New EEA briefing: Europe’s air quality status 2022

Ninety-six percent of Europe’s urban population was exposed to fine particulate matter above the health-based guidelines set by the World Health Organization (WHO), according to the latest annual European Environment Agency (EEA) air quality assessment published this week   Vast majority of Europe’s urban population remains exposed to unsafe levels of air pollution Despite a … Continue reading New EEA briefing: Europe’s air quality status 2022

New report commissioned by IISD: Phaseout Pathways for Fossil Fuel Production Within Paris-Compliant Carbon Budgets

There is a growing consensus that, to align with the Paris goals, coal must be phased out from power generation (its most significant use) by 2030 in developed countries and by 2040 or 2050 in developing countries. But what about oil and gas? The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) commissioned the Tyndall Centre at … Continue reading New report commissioned by IISD: Phaseout Pathways for Fossil Fuel Production Within Paris-Compliant Carbon Budgets

Germany’s challenges to keep on its energy transition pathway

Trevelyan Wing, Centre Researcher and PhD Candidate, Cambridge Centre for Environment, Energy and Natural Resource Governance (CEENRG at the, University of Cambridge writes on The Conversation website about how the energy supply crisis and the war in Ukraine are causing difficulties for the German federal government to keep to its ambitious policy agenda. What are … Continue reading Germany’s challenges to keep on its energy transition pathway

Ukrainian climate scientists will try to take part in global talks to produce the next major climate change report even while they shelter from missile attacks and prepare to fight for their country

Climate scientist Svitlana Krakovska and her colleagues are sheltering from bombs in Kyiv but still trying to work on the upcoming IPCC report. One has to admire their dedication, given the situation. Madeleine Cuff explains in an article on the inews website.   ‘We still exist and resist’: Ukrainian climate scientists to press on with … Continue reading Ukrainian climate scientists will try to take part in global talks to produce the next major climate change report even while they shelter from missile attacks and prepare to fight for their country

The Australian government has won an appeal against a ruling that it has a duty of care to protect children from harm caused by climate change

Last year, eight teenagers and an 87-year-old nun convinced a court that the government had a legal duty to children when assessing fossil fuel projects. The decision was hailed as a world first, but it has been successfully challenged by the environment minister. The situation is discussed in a news item on the BBC News … Continue reading The Australian government has won an appeal against a ruling that it has a duty of care to protect children from harm caused by climate change

Important new reports from EC Joint Research Centre

The European Commission’s Joint Research Centre has recently published two important reports.   Mobilizing citizens to invest in energy efficiency One example of a way for citizens to contribute to the low-carbon energy transition is by investing in energy efficiency (EE). However, there are still multiple barriers that make the socially optimal level of adoption … Continue reading Important new reports from EC Joint Research Centre

The chemicals sector has largely slipped under the radar when it comes to climate

The chemicals sector is quite complicated. Only about half of the fossil fuels that the industry consumes are burned for their energy. The rest is used as feedstock for products such as plastics with the emissions released only when these products reach the end of their lives, for example, when waste plastic packaging or an … Continue reading The chemicals sector has largely slipped under the radar when it comes to climate

While energy efficiency is the central pillar of France’s low carbon strategy, there is still need to accelerate its clean energy transition according to IEA

The International Energy Agency has published its review of energy policies of France. It is a comprehensive review that examines all aspects of energy policy. The last review of French energy policies was in 2015. France has helped guide international efforts to tackle climate change, but it needs to accelerate key parts of its energy … Continue reading While energy efficiency is the central pillar of France’s low carbon strategy, there is still need to accelerate its clean energy transition according to IEA

European Climate Foundation explains the bewildering different approaches to taxonomies

ECF Strategic Communications Manager/Sustainable Finance, Alba Málaga Homs, provides a helpful communication to sort through national approaches to what counts as green finance.   While the European Union considers adopting a sustainable finance taxonomy that classifies fossil gas as a green investment, Russia and China have stepped forward and recently adopted more ambitious initiatives that exclude all … Continue reading European Climate Foundation explains the bewildering different approaches to taxonomies

Fossil fuel industry repositioning itself as a “carbon management industry”

The fossil fuel industry is now shifting to a new strategy: presenting itself as the source of solutions. This repositioning includes rebranding itself as a “carbon management industry.” This strategic pivot was on display at the recent COP26 in Glasgow. June Sekera, Senior Research Fellow, Visiting Scholar at The New School and Neva Goodwin, Co-Director, … Continue reading Fossil fuel industry repositioning itself as a “carbon management industry”