Category: energy transition

Natural gas and the low-carbon energy transition

Ivan Penn writes a good article in the New York Times about the difficulties that natural gas is having in the US as a feedstock for power plants. As Penn states, some utility companies have scrapped plans for new natural-gas plants in favour of wind and solar sources that have become cheaper and easier to … Continue reading Natural gas and the low-carbon energy transition →

Energy giant Shell outlines its own low-carbon energy transition scenario

Royal Dutch Shell recently published it’s Sky scenario that complies with the goals of the Paris climate agreement. Chris Mooney and Steven Mufson explain in an article in The Washington Post.   Shell — yes, that Shell — just outlined a radical scenario for what it would take to halt climate change Royal Dutch Shell … Continue reading Energy giant Shell outlines its own low-carbon energy transition scenario →

Can a low-carbon energy transition include Canada’s tar sands?

A lot has been written about Canada’s tar sands over the years but there are few articles that talk about greening this mammoth fossil fuel industry. James Wilt writes on the National Observer website about the possibility of new technology to “green” what would seem to be “un-greenable.” Can technology turn Canada's oilsands green? Can … Continue reading Can a low-carbon energy transition include Canada’s tar sands? →

The climate crisis highlights the importance of advancing a deep and just transition that decarbonises society and provides a new basis for organising society to endure climate shocks

Vishwas Satgar, Associate Professor, Department of International Relations at the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa gives us much to think in an article on The Conversation website about as we struggle with how we are going to achieve the low-carbon energy transition globally. He discusses a Marxist approach, noting that in the 20th … Continue reading The climate crisis highlights the importance of advancing a deep and just transition that decarbonises society and provides a new basis for organising society to endure climate shocks →

“Real world challenges” need to be integrated into our renewable energy modelling

Modelling our energy transition is important to guide our policy directions. Last year, for energy efficiency, OpenEXP questioned whether the Commission’s assessments (including its modelling) assigned the right role to energy efficiency in its clean energy package. Liam Stoker writes on the Clean Energy News website about some of the flaws in renewable energy models, … Continue reading “Real world challenges” need to be integrated into our renewable energy modelling →

Bumpy road for our energy transition: consumers increasingly embracing gas-guzzling vehicles

  In January the Carbuyer website wrote: “It’s no secret that British car buyers have a soft spot for SUVs. These 4x4-style vehicles have become more popular than ever before.” Hiroko Tabuchi writes in the New York Times that this is a global phenomenon. This is definitely a worrying trend. Solutions?   The World Is … Continue reading Bumpy road for our energy transition: consumers increasingly embracing gas-guzzling vehicles →

Global information network requires more energy than the whole of the UK – low carbon solution is needed

The carbon footprint of the Internet already exceeds that of air travel. Oscar Céspedes, Associate Professor of Physics at the University of Leeds provides an informative article on unsustainability of the computing world and the need to find low-carbon solutions. He shows that there are options to continue our progress and minimise the ecological impact. … Continue reading Global information network requires more energy than the whole of the UK – low carbon solution is needed →

The energy transition needs to protect the vulnerable

Fossil fuel subsidies are a popular and pervasive tool for helping people across the world to have access to energy. This is an issue that needs to be addressed in our energy and climate policies. Benjamin Sovacool, Professor of Energy Policy at the University of Sussex and Jessica Jewell, Research Scholar at the International Institute … Continue reading The energy transition needs to protect the vulnerable →

New report from European Environment Agency on the challenges for sustainable, low-carbon future

The European Environment Agency has recently published an important report on the low-carbon energy transition.   Achieving a sustainable, low-carbon future will be a huge challenge for European society Shifting to an environmentally sustainable society will bring huge challenges for Europe, involving fundamental changes in how it meets its demand for necessities such as food, … Continue reading New report from European Environment Agency on the challenges for sustainable, low-carbon future →