Energy in Demand News, September 24, 2023

The UN Climate Ambition Summit was held this week, and there were great expectations that this would be the occasion when the world’s leaders would finally understand that it was their most critical priority to address the climate crisis. Yet at the summit, UN Secretary General António Guterres could not hold back his concerns: “Humanity … Continue reading Energy in Demand News, September 24, 2023 →

Yes, there are ways to help renters improve the energy performance of their homes, so why aren’t they implemented?

Andrew Warren, Chairman of the British Energy Efficiency Federation, writes in the September issue of Energy in Buildings & Industry about an important energy efficiency initiative in Britain that is agonisingly slow to get off the ground. An initiative to improve the energy efficiency of Britain’s rented homes, begun 12 years ago, shows no sign … Continue reading Yes, there are ways to help renters improve the energy performance of their homes, so why aren’t they implemented? →

Forecasts call for an increasing demand for oil even though electric vehicles are growing faster than expected around the world

Robert Brecha, Professor of Sustainability at the University of Dayton questions on The Conversation website why the US is still forecasting oil demand growth, when so many of the indicators lead in the other direction. EV sales growth points to oil demand peaking by 2030 − so why is the oil industry doubling down … Continue reading Forecasts call for an increasing demand for oil even though electric vehicles are growing faster than expected around the world →

British PM and the net zero transition – lessons from history about flip-flopping on the environment

This has been a very interesting week in climate policy in Britain, with the British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, defied official advice and rolled back on the net zero timetable. Marc Hudson, Visiting Fellow, Science Policy at the University of Sussex writes on The Conversation website giving us a history lesson on the experience of … Continue reading British PM and the net zero transition – lessons from history about flip-flopping on the environment →

Energy in Demand News, September 17, 2023

The Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTI) is undergoing some changes. SBTI show companies how much and how quickly businesses need to reduce their GHG emissions to prevent the worst impacts of climate change, leading them on a clear path towards decarbonisation. By guiding companies in science-based target setting, SBTi enables them to tackle climate change … Continue reading Energy in Demand News, September 17, 2023 →

What would it take to make aviation green in the EU?

The European Parliament gave the green light on September 13th to new rules that will increase the quantity of sustainable jet fuel in flights departing from EU airports, marking a major step towards reducing emissions from the notoriously carbon-intensive transport mode. At the behest of the Parliament, an EU label outlining the environmental performance of … Continue reading What would it take to make aviation green in the EU? →

Today’s trade rules are ill-suited for the climate crisis

In an article on The Conversation website, Noah Kaufman, Chris Bataille, Gautam Jain and Sagatom Saha from Columbia University discuss the need to fix global trade rules to try to fix climate change. The US broke global trade rules to try to fix climate change – to finish the job, it has to fix … Continue reading Today’s trade rules are ill-suited for the climate crisis →

Europe needs a green industrial policy

As the European elections draw near, Paris and Berlin should move towards a common European approach to industrial policy – with three key elements: vision, funding, and governance, argue Sabine Nallinger and Thomas Pellerin-Carlin in an article on the EURACTIV website. Sabine Nallinger is managing director of Stiftung KlimaWirtschaft, a German CEO alliance of more … Continue reading Europe needs a green industrial policy →

Energy in Demand News, September 10, 2023

This weekend’s G20 Summit in New Delhi has the theme “One Earth · One Family · One Future” (drawn from the ancient Sanskrit text of the Maha Upanishad) which is quite fitting, given the range of topics being covered. There have been discussions regarding strategies to tackle the challenges presented by climate change. Developing nations … Continue reading Energy in Demand News, September 10, 2023 →

Chasm between climate action and scientific reality laid bare in UN stocktake

The chasm between the climate action being taken and the emissions cuts required is set out bluntly in the new “global stocktake” report from the UN, produced in collaboration with nations. In an article on the Guardian website, Fiona Harvey discusses a major UN report that argues that governments are failing to cut emissions fast … Continue reading Chasm between climate action and scientific reality laid bare in UN stocktake →