Revisiting the benefits of appliance efficiency standards

David J. Vogel, Professor Emeritus of Business Ethics and Political Science, University of California, Berkeley explains why energy efficiency standards for appliances are important in an article on The Conversation website. Interestingly, the first appliance standards were issued over 50 years ago in California and yet, with all the benefits that have been derived from … Continue reading Revisiting the benefits of appliance efficiency standards

Large-scale renovation projects prioritising circular materials and energy efficiency must become the norm

In an article on the Circular website, Fabrizio Leonforte, Associate Professor at Politecnico di Milano, explains how RE-SKIN is using circular renovations to improve energy efficiency in the built environment.   How to tackle energy inefficiency through circular renovations Our buildings need a serious upgrade to keep up with our changing planet. Winters are colder, … Continue reading Large-scale renovation projects prioritising circular materials and energy efficiency must become the norm

Energy in Demand News, April 20-21, 2025

What on earth is going on? The Financial Times reports: “US philanthropies and non-profits groups focused on climate change fear that a potential loss of their tax-free status under the Trump administration could imperil their programmes. Concerns have grown that the Trump administration is drafting an executive order on the eve of so-called Earth day … Continue reading Energy in Demand News, April 20-21, 2025

As the US federal government moves to eliminate climate rules, companies still face pressure to be better stewards of the planet

Ethan I. Thorpe, Fellow at Private Climate Governance Lab, Vanderbilt University; Michael Vandenbergh, Professor of Law and Co-Director, Energy, Environment and Land Use Program, Vanderbilt University; and Zdravka Tzankova, Associate Professor of the Practice in Climate & Environmental Studies, Vanderbilt University write on The Conversation about the climate challenges that American companies still face.   … Continue reading As the US federal government moves to eliminate climate rules, companies still face pressure to be better stewards of the planet

Air quality in Paris significantly improving

Air pollution fell substantially as the city restricted car traffic and made way for parks and bike lanes. Naema Ahmed and Chico Harlan discuss the improvements in an article on the Washington  Post website.   Paris said au revoir to cars. Air pollution maps reveal a dramatic change. Over the past 20 years, Paris has … Continue reading Air quality in Paris significantly improving

New EEA data on GHG emissions reductions in EU in 2023

The European Union’s energy sector led the way in reducing domestic EU net greenhouse gas emissions by 9% in 2023 compared to the year before according to the latest official EU data submitted by the European Environment Agency (EEA) to the United Nations. The drop represents the largest relative reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in … Continue reading New EEA data on GHG emissions reductions in EU in 2023

Energy in Demand News, April 13, 2025

Let’s start this early spring week with some seasonal background music for you to enjoy reading this week’s newsletter. When Trump returned to the White House this year, we heard a lot of “drill, baby, drill.” Well, there is more. The Washington Post reports that at the White House this week: Trump signed executive orders … Continue reading Energy in Demand News, April 13, 2025

Unlocking the power of energy efficiency in manufacturing facilities

Energy efficiency measures present a significant opportunity for manufacturers in the electronics industry to meet their climate goals while lowering operational expenses as discussed in a new report described on the RMI.org website by Ting Li,  Wei Li,  Guangxu Wang and  Meng Wang.   Towards Net-Zero Electronics The electronics manufacturing sector is undergoing rapid expansion … Continue reading Unlocking the power of energy efficiency in manufacturing facilities

The International Maritime Organisation agreed to the sector’s first binding targets to reduce GHG emissions from ships

The shipping sector is now the first industry with internationally mandated targets to reduce emissions. This outcome is the result of constructive discussions among IMO member states since the adoption of the IMO’s 2023 greenhouse gas (GHG) strategy. Ship owners who fail to reduce emissions intensity 30% by 2035 will have to pay into a … Continue reading The International Maritime Organisation agreed to the sector’s first binding targets to reduce GHG emissions from ships

Trump’s new trade war upsets efforts to tackle the urgent issue of climate change

In an article on The Conversation website, Rakesh Gupta, Associate Professor of Accounting & Finance, Charles Darwin University, discusses the impact of the latest trade war on climate change. It does not include the latest changes in the past few days but it does give a good overview of the impact.   What Donald Trump’s … Continue reading Trump’s new trade war upsets efforts to tackle the urgent issue of climate change