CCS: Sitting on the wrong side of innovation

This is a valuable article by Matthew Ulterino, an independent consultant from London and a colleague of EiD. This is an excerpt from his article in Energy and Environment, Volume 23 No. 2&3, 2012. This is a debate that is going to continue for some time. Carbon Capture and Storage: Sitting on the Wrong … Continue reading CCS: Sitting on the wrong side of innovation →

Discussing Germany’s nuclear exit

This is an important article by Damian Carrington of the Guardian on the costs of Germany’s phase out of nuclear. This is important because there is so much mis-information around. For all countries, watching this “experiment” in Germany and learning lessons from it will be essential. There is a need for more than just a … Continue reading Discussing Germany’s nuclear exit →

Southern Voices on climate policy choices

This report from the Southern Voices programme provides an analysis of the tools and tactics advocacy groups use to influence policy responses to climate change at international, regional, national and sub-national levels. More than 20 climate networks and their member organisations contributed to the report with their experiences of advocacy on climate change, including over … Continue reading Southern Voices on climate policy choices →

May Day . . . May Day . . . is complexity killing caring?

In the words of Bill Gates, “ The barrier to change is not too little caring; it is too much complexity.” They are words that ring true in Europe in the context of approval of a new Energy Efficiency Directive. There is no doubt that Europeans care about climate change and improving energy efficiency. But … Continue reading May Day . . . May Day . . . is complexity killing caring? →

Reports from the European Environment Agency

The European Environment Agency has come out with a couple of very interesting and important reports recently. * Do we live in a 'green economy'? New report assesses progress in Europe Despite progress in some areas, Europe must do more to create the 'green economy' needed for the continent to become sustainable, according to … Continue reading Reports from the European Environment Agency →

Balancing the promotion of sustainable energy with government revenue

While this article by Gwyn Topham from the Guardian is on the UK, it is an important issue for all countries. Governments are caught between promoting sustainable energy and taxes they gain from “conventional” practices. Green cars will lead to fall in motoring revenue for Treasury, says study The drive to promote greener, more … Continue reading Balancing the promotion of sustainable energy with government revenue →

A real gold mine of information

Young volunteers for the environment from the Climate and Development Network (Réseau Climat & Développement) have come up with a document listing more than 200 information sites on economic, social and environmental issues. While the names of the various sites are in French the web address frequently uses the English name so it’s easy to … Continue reading A real gold mine of information →

Carbon footprints of hotels

If you want to shrink your carbon footprint when you check into a hotel, you may be better off staying at a mid-range or budget chain hotel. That's the conclusion from a report released by Brighter Planet, the eco-minded tech firm in Vermont that creates digital apps and other technology to measure environmental effects. The … Continue reading Carbon footprints of hotels →

Quotes from Jeffrey Sachs

At the Asian Development Bank annual meeting this week, Jeffrey Sachs, director of the Earth Institute and professor of sustainable development at Columbia University in the US, said: "We won't meet the carbon targets if nuclear is taken off the table," and further: "Emissions per unit of energy need to fall by a factor of … Continue reading Quotes from Jeffrey Sachs →

From the Clean Energy Ministerial

The third Clean Energy Ministerial of 23 leading countries was held in London late April. Leaders from the 23-government Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM) and the UN Secretary-General’s Sustainable Energy for All initiative (SE4All) have given their backing to a renewed push to increase energy efficiency worldwide. Meeting at the Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM3) taking place … Continue reading From the Clean Energy Ministerial →