Just before the pandemic, aircraft engines were burning one billion litres of fuel a day. But then the number of daily civil aviation flights fell from 110,000 to less than 50,000 during 2020, on average. With the easing of travel restrictions, air traffic is increasing back towards its pre-pandemic peak. Milan Klöwer, Postdoctoral Researcher in … Continue reading There is little chance of the aviation industry meeting any climate targets if it aims for a return to its pre-pandemic rate of growth
Category: carbon emissions
Governments around the world are struggling with ithe immense contribution their militaries are making to the climate crisis
To get a sense of the problem, a recent study showed that if the US military were a country, its fuel usage alone would make it the 47th largest emitter of GHGs in the world. Despite the outsized role of militaries, we know surprisingly little about their emissions. Doug Weir, Research and Policy Director at … Continue reading Governments around the world are struggling with ithe immense contribution their militaries are making to the climate crisis
Not taking embodied emissions in buildings into account could mean overshooting carbon emissions targets by several decades
Ljubomir Jankovic, Professor of Advanced Building Design at the University of Hertfordshire, in an article on The Conversation website, discusses the importance of accounting for embodied carbon in buildings if we are to fully come to grips with net zero emissions. Embodied carbon: why truly net zero buildings could still be decades away Carbon dioxide … Continue reading Not taking embodied emissions in buildings into account could mean overshooting carbon emissions targets by several decades
The new heat and buildings strategy boosts the UK’s credentials as a global leader yet it has ignored some critical actions
With much fanfare, the UK government announced its heat and buildings strategy last week. Ran Boydell, Visiting Lecturer in Sustainable Development at Heriot-Watt University discusses the strategy to see if it is fit for purpose to help Britain achieve its net-zero objectives in an article on The Conversation website. Heat and buildings strategy: the … Continue reading The new heat and buildings strategy boosts the UK’s credentials as a global leader yet it has ignored some critical actions
Strong message to give priority to reducing energy consumption
Martin Rossen, former Chief of staff at the Danish Prime Minister’s Office and now Senior Vice President, Head of Global Communication and Sustainability at Danfoss A/S provides a strong argument on the Politics.co.uk website that decision makers somehow forgot that the greenest energy is the energy we don’t use. He argues that energy efficiency is … Continue reading Strong message to give priority to reducing energy consumption
New joint briefing by EEA and Eurofound on benefits of targeted measures to cut carbon emissions
Recycling revenues from energy and carbon taxes to support low-income groups, investing in renovating buildings and in green mobility are among measures that could ensure public support for Europe’s sustainability agenda and a socially just transition. Vulnerable groups may feel the benefit of these measures more than others, as well as from the broader community … Continue reading New joint briefing by EEA and Eurofound on benefits of targeted measures to cut carbon emissions
The oil industry’s own words show companies knew about the risk of climate change long before most of the rest of the world
Benjamin Franta, Ph.D. Candidate in History at Stanford University has been busy visiting historical archives from the oil industry. What those papers revealed is now changing our understanding of how climate change became a crisis. He discusses his findings in an article on The Conversation website. What Big Oil knew about climate change, in … Continue reading The oil industry’s own words show companies knew about the risk of climate change long before most of the rest of the world
New EEA report shows EU achieved its three 2020 climate and energy targets
While we are focusing on our 2030 and 2050 objectives, it is important to take stock of how well we have done so far. The European Union (EU) achieved its three main climate and energy targets by 2020, according to a new European Environment Agency (EEA) assessment, published this week. The 2030 target of a … Continue reading New EEA report shows EU achieved its three 2020 climate and energy targets
How classical music can reduce its carbon footprint
As we all prepare for COP26 in Glasgow, it is refreshing to see how various industries are addressing their carbon footprint. Michela Comparey wrote on the Ludwig Van website how classical music is taking on climate change. While this was originally published last year, it is still very relevant today. How Classical Music Is … Continue reading How classical music can reduce its carbon footprint
For business, fighting climate change effectively requires a new mindset to prioritise sustainability over profit
Raz Godelnik, Assistant Professor of Strategic Design & Management at The New School writes on The Conversation website about how integrating climate change concerns is requiring changes by business. It is requiring an entirely new mindset from past practice. How the climate crisis is transforming the meaning of ‘sustainability’ in business In his 2021 letter … Continue reading For business, fighting climate change effectively requires a new mindset to prioritise sustainability over profit
