Addressing Britain’s energy-inefficient building stock: a system-wide perspective is needed rather than passing the buck down to homeowners or housebuilders

Sankar Sivarajah, Head of School of Management and Professor of Technology Management and Circular Economy at the University of Bradford provides his views in an article on The Conversation website on how to improve Britain’s energy-inefficient housing stock. What are your views? The UK has some of the least energy-efficient housing in Europe – here's … Continue reading Addressing Britain’s energy-inefficient building stock: a system-wide perspective is needed rather than passing the buck down to homeowners or housebuilders

The Paris climate agreement: global action on methane emissions is needed

Veera Pekkarinen writes on the IISD SDG Knowledge Hub website to write about the need for greater action to address the “super pollutant” methane. While it stays in the atmosphere only for 12 years, it is up up to 86 times more powerful in warming the climate in the short term than the most discussed … Continue reading The Paris climate agreement: global action on methane emissions is needed

New EEA briefing explores alternative ways of thinking about economic growth and progress

How can societies and people prosper and grow without harming the environment and climate? Is it possible to implement the European Green Deal through social innovations that have little or no environmental impact? To broaden the sustainability debate, a European Environment Agency (EEA) briefing, published this week, explores alternative ways of thinking about growth and … Continue reading New EEA briefing explores alternative ways of thinking about economic growth and progress

Energy transition: “developing economies have neither the resources nor the technology to transform themselves overnight”

Kenneth Rogoff, professor of economics and public policy at Harvard University and former chief economist of the International Monetary Fund, explains in an article on The Guardian website why developing countries need global support to achieve necessary carbon emission reductions.   Developing economies need a fairer way to help them decarbonise With the US president-elect … Continue reading Energy transition: “developing economies have neither the resources nor the technology to transform themselves overnight”

How the Trump White House attempted to put its mark on the National Climate Assessment, and why those efforts stumbled

The White House repeatedly attempted to thwart the country’s premier climate science document, one meant to steer policy for years. Scientists got in the way. Christopher Flavelle explains in an article on The New York Times website.   How Trump Tried, but Largely Failed, to Derail America’s Top Climate Report The National Climate Assessment, America’s … Continue reading How the Trump White House attempted to put its mark on the National Climate Assessment, and why those efforts stumbled

BREXIT agreement requires UK to have an “effective” system of carbon pricing as of 1 January 2021 GHG emissions from power & heat generation, industry and aviation

The BREXIT agreement was finalised on Christmas eve and it passed the UK Parliament on New Year’s Eve. The agreement foresees the EU and UK co-operating on carbon pricing with "serious" consideration on linking carbon pricing systems in a way that "preserves the integrity of these systems and provides for the possibility to increase their … Continue reading BREXIT agreement requires UK to have an “effective” system of carbon pricing as of 1 January 2021 GHG emissions from power & heat generation, industry and aviation

Britain comes out with long-awaited energy white paper as part of its strategy to help “clean up” the country’s energy system

James Murray writes on the NS Energy website about the key points in the recently published energy white paper. What are your views?   What are the key points of the UK energy white paper? The government said the plan will support up to 220,000 British jobs and “put affordability at the heart of the … Continue reading Britain comes out with long-awaited energy white paper as part of its strategy to help “clean up” the country’s energy system

Global gathering on 5th anniversary of Paris Climate Agreement called for new and more ambitious commitments

We definitely need more ambition if we are to meet our 2015 Paris climate objectives. Global leaders met to “show genuine progress from existing policies and Paris targets”, with “no space for general statements.” Marc Hudson, Research Associate in Social Movements at Keele University gives his views on the outcome of the summit in an … Continue reading Global gathering on 5th anniversary of Paris Climate Agreement called for new and more ambitious commitments

New EEA briefing on the European Union’s Emissions Trading System

Greenhouse gas emissions from stationary installations covered by the European Union’s Emissions Trading System (ETS) dropped by 9.1% in 2019 from 2018 levels, the largest drop in a decade, according to the latest European Environment Agency (EEA) briefing on trends and projections in the EU ETS released this week.   Climate action in Europe: EU … Continue reading New EEA briefing on the European Union’s Emissions Trading System

The emissions attributable to the richest 1 percent of the global population account for more than double those of the poorest 50 percent

No one said the carbon neutral energy transition would be simple but we have a major challenge finding a more equitable balance in our carbon footprints. This is simply not sustainable. Brady Dennis, Chris Mooney and Sarah Kaplan discuss the issues arising from a new UN emissions gap report in an article on the Washington … Continue reading The emissions attributable to the richest 1 percent of the global population account for more than double those of the poorest 50 percent