Germany concedes move to cap gas prices as EU wrestles with energy crisis

European Council President Charles Michel said EU leaders agreed to cooperate on energy after a long day of talks. However, a consensus was not reached on capping gas prices. A news item on the Deutsche Welle website presents latest developments. EU leaders agree to combat rising energy prices European Council President Charles Michel said early … Continue reading Germany concedes move to cap gas prices as EU wrestles with energy crisis →

Insurance companies also wield enormous power over the energy transition

Insurers are paying more for extreme weather while continuing to finance and underwrite activities that warp the climate. They can block or enable fossil fuel projects by choosing whether to insure them and for what price. Speeding up the switch to green energy would cut their exposure to catastrophic weather. Climate activists are pushing them … Continue reading Insurance companies also wield enormous power over the energy transition →

Our digital data has a growing carbon footprint

While most climate change activists are focused on limiting emissions from the automotive, aviation and energy industries, the processing of digital data is already comparable to these sectors and is still growing. In 2020, digitisation was purported to generate 4% of global GHG emissions. Tom Jackson, Professor of Information and Knowledge Management at Loughborough University … Continue reading Our digital data has a growing carbon footprint →

Where is the help? Damages to poor countries are expected to increase as the world heats up further

The world’s most vulnerable countries are preparing to take on the richest economies with a demand for urgent finance. This “loss and damage” issue gained momentum since COP26 in Glasgow last year. Fiona Harvey writes on The Guardian website howe vulnerable many countries are. Vulnerable countries demand global tax to pay for climate-led loss … Continue reading Where is the help? Damages to poor countries are expected to increase as the world heats up further →

A dozen environmental NGOs on Monday launched a legal challenge to the EU’s decision to label gas and nuclear investments as green

It was definitely controversial for gas and nuclear to be considered green in the EU’s new taxonomy regulation. A dozen European NGOs are concerned enough that they have launched a legal challenge. Alice Tidey discusses the challenge in an article on the Euronews website. Taxonomy: 12 NGOs launch legal challenge against EU's bid to … Continue reading A dozen environmental NGOs on Monday launched a legal challenge to the EU’s decision to label gas and nuclear investments as green →

WEF podcast transcript on carbon offsets

As we wonder about the impact of carbon offsets, the World Economic Forum provides a podcast that should give us a wider view of their benefits. Robin Pomeroy, Podcast Editor at the WEF, discusses carbon offsets with Rachel Kyte, co-chair of the Voluntary Carbon Markets Integrity Initiative and with Dharsono Hartono, UpLink Top Innovator, and … Continue reading WEF podcast transcript on carbon offsets →

Crisis in Spain over threat to olive oil industry

Spain’s Jaén Province, home to one fifth of the world’s supply of “green gold,” is having to cope with climate change and threats to its way of life. David Segal and José Bautista discuss in an article on the New York Times website. The Olive Oil Capital of the World, Parched The branch, plucked … Continue reading Crisis in Spain over threat to olive oil industry →

While keeping the global average temperate rise below 1.5C may not be achieved, “we need to knuckle down as much as we can to prevent every 0.1C rise”

In an article on The Guardian website, Bill McGuire, professor emeritus of geophysical and climate hazards at UCL, argues that the goal of 1.5C by 2030 is arbitrary and now unachievable – yet working to prevent every 0.1C rise can still give us hope. What do you think? Why we should forget about the … Continue reading While keeping the global average temperate rise below 1.5C may not be achieved, “we need to knuckle down as much as we can to prevent every 0.1C rise” →

Decarbonising the energy system by 2050 could save trillions

For decades, scientists have called for a transition to clean energy to prevent the worst impacts of climate change but fears that such a transition would be costly and harm the economy have held back progress. However, a study from the Oxford Martin Programme on the Post-Carbon Transition published this week shows the reverse: an … Continue reading Decarbonising the energy system by 2050 could save trillions →

African leaders frustrated that leaders from the north avoided COP27 preparatory meeting on adaptation

With two months to go until COP27, leaders of African countries had hoped to take advantage of the Rotterdam meeting held this last week to summon international attention on adaptation concerns. Well, they were disappointed. Laurence Caramel discusses the situation in an article on the Le Monde website. African leaders denounce rich countries' absence … Continue reading African leaders frustrated that leaders from the north avoided COP27 preparatory meeting on adaptation →