Decarbonising home heating: UK bets £15bn on solar and heat pumps

Esme Stallard and Justin Rowlatt write on the BBC News website about the latest programme to decarbonise Britain’s homes. Ministers are tilting Britain’s “homes upgrade” spending away from insulation and towards technologies such as solar panels, batteries and heat pumps as they seek to lift 1mn families out of fuel poverty. Is this the right … Continue reading Decarbonising home heating: UK bets £15bn on solar and heat pumps →

New report examines sentiments from over 3,500 global professionals in the commercial real estate and construction sectors

James Darley writes on the Energy Digital website about the sustainability report from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors RICS. Its sustainability report 2025 examines sentiments from over 3,500 global professionals in the commercial real estate and construction sectors, in order to understand how the climate agenda is shaping trends and practices across the world. … Continue reading New report examines sentiments from over 3,500 global professionals in the commercial real estate and construction sectors →

While AI uses a lot of energy, it can also make systems cleaner and smarter

Nir Kshetri, Professor of Management, University of North Carolina – Greensboro, writes on The Conversation website that the positive benefits from AI almost certainly will be much more important than the negative ones when it comes to improving the environment. Despite its steep environmental costs, AI might also help save the planet The rapid growth … Continue reading While AI uses a lot of energy, it can also make systems cleaner and smarter →

Upcoming events

There are several upcoming events that you should plan for: UNECE Energy Efficiency Bimonthly Open Discussion Forum "Decarbonizing the building supply chain: circular materials, practical solutions, and real-world applications The building sector is a major source of energy use, emissions, and material demand, and decarbonizing it requires a holistic view of the construction supply … Continue reading Upcoming events →

Energy in Demand News, January 18-19, 2025

This week, the Washington Post reported that the US Environmental Protection Agency will no longer consider health costs in pollution regulations. “The EPA can effectively manage the balance between protecting the environment and spurring economic growth without misleading the public and assigning arbitrary dollar amounts to human health,” said West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey (R) … Continue reading Energy in Demand News, January 18-19, 2025 →

Will the EU-Mercosur Partnership Agreement really go against the EU’s climate commitments?

The EU is set to sign a long-awaited trade deal with South America's trade bloc, Mercosur. It may offer unexplored opportunities, but critics say the environmental fallout is being sidelined. In an article on the Deutsche Welle website, Martin Kuebler discusses the main issues. What the EU-Mercosur deal might mean for the environment Ursula … Continue reading Will the EU-Mercosur Partnership Agreement really go against the EU’s climate commitments? →

Renewable energy making good gains in the EU

Eurostat has put out the following article this week on the generation of electricity from renewables in 2024. 2024: nearly 50% of EU electricity came from renewablesIn 2024, renewable energy sources accounted for 47.5% of gross electricity consumption in the EU, indicating a 2.1 percentage points (pp) increase from 2023. It has almost tripled (+30 pp) since the time series began … Continue reading Renewable energy making good gains in the EU →

The need for smarter energy management

In an article prepared for the World Energy Forum annual meeting, Dave Regnery, Chair and Chief Executive Officer, Trane Technologies, writes how we can build a more sustainable and resilient future. How to rethink energy demand to build a sustainable, resilient future Global electricity waste exceeds hundreds of billions annually, demanding smarter energy management … Continue reading The need for smarter energy management →

Even under the pressure of war, Ukraine remains able to build a sustainable future

Ievgeniia Kopytsia, Research Associate in the Law Faculty, University of Oxford writes on The Conversation website about the efforts underway in war-torn Ukraine to build a sustainable future. Even at COP30 they discussed how it is building a carbon market that can support postwar recovery and strengthen its ability to withstand future conflict. What are … Continue reading Even under the pressure of war, Ukraine remains able to build a sustainable future →

Energy in Demand News, January 11-12, 2026

The Trump Administration has walked away from any effort to address climate change or clean energy technologies, at the national and international levels. Most recently the US announced its withdrawal from virtually all the relevant international organisations (see the first two posts below). Yet, the impact of climate change is being felt in the US. … Continue reading Energy in Demand News, January 11-12, 2026 →