Building materials have a heavy carbon footprint and present a concrete challenge to the climate

We need to rethink the way we construct our buildings in order to reduce embodied carbon. The strategies to reduce embodied carbon already exist – from building smarter to decarbonising building materials. To shine a light on these solutions, the Programme for Energy Efficiency in Buildings (PEEB) recently published a working paper presenting key facts … Continue reading Building materials have a heavy carbon footprint and present a concrete challenge to the climate →

Because “British people are no-nonsense pragmatists who can make decisions based on the information” the government will not “impose” measures to improve energy efficiency

The UK has some of the least energy-efficient homes in Europe, with 19 million houses and flats needing extra insulation. In February the national Climate Change Committee said the government’s policy on insulation was ‘very poor’ and a lot more needed to be done. However, the government, with its new Energy Security Strategy, will not … Continue reading Because “British people are no-nonsense pragmatists who can make decisions based on the information” the government will not “impose” measures to improve energy efficiency →

The dream of the climate-neutral city, with very low to zero emissions, is within reach, say experts

Spewing most of the world's heat-trapping gases, fast-growing cities need to be transformed into clean, low emissions ecosystems in the struggle against climate breakdown. Stuart Braun writes on the Deutsche Welle website how cities can be a microcosm of successful climate mitigation. Cities are major polluters: Can we make them climate neutral? Around 85% … Continue reading The dream of the climate-neutral city, with very low to zero emissions, is within reach, say experts →

Putting some urgency into need to deploy heat pumps in Europe

As the European Union tries to free itself from Russian gas, it should offer subsidies and policy supports to boost heat-pump adoption, a new report says. Jeff St. John discusses in an article on the Canary Media website. How to move Europe from gas heat to heat pumps — fast Heat pumps play a major role in … Continue reading Putting some urgency into need to deploy heat pumps in Europe →

Certifying vineyards for carbon neutrality

Dave McIntyre writes on the Washington Post website about the effort one company in California is taking to have its vineyard certified as carbon neutral. What do you think? What it takes for a winery to earn a Climate Neutral certification When Jess Baum joined Fetzer Vineyards in August 2020 as the company’s new … Continue reading Certifying vineyards for carbon neutrality →

Irish government defends plans to promote energy efficiency in response to spiralling cost of living pressures

In contrast to the measures announced by the UK government this week, the Irish prime minister (known as the Taoiseach) defended plans to promote energy efficiency and demand restraint including taking shorter showers and driving less, as part of an overall response to spiralling cost of living pressures. Mark Hilliard and Vivienne Clarke discuss latest … Continue reading Irish government defends plans to promote energy efficiency in response to spiralling cost of living pressures →

One African’s view of the recent IPCC report

Victor Ongoma, Assistant Professor at Université Mohammed VI Polytechnique in Morocco writes on The Conversation website about his views on the latest IPCC report published this week. Climate change report: what we must do to avert the looming crisis Climate change is a threat to all aspects of our lives. Every degree of global warming … Continue reading One African’s view of the recent IPCC report →

Five IPCC contributors give their views on the latest report published this week

The latest IPCC report has received considerable attention since being published April 4th, as it should. Thomas Wiedmann, Professor of Sustainability Research, UNSW Sydney; Arunima Malik, Senior Lecturer in Sustainability at the University of Sydney; Glen Peters, Research Director, Center for International Climate and Environment Research – Oslo; Jacqueline Peel, Director, Melbourne Climate Futures, The … Continue reading Five IPCC contributors give their views on the latest report published this week →

Sustainability reporting is useful to employees, customers, citizens and governments to assess the impact and sustainability of an organisation’s activities

Sustainability reporting — sometimes also referred to as environmental, social and governance (ESG) reporting — requires organisations to publicly report on a wide range of performance goals, not just profits. In an article on The Conversation website, David Cooper, Emeritus Professor of Accounting at the University of Alberta; Daniela Senkl, Assistant Professor in Accounting at … Continue reading Sustainability reporting is useful to employees, customers, citizens and governments to assess the impact and sustainability of an organisation’s activities →

New report highlights the importance of enhanced energy efficiency to achieve the net-zero targets by 2050

Satish Shetty writes on the Mercom India website about the role improved energy efficiency must play for us to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. The report was prepared by the international non-profit Climate Group. Global Push for Energy Efficiency Critical for Net Zero by 2050: EP100 Report The EP100, a global initiative led by … Continue reading New report highlights the importance of enhanced energy efficiency to achieve the net-zero targets by 2050 →