Google’s net-zero pledge has quietly been scrubbed

In June, Google’s Sustainability website proudly boasted a headline pledge to achieve net-zero emissions by 2030. By July, that had all changed. Darius Snieckus and Rory White write on the National Observer website about what is going on. Google deletes net-zero pledge from sustainability website Google’s CEO Sundar Pichai stood smiling in a leafy-green California garden … Continue reading Google’s net-zero pledge has quietly been scrubbed →

Energy in Demand News, August 31, 2025

The expression Energy Efficiency 1st is not just a PR slogan. This week, 67 Industry players and 26 national and EU industry associations wrote to the EU’s Danish Presidency, concerned about the draft compromise text on the EU Climate Law from 31st July, which removes explicit references to the Energy Efficiency First (EE1st) principle. The … Continue reading Energy in Demand News, August 31, 2025 →

Britain’s climate and energy transition: still much to do to get on track

Kevin Anderson, Chris Joneand Gaurav Gharde, all from the University of Manchester, write on The Conversation website about the climate U-turns that have taken place in the UK. Interestingly, they have criticised the Climate Change Committee for failing to hold the government accountable for backsliding on climate action. Is there backsliding in your country? … Continue reading Britain’s climate and energy transition: still much to do to get on track →

The green energy transition: shifting away from fossil fuels is particularly challenging

In an article on The Conversation website, Martin Brueckner, Charles Roche and Tauel Harper all from Murdoch University in Australia discuss the difficulties in getting off fossil fuels and the little progress that Australia has made to date. How much success is your country having? Getting rid of fossil fuels is really hard – … Continue reading The green energy transition: shifting away from fossil fuels is particularly challenging →

Energy in Demand News, August 24-25, 2025

Encouragingly, the Financial Times reports that solar power generation in Britain so far this year has surpassed the total for 2024 “as panels are rapidly installed amid favourable weather, underlining renewable energy’s increasing importance to the grid. . . . Some 14.08 terawatt hours of electricity was produced from solar in Great Britain by August … Continue reading Energy in Demand News, August 24-25, 2025 →

New industrial energy efficiency database for Nigeria

The Industrial Energy Efficiency Database was developed to provide reliable data on industrial energy consumption, following surveys of small, medium, and large-scale industries across major industrial hubs in Nigeria. The initiative, driven in partnership with the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), aims to strengthen national frameworks for energy management and support industries in adopting … Continue reading New industrial energy efficiency database for Nigeria →

Energy in Demand News, August 17-18, 2025

It was certainly disappointing that the UN negotiations for a global treaty on plastics pollution collapsed without an agreement. Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and a number of other petrostates would not budge from their long-standing refusal to agree measures that address the production of plastic, agreeing only to waste management. It is not clear when negotiations … Continue reading Energy in Demand News, August 17-18, 2025 →

The benefits of improved energy efficiency for the nonprofit sector

Tina Bennett, CEO of Power Options, writes on the facilitiesnet website about the benefits of improved energy efficiency for nonprofits. By taking a proactive approach to energy management, nonprofits can continue fulfilling their missions, even in uncertain financial environments. Energy should no longer be treated as a fixed cost, but as a variable that should … Continue reading The benefits of improved energy efficiency for the nonprofit sector →

Energy in Demand News, August 10-11, 2025

GHG emissions are “going through the roof” because of AI, according to an article on the New York Times website that explains how Big Tech’s net-zero goals are looking shaky. “Google’s greenhouse gas emissions rose by 11 percent in 2024 from the year before. Amazon’s were up by 6 percent. Microsoft’s fell slightly but remained … Continue reading Energy in Demand News, August 10-11, 2025 →

Trump’s EPA cancels $7 billion in funding for solar projects

A Le Monde news item reports that the US Environmental Protection Agency has terminated the grant that was intended to help pay for residential solar projects for more than 900,000 lower-income US households − a Biden-era attempt to introduce cleaner power onto the electrical grid and to lower energy bills for American consumers. EPA … Continue reading Trump’s EPA cancels $7 billion in funding for solar projects →