With global climate leadership at risk, China has the chance to step up

In an article on The Conversation website, Yixian Sun, Associate Professor in International Development, University of Bath, argues that with the US in retreat from climate action and Europe preoccupied by security challenges, new leadership is urgently needed. What are your views?   The world needs climate change leadership – it’s time for China to … Continue reading With global climate leadership at risk, China has the chance to step up

New German study has exposed the myth that newly purchased household appliances protect the climate and save money due to their higher energy efficiency

It makes more sense for your wallet and the climate to continue using and repairing older household appliances. This is according to a study commissioned by the German Federal Environment Agency. Stefan Krempl discusses the findings of the report in an article on the heise online website.   Energy efficiency: buying new household appliances is … Continue reading New German study has exposed the myth that newly purchased household appliances protect the climate and save money due to their higher energy efficiency

Energy in Demand News, April 27-28, 2025

This is the week that many of the world’s institutions received a lecture from the new US administration on changes that should be made. The Financial Times reports: “US Treasury secretary Scott Bessent has accused the IMF and World Bank of “mission creep”, calling for them to step back from “their sprawling and unfocused agendas” … Continue reading Energy in Demand News, April 27-28, 2025

America’s energy transition: “nothing in the energy world is easy these days”

Though early Trump policies have been broadly unfavorable to utility-scale wind, solar and energy storage, experts are bullish on distributed generation and flexible loads. Brian Martucci writes on the Utility Dive website about recent developments.   As Trump targets clean energy, will utilities embrace DERs and VPPs? Amid stiff headwinds for utility-scale renewables and gas, … Continue reading America’s energy transition: “nothing in the energy world is easy these days”

Germany’s energy transition: “We want to both remain an industrialised country and become climate-neutral”

The incoming Christian Democrat-led government now has much work to do if Germany hopes to make progress on the energy transition and the country's 2045 net-zero targets, which remain enshrined in law. Jasper Steinlein discusses latest developments in Germany in an article on the Euractiv website.   Germany’s climate conservatives give ‘green’ a patriotic rebrand … Continue reading Germany’s energy transition: “We want to both remain an industrialised country and become climate-neutral”

Two scientists say they’ve built a tool that can calculate how much damage each oil company’s planet-warming pollution has caused

Nicolás Rivero writes on the Washington Post website about a new tool that two scientists have built to calculate damage from carbon emissions. Climate advocates hope this sort of model could result in court rulings that make polluters pay. The oil and gas industry contests the science.   Scientists say they can calculate the cost … Continue reading Two scientists say they’ve built a tool that can calculate how much damage each oil company’s planet-warming pollution has caused

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