Reaction to the European Council and Parliament reaching a deal on the proposal to revise the energy performance of buildings directive

The European Council and the European Parliament this week reached provisional political agreement on a proposal to revise the energy performance of buildings directive. The revised directive sets new and more ambitious energy performance requirements for new and renovated buildings in the EU and encourages member states to renovate their building stock. Under the deal, … Continue reading Reaction to the European Council and Parliament reaching a deal on the proposal to revise the energy performance of buildings directive →

The new ‘loss and damage’ fund needs to focus on climate refugees

Dr. Dalila Gharbaoui, Postdoctoral Climate Crisis Research Fellow, at Australia’s University of Canterbury writes on The Conversation website about the need for the new ‘loss and damage’ fund to ensure climate refugees are protected with great urgency. Dr. Gharbaoui relates this to the recent Australia-Tuvalu agreement that provides a “pathway” for citizens of Tuvalu affected … Continue reading The new ‘loss and damage’ fund needs to focus on climate refugees →

Money pledged to loss and damage fund at COP28 falls far short of losses developing countries face each year

In an article on The Conversation website, Shannon Gibson, Associate Professor of International Relations and Environmental Studies, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, writes about the newly approved loss and damages fund at COP28. She says the deal itself leaves much undecided and that it has been met with criticism by climate justice … Continue reading Money pledged to loss and damage fund at COP28 falls far short of losses developing countries face each year →

Energy in Demand News, December 3, 2023

This week’s quote below is indicative of how the oil and gas industry sees climate change – as conveyed by Darren Woods, CEO of Exxon Mobil, last week at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in San Francisco. Then, in Dubai, attending his first global climate conference, Darren Woods told the Financial Times (behind a … Continue reading Energy in Demand News, December 3, 2023 →

IEA’s new report on energy efficiency sends message on need to address energy demand

This year’s energy efficiency report by the IEA makes clear that a profound transformation is underway in energy efficiency and clean energy more broadly, with many governments introducing new, or strengthening existing, policies and energy-saving programmes. These policies are leading to faster deployment of efficient technologies and are contributing towards an expected peaking of fossil … Continue reading IEA’s new report on energy efficiency sends message on need to address energy demand →

Is it realistic for Canada’s oil and gas industry to make carbon capture a key part of their GHG emissions reduction strategy?

In an article on the CBC News website, Benjamin Shingler takes a closer look at the technology and why researchers say it's not a realistic answer to the climate crisis Canada's fossil fuel industry is banking on carbon capture to lower emissions. Is it a viable solution? Fossil fuel companies in Canada have made … Continue reading Is it realistic for Canada’s oil and gas industry to make carbon capture a key part of their GHG emissions reduction strategy? →

Virgin Atlantic’s ‘Jet Zero’ fuel may not be travel’s green future – it is more “a smoke-and-mirrors exercise to convince governments that SAF will enable aviation to continue its relentless growth on a sustainable basis”

The first transatlantic flight powered only by sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs) took off from Heathrow airport this week. Airlines are pinning their hopes on SAF to slash emissions as they try to decarbonise flying before new electric and hydrogen-powered options are developed. In an article on The Conversation website, Gareth Dale, Reader in Political Economy, … Continue reading Virgin Atlantic’s ‘Jet Zero’ fuel may not be travel’s green future – it is more “a smoke-and-mirrors exercise to convince governments that SAF will enable aviation to continue its relentless growth on a sustainable basis” →

China is “badly off track” when it comes to controlling coal-fired capacity and also meeting energy intensity targets for 2025

A Reuters news agency article by David Stanway discusses a new report that China's renewable energy sector to meet climate goals is being undermined by continued coal capacity expansion and a rapid rise in energy consumption. China's progress on renewables to meet climate goals undermined by coal expansion-research Fast growth in China's renewable energy … Continue reading China is “badly off track” when it comes to controlling coal-fired capacity and also meeting energy intensity targets for 2025 →

For countries to meet their goals to cut GHG emissions, stopping emissions from carbon-intensive industries like steel, cement and chemicals is imperative

Morgan Bazilian, Professor of Public Policy and Director, Payne Institute, Colorado School of Mines; Benjamin K. Sovacool, Professor of Energy Policy, University of Sussex; and Steven Griffiths, Senior Vice President for Research and Development, Professor of Practice in Chemical Engineering, Khalifa University write on The Conversation website about the importance of decarbonising industry if we … Continue reading For countries to meet their goals to cut GHG emissions, stopping emissions from carbon-intensive industries like steel, cement and chemicals is imperative →

New EEA briefing on climate’s impact on seas

Climate change’s triple impact on seas — warming waters, acidification and decreasing oxygen levels — are a major and increasing threat to Europe’s marine ecosystems. A European Environment Agency (EEA) briefing, published this week, looks at main threats to Europe’s seas and points to key actions to improve the situation. Warming, acidification, dropping oxygen … Continue reading New EEA briefing on climate’s impact on seas →