More than 1,500 legal actions have already been brought against fossil fuel companies

More legal actions are likely to be successful, as new science was making it possible to attribute the damages of climate breakdown more directly to companies’ activities. Fiona Harvey discusses this new research in an article on The Guardian website. New climate science could cause wave of litigation against businesses – study Businesses could … Continue reading More than 1,500 legal actions have already been brought against fossil fuel companies →

Market forces will see oil majors forced to adopt more climate-friendly investment strategies

While lawsuits may add public pressure, the courts aren’t the major forces of change right now. Paul Griffin, Distinguished Professor of Management at the University of California, Davis writes on The Conversation website that investors and the markets now hold more power that will lead to significant change. A court ruling on Shell’s climate … Continue reading Market forces will see oil majors forced to adopt more climate-friendly investment strategies →

The day Big Oil discovered that the makeup of its board could be changed against its will

This appears to have been a David versus Goliath moment. An upstart environmentally-minded hedge fund outmanoeuvred the directors of ExxonMobil to gain seats on the board. Nils Pratley explains in an article on the Guardian website how they did it. How did a green, newbie hedge fund out-play Exxon so comprehensively? In the short … Continue reading The day Big Oil discovered that the makeup of its board could be changed against its will →

Climate change: “We see a growing gap between the rhetoric and what is happing in the energy markets”

The International Energy Agency says massive investment shift is needed in the next decade to get to net zero in 2050. Steven Mufson discusses the recent IEA study in an article on the Washington Post website. A ‘narrow’ pathway to a net zero future for greenhouse gases, IEA says To limit climate change, by … Continue reading Climate change: “We see a growing gap between the rhetoric and what is happing in the energy markets” →

Energy transition? Many countries still actively subsidise fossil fuel extraction and use

Despite an agreement at the G20 in 2009 to eliminate fossil fuel subsidies, the US, China and Russia alone spent US$909 billion (£656 billion) on them in 2017, the most recent year available – that’s nearly 40% more than in 2009. Neil McCulloch, Associate Fellow of Political Economy at the Institute of Development Studies and … Continue reading Energy transition? Many countries still actively subsidise fossil fuel extraction and use →

Air pollution from burning fossil fuels is causing more than twice as many deaths as thought, a study has found

A recent study has shown that fine particle pollution is having a a greater health cost than previously thought. The authors said that the higher number was due to better understanding of the impacts of fine particles thanks to studies which tracked large groups of people over time and compared pollution levels where they lived … Continue reading Air pollution from burning fossil fuels is causing more than twice as many deaths as thought, a study has found →

Methane is leaking out of the more than 4 million abandoned oil and gas wells in the United States and Canada

While we are appreciating the harm coming from methane emissions, it is of concern that the US and Canada are underestimating the methane coming from abandoned oil and gas wells. Nichola Groom discusses in an article on the Reuters website. U.S. and Canada underestimating climate risk from abandoned oil and gas wells Methane leaking … Continue reading Methane is leaking out of the more than 4 million abandoned oil and gas wells in the United States and Canada →

US President-elect Biden will have his challenges on fracking when his administration takes office

Laura Sanicola writes on the Reuters website about how the American Petroleum Institute will do everything possible to ensure Biden does not fulfil his promise to ban new gas and oil permits on federal lands. No one said the energy transition would be easy. U.S. oil industry group pledges to fight possible Biden fracking … Continue reading US President-elect Biden will have his challenges on fracking when his administration takes office →

New EEA data available from on GHG emissions from transport fuels

Achieving the 2020 target to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from transport fuels remains problematic for most European Union Member States according to the latest reported data up to 2018 released by the European Environment Agency (EEA) this week. Still insufficient progress in making transport fuels more climate friendly, latest EEA data show The … Continue reading New EEA data available from on GHG emissions from transport fuels →

New IISD report: G20 backtracks on fossil fuel funding phase-out

G20 governments are still spending more than half a trillion USD on oil, gas, and coal each year—and the pandemic has likely undone any progress on phasing out this support. In Doubling Back and Doubling Down: G20 Scorecard on Fossil Fuel Funding, researchers considered recovery commitments and pre-pandemic policies to rank G20 countries' progress in … Continue reading New IISD report: G20 backtracks on fossil fuel funding phase-out →