When I worked at the International Energy Agency in the 1980s, we were discussing how Britain had to give more attention to improving the energy performance of its building stock, given how poor quality they were overall. In 1990, the then Department of Environment even published an excellent report of a survey on “Attitudes to … Continue reading What does it take to improve the energy performance of Britain’s homes?
Category: financial instruments
Concerns about widespread lapses in climate risk reporting found in company accounts
Over 70% of some of world’s biggest corporate emitters failed to disclose the effects of climate risk in 2020 financial statements. 80% of their auditors showed no evidence of assessing climate risk when reporting. The report is discussed in an article on the Carbon Tracker website. Flying blind: The glaring absence of climate risks … Continue reading Concerns about widespread lapses in climate risk reporting found in company accounts
Governments around the world gave 20% more in overseas aid funding to fossil fuel projects in 2019 and 2020 than to programmes to cut the air pollution they cause
Air pollution kills more than malaria, HIV/Aids and TB combined but receives only 1% of development aid. Damian Carrington discusses how poorly air pollution is addressed in an article on The Guardian website. More global aid goes to fossil fuel projects than tackling dirty air – study Governments around the world gave 20% more … Continue reading Governments around the world gave 20% more in overseas aid funding to fossil fuel projects in 2019 and 2020 than to programmes to cut the air pollution they cause
Important step forward in funding renewable energy development in Africa
UK Climate Investments is setting up Africa’s first dedicated renewable energy yieldco. A yieldco is a company that is formed to own operating assets that produce a predictable cash flow, primarily through long term contracts. Bella Weetch writes on the Energy Global website about latest developments. UK Climate Investments to support renewable energy development … Continue reading Important step forward in funding renewable energy development in Africa
EBRD advances first loan to support renovation of residential multi-apartment buildings in Lithuania
Addressing a core issue in the effort to improve the use of energy in Lithuania, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is lending €67.5 million to support an innovative scheme to scale up renovation of residential multi-apartment buildings – its largest direct investment in renovating privately owned buildings in the country, according to … Continue reading EBRD advances first loan to support renovation of residential multi-apartment buildings in Lithuania
How much climate change harms economies will depend a lot on how financial regulators and central banks react
Garth Heutel, Givi Melkadze and Stefano Carattini from Georgia State University write on The Conversation website about the important role central banks can play to avoid a financial crisis triggered by climate change. They conclude that central banks will have roles to play as countries try to manage climate change going forward. In particular, prudent … Continue reading How much climate change harms economies will depend a lot on how financial regulators and central banks react
What it takes to urgently improve the energy efficiency of Britain’s housing stock
With some of the worst levels of energy efficiency in Europe, Britain’s housing stock is in urgent need of a plan to encompass wishes, grants to alleviate fuel poverty as well as installer training. Andrew Warren, chairman of the British Energy Efficiency Federation, provides his views in his column for the July/August issue of Energy … Continue reading What it takes to urgently improve the energy efficiency of Britain’s housing stock
Impact of environmental taxes in the UK
A report from the UK National Audit Office acknowledges the benefits of taxation on organisations but questions what specific effects they achieve. Andrew Warren, chairman of the British Energy Efficiency Federation, discusses the issues in an article in the April 2021 issue of Energy in Buildings & Industry. Environmental taxes work – but we’re … Continue reading Impact of environmental taxes in the UK
In its first economy-wide climate stress test, the European Central Bank assessed the impact of climate change on four million companies and 2,000 banks in the bloc
Gurpreet Narwan writes on The Times website about the first economy-wide climate stress test by the ECB on companies and banks in the European Union. European Central Bank environment stress test shows polluters at risk Climate change poses “a major source of systemic risk” to the economy, the European Central Bank has warned after … Continue reading In its first economy-wide climate stress test, the European Central Bank assessed the impact of climate change on four million companies and 2,000 banks in the bloc
Paying for a service to accelerate deployment of energy-efficient technologies
Although energy-efficient technologies are available and their economic benefits are clear, there are several barriers that prevent these from being deployed, including high up-front costs, perception of greater performance risk, and other investment priorities. Dimitris Karamitsos writes on the weforum website about a way to overcome those barriers through servitisation. What is servitisation, and … Continue reading Paying for a service to accelerate deployment of energy-efficient technologies
