Category: climate policy

Latest update on climate finance

The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) provides the October update on global developments in climate finance.   October 2016 Climate Finance Update: Developed Countries Issue Roadmap, Funds Approve Financing During the month of October, governments reached two major agreements aimed at reducing emissions and, with countries gearing up for the November UN Climate Change … Continue reading Latest update on climate finance →

It’s time to be a bit radical if we are to be serious about addressing climate change

Andrew Simms, who co-founded the New Weather Institute, is a research associate at the Centre for Global Political Economy, University of Sussex, and a fellow of the New Economics Foundation, writes an important article in The Guardian, arguing that choosing the best possible future means considering radical scenarios that align energy use and industry with … Continue reading It’s time to be a bit radical if we are to be serious about addressing climate change →

Getting the warmth and cooling balance right for buildings can significantly reduce carbon emissions

Energy management of our buildings – residential and non-residential – is fundamental. Eric Williams, Associate Professor of Sustainability, Rochester Institute of Technology in the United States writes a good article on The Conversation website about how poor management of our heating and cooling needs can be a serious problem to employees as well as to … Continue reading Getting the warmth and cooling balance right for buildings can significantly reduce carbon emissions →

One more important city reveals its low carbon plans

Reykjavik, Iceland’s capital, plans to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2040 by reversing urban sprawl and promoting walking, cycling and public transport. Senay Boztas discusses their plans in a recent article in The Guardian.   Reykjavík: the geothermal city that aims to go carbon neutral Reykjavík used to be marketed as a … Continue reading One more important city reveals its low carbon plans →

Win or lose, dominating view of US Republicans is not good for climate policies

This week, EiD has two posts related to the views of Republicans and aspects of sustainable energy and climate policies. Andrew Warren, a regular contributor to EiD, and chair of the British Energy Efficiency Federation, reflects in a BusinessGreen article on worrying developments in the US   Donald Trump's campaign may be struggling, but his … Continue reading Win or lose, dominating view of US Republicans is not good for climate policies →

China setting performance standards for industry to reduce overcapacity problems

Girish Shetti writes a good article on the China Topix website about recent policy changes in China to impose stricter environmental, safety, and energy efficiency standards.   China to Impose Tough Environmental and Energy Efficiency Standards to Tackle Overcapacity To overcome overcapacity across key Industrial sectors, the Chinese government has decided to impose stricter environmental, … Continue reading China setting performance standards for industry to reduce overcapacity problems →

More cities join the efforts to manage emissions and build resilience

It is encouraging to see how cities are increasingly embracing the need to take measures to lower the impact from global warming. There is a good article on the CDP website about recent developments that are most encouraging.   Unprecedented global rise in cities disclosing climate strategies A record number of cities are now measuring … Continue reading More cities join the efforts to manage emissions and build resilience →

Starting to target airlines in our climate change strategies

Many have argued that air transport has been given too free a ride in pushing for reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. It is complex because it is international in scope and complicated to address. It is encouraging to see in an article by Associated Press that the Obama administration has taken the first steps to … Continue reading Starting to target airlines in our climate change strategies →

“How do we decarbonize the electricity sector, while keeping the lights on, keeping costs low and avoiding unintended consequences that could make emissions increase?”

No one said the sustainable energy transition would be easy. Eduardo Porter writes in the New York Times about some of the bumps along the road.   How Renewable Energy Is Blowing Climate Change Efforts Off Course Is the global effort to combat climate change, painstakingly agreed to in Paris seven months ago, already going … Continue reading “How do we decarbonize the electricity sector, while keeping the lights on, keeping costs low and avoiding unintended consequences that could make emissions increase?” →