New research assesses the size and uncertainty of remaining carbon budgets

Chris Smith, Senior Research Fellow in Climate Science at the University of Leeds and Robin Lamboll, Research Fellow in Atmospheric Science at Imperial College London write on The Conversation website about new research they are involved in that effectively gives the world just six years to get to net zero. Will anyone listen? Carbon … Continue reading New research assesses the size and uncertainty of remaining carbon budgets →

Will Germany really phase out coal by 2030?

Germany's finance minister has questioned the country's ability to phase out coal as an energy source by 2030. Abandoning the goal could deepen division within Germany's ruling coalition. The issue is discussed in a news item on the Deutsche Welle website this week. Germany: Minister casts doubt on 2030 coal exit Germany's finance minister … Continue reading Will Germany really phase out coal by 2030? →

UK passes Energy Act

Laws have been passed in the UK to help unlock £100bn of private investment in energy infrastructure, accelerate development of offshore wind and bring more competition to networks. The UK Energy Act 2023, which has received Royal Assent, will deliver a more efficient energy system in the long term, helping to keep costs low. … Continue reading UK passes Energy Act →

State of the Energy Union 2023: EU responds effectively to crisis, looks to the future, and accelerates the green transition

In the State of the Energy Union Report 2023, published this week, the European Commission looks back on the EU response to the unprecedented energy crisis of the past two years, assesses the state of play with the green transition at national, European and global level, and sets out the challenges and opportunities ahead as … Continue reading State of the Energy Union 2023: EU responds effectively to crisis, looks to the future, and accelerates the green transition →

Energy in Demand News, October 22nd, 2023

We are now about two months away from COP28 in Dubai. All of us are anxious that real progress is made because the signs of climate crisis are growing and there definitely is a need to ramp up ambition and action. We were discouraged this week when EU member states this week adopted a common … Continue reading Energy in Demand News, October 22nd, 2023 →

New IEA report on electricity grids and secure energy transitions

Following the report by EEA-ACER on power systems this week, the IEA has also come out on a new report on electricity grids. The first-of-its-kind global study finds the world must add or replace 80 million km of grids by 2040, equal to all grids globally today, to meet national climate targets and support energy … Continue reading New IEA report on electricity grids and secure energy transitions →

Energy in Demand News, October 15, 2023

Encouragingly, this week the World Bank officially expanded its mission to include climate change, while pushing ahead with reforms that could unlock additional funding and cheaper loans for green projects. The historical objective to “end poverty” should now be achieved “on a livable planet”. The new mission will give the lender the formal mandate to … Continue reading Energy in Demand News, October 15, 2023 →

Once again California leads the way on energy efficiency

In California, providing full transparency on Scope 3 emissions will now become mandatory for larger companies. Andrew Warren, Chairman of the British Energy Efficiency Federation, in the October issue of Energy in Buildings & Industry, discusses latest developments in California and what it means for all of us. The west coast shows the way … Continue reading Once again California leads the way on energy efficiency →

“Lego’s pivot is the beginning of a larger trend toward developing sustainable solutions for entire supply chains in a circular economy”

Lego had great intentions to eliminate fossil fuels from its globally known bricks. As more companies come under scrutiny for their entire carbon footprint, we may see more instances where well-intentioned sustainability efforts run into uncomfortable truths. Tinglong Dai, Professor of Operations Management & Business Analytics, Carey Business School at Johns Hopkins University; Christopher S. … Continue reading “Lego’s pivot is the beginning of a larger trend toward developing sustainable solutions for entire supply chains in a circular economy” →

Energy in Demand News, October 8, 2023

As we get closer to COP28 in Dubai, there are some disturbing signs. For example: the US and China failed to pledge to the UN Green Climate Fund (most countries, including Germany, Austria and France, increased their pledges, while Denmark, Ireland and Liechtenstein doubled theirs but total pledges still did not reach target); Russia says … Continue reading Energy in Demand News, October 8, 2023 →