Is hydrogen the silver bullet for reaching net zero emissions?

Tom Baxter, Honorary Senior Lecturer in Chemical Engineering at the University of Aberdeen asks an important question in an article on The Conversation website: hydrogen presents a compelling case for its widespread use to support net zero. So, what’s not to like about it? With the UK coming out with its hydrogen strategy soon, Baxter … Continue reading Is hydrogen the silver bullet for reaching net zero emissions?

35 million time bomb: what’s up with the EU Renovation Wave?

I feel like a broken record. Every time I’m with a group related to energy and climate, the discussion obviously gets to meeting our long-term objectives. That is quite understandable. But while we discuss where we want to go in general terms we are much more uncomfortable talking about how to get there. For example, … Continue reading 35 million time bomb: what’s up with the EU Renovation Wave?

Incoming OECD Secretary-General presented with opportunity to change his record on climate change

If former Australian finance minister Mathias Cormann is to match the climate ambition of the OECD’s biggest member states, his future behaviour will have to be very different to that of his past behaviour. Christian Downie, Associate professor at the Australian National University discusses how Cormann can change in an article on The Conversation website. … Continue reading Incoming OECD Secretary-General presented with opportunity to change his record on climate change

Too many companies may be relying on offsetting their emissions through carbon credits rather than cutting their own

Emily Gosden writes on The Times website about a recent study that shows most businesses need to go further to improve the credibility of their targets and their plans for meeting them to avoid accusations of “greenwashing”. Out of the 2,000 largest publicly traded companies by sales, 417 have set net zero goals, the report … Continue reading Too many companies may be relying on offsetting their emissions through carbon credits rather than cutting their own

Calls for longer net-zero regulatory roadmap for commercial and industrial buildings in England and Wales

The introduction of new rules in England and Wales on measuring the energy performance of commercial and industrial buildings is a vital step forward. The British Property Federation, however, is calling for a longer net-zero regulatory roadmap beyond 2030, to give the sector more time to make the necessary changes. An article on the Property … Continue reading Calls for longer net-zero regulatory roadmap for commercial and industrial buildings in England and Wales

Guaranteeing that the future of steelmaking will be low-carbon requires action now

Our carbon neutral energy transition requires a lot of effort and imagination and there are many challenges in energy-intensive industries. Stephen Carr, Lecturer in Energy Physics, from the University of South Wales provides his views on how to eliminate emissions in steelmaking in an article on The Conversation website.   Steel is vital to the … Continue reading Guaranteeing that the future of steelmaking will be low-carbon requires action now

Public transit is hanging by a thread in many cities around the world and that’s a disaster for the world’s ability to address that other global crisis: climate change

Public transit offers a simple way for cities to lower GHG emissions, but the pandemic has pushed ridership, and revenue, off a cliff in many big systems. Somini Sengupta, Geneva Abdul, Manuela Andreoni and Veronica Penney discuss latest developments in an article on the New York Times website.   Riders Are Abandoning Buses and Trains. … Continue reading Public transit is hanging by a thread in many cities around the world and that’s a disaster for the world’s ability to address that other global crisis: climate change

Achieving “net zero” carbon emissions by mid-century is not all what it seems

Rachel Kyte, dean of the Fletcher School at Tufts University and a climate adviser for the UN Secretary-General warns us in an article on the Washington Post that we must be cautious of the pledges of going to “net zero” carbon emissions because many of these pledges are too often based on a confused understanding … Continue reading Achieving “net zero” carbon emissions by mid-century is not all what it seems

Is Wall Street duping the public that its green investing is only PR spin?

Tariq Fancy, who served as chief investment officer of sustainable investing at the world’s largest asset manager, Blackrock, tells Louise Boyle in an article on The Independent website the practice has little impact on reducing GHG emissions.   ‘It’s moving deckchairs on the Titanic’: Former BlackRock sustainability executive says Wall Street’s green investing is ‘PR … Continue reading Is Wall Street duping the public that its green investing is only PR spin?

Climate change had the potential to have a bigger impact on credit ratings than the Covid-19 pandemic

Larry Elliott writes on The Guardian website about a new study that used artificial intelligence to simulate the economic effects of climate change on Standard and Poor’s ratings for 108 countries over the next ten, 30 and 50 years, and by the end of the century.   UK, US and others face credit rating fall … Continue reading Climate change had the potential to have a bigger impact on credit ratings than the Covid-19 pandemic