Companies increasing fossil fuel production are contradicting goals to stop the planet heating according to head of IEA

International Energy Agency executive director Fatih Birol tells Ajit Niranjan of Deutsche Welle that existing oil fields, gas wells and coal mines are "more than enough" if the world is serious about its climate goals. IEA chief slams climate 'contradictions' from oil companies The head of the powerful International Energy Agency (IEA), a Paris-based … Continue reading Companies increasing fossil fuel production are contradicting goals to stop the planet heating according to head of IEA →

We need “no-regrets solutions” to address the climate transition

Decarbonising industry will be require to change equipment but also promote technical progress in clean alternatives while encouraging citizens and companies to reduce their consumption. Philippe Escande discusses the challenges in a column on the Le Monde website. 'The climate transition is a transformation similar in magnitude to past industrial revolutions' The ArcelorMittal steel … Continue reading We need “no-regrets solutions” to address the climate transition →

The world’s existing fleet of coal-fired plants grew by 19.5GW last year, of which more than half was commissioned in China

The world needs to stop building new plants and close existing ones at almost five times the current rate to meet Paris agreement goals. In order to meet the Paris climate agreement, all coal-fired plants need to be closed by 2040 and no new ones can come online but such is not the case at … Continue reading The world’s existing fleet of coal-fired plants grew by 19.5GW last year, of which more than half was commissioned in China →

Owners of the 140 distilleries in Scotland have pledged, voluntarily, to transform the industry and make their operations “net-zero”

Making Scotch whisky can be a dirty business — an energy-intensive, carbon-spewing, peat-burning industry, mostly owned by multinational conglomerates that ship their $50-plus bottles to swells around the world. William Booth writes on the Washington Post website about how the industry in Scotland has committed to reach “net zero.” In Scotland, making whisky with … Continue reading Owners of the 140 distilleries in Scotland have pledged, voluntarily, to transform the industry and make their operations “net-zero” →

Britain’s energy transition: looking at its building stock, the challenges are daunting to meet the net-zero target

Thursday, March 30th, the UK government announced its net-zero strategy and you can get the main elements of it here in an article on the Guardian website. Jillian Ambrose wrote a very important background article on Monday on the Guardian website, focusing on the negligible progress made in improving the energy efficiency of its building … Continue reading Britain’s energy transition: looking at its building stock, the challenges are daunting to meet the net-zero target →

European Council and Parliament reach provisional deal on renewable energy directive

The Council and the Parliament negotiators this week reached a provisional political agreement to raise the share of renewable energy in the EU’s overall energy consumption to 42.5% by 2030 with an additional 2.5% indicative top up that would allow to reach 45%. Each member state will contribute to this common target. This provisional political agreement will now … Continue reading European Council and Parliament reach provisional deal on renewable energy directive →

Member states should take more responsibility for meeting the targets of the EU buildings directive

Aneta Zachová writes on the EURACTIV website about the views of energy-saving construction expert Petr Holub that the onus for meeting targets from the EPBD should be on member states and not individual owners. Do you have any views on this? Czech expert: EU Building Directive targets should be met by states, not owners … Continue reading Member states should take more responsibility for meeting the targets of the EU buildings directive →

Is carbon dioxide capture and storage an important tool for slowing climate change?

Nils Markusson, Lecturer in Environmental Politics at Lancaster University writes on The Conversation website about the possible impact of CCS on addressing climate change. Does carbon capture and storage hype delay emissions cuts? Here’s what research shows Is carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS) an important tool for slowing climate change, or merely a … Continue reading Is carbon dioxide capture and storage an important tool for slowing climate change? →

What the new head of the World Bank needs to cope with

Rachel Kyte, Dean of the Fletcher School, Tufts University, writes on The Conversation website about what the next head of the World Bank needs to do to address our climate and debit crises. It should be noted that Ajay Banga is the only candidate for World Bank president. Can this former CEO fix the … Continue reading What the new head of the World Bank needs to cope with →

“We are not fully in agreement yet” – Germany facing a growing backlash inside the EU over its U-turn on a law to phase out the combustion engine in new cars by 2035

The row is a further signal of tensions over the green deal landmark proposals to tackle climate crisis. In an article on the Guardian website, Jennifer Rankin and Philip Oltermann discuss what happened in this week’s meetings in Brussels. Germany faces EU backlash over U-turn on phasing out combustion engine Germany is facing a … Continue reading “We are not fully in agreement yet” – Germany facing a growing backlash inside the EU over its U-turn on a law to phase out the combustion engine in new cars by 2035 →