A country’s ability to pursue major energy reforms hinges on the government’s capacity to defuse political opposition

Jared Finnegan, Lecturer in Public Policy at University College London (UCL) writes on The Conversation website about why some have been more successful than others in pursuing energy reform. Energy transitions: why countries respond differently to the same problem Russia’s invasion of Ukraine upended global energy markets. Sanctions on Russian exports and the suspension … Continue reading A country’s ability to pursue major energy reforms hinges on the government’s capacity to defuse political opposition →

In an age of climate chaos and economic crisis, the ideas of the father of ecological economics that inspired a movement to live within our means are increasingly essential

Herman Daly became convinced that economics should no longer prioritize the efficiency of this one-way process but instead focus on the “optimal” scale of an economy that the Earth can sustain. Today, the imprint of his career can be found far and wide, including measures of the Genuine Progress Indicator of an economy, new Doughnut … Continue reading In an age of climate chaos and economic crisis, the ideas of the father of ecological economics that inspired a movement to live within our means are increasingly essential →

Children and young people are a big part of COP27

Aoife Daly, Lecturer in Law at University College Cork writes on the Conversation website about how young people are playing an increasingly important role at the UN climate summit this year. COP27: how young climate activists are changing international human rights law World leaders and climate scientists aren’t the only ones who have gathered … Continue reading Children and young people are a big part of COP27 →

A citizens panel learned how to eliminate carbon emissions from homes and helped design solutions they thought would work for owner-occupiers

Jacob Ainscough, Senior Research Associate in Environmental Governance, Lancaster University and Rebecca Willis, Professor in Energy and Climate Governance, Lancaster Environment Centre at Lancaster University write on The Conversation website about the views of tenants in a study they undertook. A panel was set up. Participants spent 25 hours over seven sessions, both online and … Continue reading A citizens panel learned how to eliminate carbon emissions from homes and helped design solutions they thought would work for owner-occupiers →

By placing sensors within a home, energy efficiency can be measured in the same way as energy generation

We all know that our policies and programmes need more data of actual energy performance. Om an article on the Architecture Today website, Matthew Prowse, Specification and Housing Director for Knauf Insulation, discusses how homes being designed today can prepare for the imminent shift to measured ‘in-use’ energy performance. Measured energy efficiency is coming, … Continue reading By placing sensors within a home, energy efficiency can be measured in the same way as energy generation →

Injecting humour into a serious topic like climate change helps get the message across to a broad audience

Climate change is no laughing matter, but these artists are exploring dark ideas in meaningful and humorous ways. Alistair Walsh explores how cartoonists deal with climate change in an article on the Deutsche Welle website. Cartoonists tackling climate change through webcomics The thermometer was touching 50 degrees Celsius (122 Fahrenheit) in the central Indian city … Continue reading Injecting humour into a serious topic like climate change helps get the message across to a broad audience →

Spanish utility implements ambitious, personalised information campaign

Through intelligent algorithms, a Spanish utility will produce 90 million communications with personalised advice for an information campaign to help households reduce energy consumption and save on bills. Yusuf Latief discusses the campaign on the Smart Energy International website. Iberdrola’s information campaign to spur 11mn customers to reduce energy use Iberdrola launched the information … Continue reading Spanish utility implements ambitious, personalised information campaign →

Blog from Erik Gudbjerg: High energy cost leads to new habits, they can also reduce global warming

The Danes' energy supply has been hit by the perfect storm at the moment. Together with the rest of Europe, we want to reduce our dependence on Russian energy so that Russia has a harder time financing their war against Ukraine. However, although huge savings and shifts to other forms of energy have already been … Continue reading Blog from Erik Gudbjerg: High energy cost leads to new habits, they can also reduce global warming →

“But what do we know about how people impact energy use in buildings they don’t occupy?”

Recent analysis shows that empty buildings consume more than previously estimated. Buildings consume more energy when empty or partially occupied for extended periods because they are designed to depend on human interactions. Since the pandemic, many buildings are only partially used. There are ways to help reduce consumption. Farzam Kharvari, PhD Candidate, Building Engineering at … Continue reading “But what do we know about how people impact energy use in buildings they don’t occupy?” →

The three most prevalent myths about tackling climate change through increased deployment of renewables

Aled Jones, Professor & Director, Global Sustainability Institute at Anglia Ruskin University discusses three myths about tackling climate change in an article on The Conversation website. As he says, the current approach to making climate policy is hindered by the prevalence of these myths. The truth is that investing in a green transition will lower … Continue reading The three most prevalent myths about tackling climate change through increased deployment of renewables →