it. Language choices really do matter →

Many of the world’s biggest companies are bracing for the prospect that climate change could substantially affect their bottom lines within the next five years

Analysis of 215 of 500 largest corporations shows how business leaders expect global warming to hit every corner of world’s economy. Brad Plumer explains in an article on The Independent website. Biggest banks and companies brace for trillion pound losses triggered by climate breakdown Many of the world’s biggest companies, from Silicon Valley tech … Continue reading Many of the world’s biggest companies are bracing for the prospect that climate change could substantially affect their bottom lines within the next five years →

New report assessing progress on the targets of SDG 9 (industry, innovation and infrastructure) that relate to industrialisation

UNIDO has published a report that assesses the progress on the targets of SDG 9. Nathalie Risse explains in an article on the e SDG Knowledge Hub website of the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD). UNIDO Charts Progress on Six SDG Indicators for Industrialization The UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) released a report … Continue reading New report assessing progress on the targets of SDG 9 (industry, innovation and infrastructure) that relate to industrialisation →

Latest analysis shows that California really is the American leader in being energy efficient

David Roberts writes on the Vox website about how California became the clear leader in the US for being energy efficient. Maybe there are lessons for all of us to learn. How California became far more energy-efficient than the rest of the country The Trump administration is currently attempting to stop California from setting … Continue reading Latest analysis shows that California really is the American leader in being energy efficient →

SDG7 energy progress report concludes that ensuring affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all by 2030 is still possible but . . .

The energy progress report concludes that ensuring affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all by 2030 is still possible but that more financial and political commitment is required. The number of people without electricity fell from 1.2 billion in 2010 to 840 million today, with India, Bangladesh, Kenya and Myanmar among the countries making … Continue reading SDG7 energy progress report concludes that ensuring affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all by 2030 is still possible but . . . →

Innovative new approach to batteries

A new potassium-ion battery system shows promise according to Joshua Lewis, a PhD student studying chemical physics at the University of Cambridge, writing in the physics world website Water-based batteries enable a green energy future A cheap, safe, and effective potassium-ion battery system with promising characteristics has been described in a Nature Energy article by … Continue reading Innovative new approach to batteries →

India’s energy transition: renewable energy investments have begun to outpace those in fossil fuels

It is encouraging to see the positive developments in India’s low-carbon energy transition. There are challenges. Coal use is still growing in a country where energy demands are rising fast. Harry Cockburn discusses latest developments in an article on The Independent website. India investing more money in solar power than coal for first time … Continue reading India’s energy transition: renewable energy investments have begun to outpace those in fossil fuels →