Fossil fuel companies have access to an obscure legal tool – the investor-state dispute settlement – that could jeopardise worldwide efforts to protect the climate

If you do a search on the EiD website for the Energy Charter, you will see many posts that show the Energy Charter Treaty could undermine efforts of the Paris climate agreement. Rachel Thrasher, Law Lecturer and Researcher at the Boston University Global Development Policy Center, Boston University; Blake Alexander Simmons, Postdoctoral Research Fellow in … Continue reading Fossil fuel companies have access to an obscure legal tool – the investor-state dispute settlement – that could jeopardise worldwide efforts to protect the climate →

Energy-as-a-service (EaaS) can help to implement energy efficiency worldwide

In an article on the Sustainability Times website, April Miller discusses the energy efficiency gap and how EaaS can help close the gap. What are your views? EaaS solutions can address the energy efficiency gap The energy sector helps the world go round, but that heavy power usage takes a toll on the planet. … Continue reading Energy-as-a-service (EaaS) can help to implement energy efficiency worldwide →

New UN group to scrutinise companies’ pledges to cut planet-heating GHG emissions

Saphora Smith writes on the Independent website about a new UN group set up to tackle greenwashing. The chair of the new group, Catherine McKenna, says: ‘I believe that most people want to do the right thing but they have to pushed.’ Hopefully this group will have some real impact. ‘Transparency is the best … Continue reading New UN group to scrutinise companies’ pledges to cut planet-heating GHG emissions →

If ESG is to live up to its potential, we’re still a long way from making it meaningful

In an article on The Conversation website, Marc Lepere, PhD Candidate in Political Economy at King's College London discusses many of the concerns about the Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) label. Fortunately, there is hope for the future. Green investing: the global system for rating companies’ ethical credentials is meaningless As the war in Ukraine … Continue reading If ESG is to live up to its potential, we’re still a long way from making it meaningful →

As governments redirect emergency aid to Ukraine, they need to find additional funds for climate finance and not pitch the two crises against each other

Mattias Söderberg, chief advisor at humanitarian NGO DanChurchAid, provides his views on the need to keep financing climate change in an article on the Climate Change News website. Climate finance should not be made to compete with aid to Ukraine A little over four months ago, ministers from developed countries attending the Cop26 UN … Continue reading As governments redirect emergency aid to Ukraine, they need to find additional funds for climate finance and not pitch the two crises against each other →

Sustainability reporting is useful to employees, customers, citizens and governments to assess the impact and sustainability of an organisation’s activities

Sustainability reporting — sometimes also referred to as environmental, social and governance (ESG) reporting — requires organisations to publicly report on a wide range of performance goals, not just profits. In an article on The Conversation website, David Cooper, Emeritus Professor of Accounting at the University of Alberta; Daniela Senkl, Assistant Professor in Accounting at … Continue reading Sustainability reporting is useful to employees, customers, citizens and governments to assess the impact and sustainability of an organisation’s activities →

Review of G20 fiscal stimulus spending counters many countries’ green pledges to ‘build back better’

Fiona Harvey gives us a wake up call to pay more attention to so-called green financing in an article on The Guardian website. Only about 6% of pandemic recovery spending has been “green”, an analysis of the $14tn that G20 countries have poured into economic stimulus. Only 6% of G20 pandemic recovery spending ‘green’, … Continue reading Review of G20 fiscal stimulus spending counters many countries’ green pledges to ‘build back better’ →

What does the Energy Charter Treaty have to do with the Ukraine crisis?

The German government has been worried about being sued by the fossil fuel companies behind the Russian gas pipeline. This potential litigation is due to the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT). Yamina Saheb, a friend of EiD used to head the ECT’s energy efficiency unit and is now an energy policy analyst at the OpenExp think … Continue reading What does the Energy Charter Treaty have to do with the Ukraine crisis? →

China’s removal of renewable energy subsidy will affect fight against climate change

China, the largest emitter of greenhouse gases, is also the largest user of energy and amid this, the country's growing population is putting pressure on Beijing to amend plans to fulfil its ever-growing energy needs. China's subsidy policy was mostly to cover excessive installation and production costs of renewable energy but the country has decided … Continue reading China’s removal of renewable energy subsidy will affect fight against climate change →

Irish government launches the National Retrofitting Scheme

The Irish government recently approved a package of supports to make it easier and more affordable for homeowners to undertake home energy upgrades, for warmer, healthier and more comfortable homes, with lower energy bills. The measures address barriers to undertaking energy upgrades (retrofits) reported by homeowners and those working in the industry. They also reflect the step-change needed – in … Continue reading Irish government launches the National Retrofitting Scheme →