One local authority’s launch of a retrofit academy to create jobs address skill shortages

Martin Guttridge-Hewitt writes on the Environmental Journal website about the initiative of Essex County Council in England to develop a training pipeline in order to plug a skill shortage in the region. They were faced with 68% of the local homes with an EPC rating of D or below and they seriously needed an upgrading. … Continue reading One local authority’s launch of a retrofit academy to create jobs address skill shortages →

New report by ACEEE: Indiana should decarbonise steel and aluminum facilities to protect local jobs

This is important for EiD readers to see the interest and need to decarbonise Indiana’s industrial base. While the report recommends strategies to decarbonise, will they actually be realised? It will be interesting to follow the progress of the next steps. The state of Indiana has a strong industrial job base, but the state’s … Continue reading New report by ACEEE: Indiana should decarbonise steel and aluminum facilities to protect local jobs →

Do phrases like “global boiling” actually help drive us towards faster and more effective climate action? Or do they risk making us prone to climate doomism, and risk prompting a backlash?

It has been widely reported that UN Secretary General António Guterres declared last week that the era of “global boiling” has arrived. Is this a help or a hindrance? Noel Castree, Professor of Society & Environment at the University of Technology Sydney discusses the impact of such phrases in an article on The Conversation website. … Continue reading Do phrases like “global boiling” actually help drive us towards faster and more effective climate action? Or do they risk making us prone to climate doomism, and risk prompting a backlash? →

The sooner the oil industry starts facing up to the realities of climate change, the more chance it has to survive

Adi Imsirovic, Fellow at the University of Surrey writes on The Conversation website that we are in trouble since the oil and gas industry remains largely in climate denial. What are your views? The oil industry has succumbed to a dangerous new climate denialism If we have not been warned of the dangers of … Continue reading The sooner the oil industry starts facing up to the realities of climate change, the more chance it has to survive →

“Dwindling appetite for green legislation” affecting roll out of European Green Deal

At a time when we need more ambitious plans and implementation to address major concerns arising from climate change, there is an undoubted backlash for many reasons that could seriously leave us well short of the impact we need for our mitigation actions. Kira Taylor discusses latest developments in an article on the EURACTIV website. … Continue reading “Dwindling appetite for green legislation” affecting roll out of European Green Deal →

Energy in Demand News, July 30, 2023

Energy in Demand News… July 30, 2023 No one said the zero carbon energy transition would be easy. This week there have been some interesting news related to making progress: A Financial Times newsletter noted that the energy transition could hinge on recycling because of a shortage of needed metals such as copper, nickel and … Continue reading Energy in Demand News, July 30, 2023 →

The need for addressing embodied carbon in our buildings

An efficient EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive must look out for the reduction of ‘whole life carbon emissions’ in order to achieve Europe’s climate goals, writes Zsolt Toth from BPIE in an article on the EURACTIV website. Just published is a PhD thesis by Jane Anderson on on 'Reducing Embodied Carbon in the Built … Continue reading The need for addressing embodied carbon in our buildings →

Energy ministers failed to agree on phasing down fossil fuels and setting ambitious renewable energy targets at recent G20 meeting

The world’s largest economies failed to agree on targets to phase down fossil fuels and scale up renewables. What sort of impact will this have on upcoming COP28 later this year? Matteo Civillini and Reuters discuss latest developments in an article on the Climate Change News website. G20 divisions over key climate goals pile … Continue reading Energy ministers failed to agree on phasing down fossil fuels and setting ambitious renewable energy targets at recent G20 meeting →

While household air conditioning is one of the “most effective adaptation strategies to reduce heat-related mortality and morbidity,” it can also be an unsustainable and problematic solution to extreme heat

Emily Chung writes on the CBC News website about the benefits and costs of air conditioning in extreme heat. Passive cooling, greenery, behaviour changes are more sustainable, researchers say. Why air conditioners can be a problematic solution to extreme heat As extreme heat hits many parts of the world amid a warming climate, millions … Continue reading While household air conditioning is one of the “most effective adaptation strategies to reduce heat-related mortality and morbidity,” it can also be an unsustainable and problematic solution to extreme heat →

Even when the carbon captured by new trees is taken into account, wood consumption accounts for about one-tenth of the world’s annual GHG emissions

Little is understood about the emissions from harvesting wood. Max Graham writes on the National Observer website about a new report that discusses the impact of the forest industry. Even when the carbon captured by new trees is taken into account, wood consumption accounts for about one-tenth of the world’s annual GHG emissions. There are … Continue reading Even when the carbon captured by new trees is taken into account, wood consumption accounts for about one-tenth of the world’s annual GHG emissions →