New EEA briefing analyses the pandemic’s effect on the use of certain single-use plastics products

The coronavirus pandemic has challenged European societies in many ways. The European Environment Agency’s (EEA) briefing, published recently, analyses the pandemic’s effect on the use of certain single-use plastics products, which cause GHG and other emissions and can end up littering the environment. It also brings useful lessons to improve our response to future disruptive … Continue reading New EEA briefing analyses the pandemic’s effect on the use of certain single-use plastics products →

To meet its climate goals under the Paris Agreement, India will have to further ramp up its efforts to decarbonise the industrial sector

The road to India’s prosperity has its own set of obstacles and challenges. While industries are the growth engines of our country’s economic development, they are also highly energy-intensive. To meet its climate goals under the Paris Agreement, India will have to further ramp up its efforts to decarbonise the industrial sector. That work has … Continue reading To meet its climate goals under the Paris Agreement, India will have to further ramp up its efforts to decarbonise the industrial sector →

One expert’s views on how to design a successful carbon trading scheme

As India contemplates the creation of a domestic emissions trading scheme, a number of things should be kept in mind. Mahua Acharya, MD & CEO, Convergence Energy Services Limited provides his views in an article on the Financial Express website. Carbon Trading: New emission-markets for a new decade As the world gets closer to … Continue reading One expert’s views on how to design a successful carbon trading scheme →

Fitting giant sails to cargo ships could reduce their GHG emissions by at least 30 %

Graeme Paton writes on The Times website about the GHG emissions that could be reduced by retrofitting sails on ships. The UK government announced this week that emissions from international shipping would be included in the UK’s climate change targets so obviously people are looking at creative ways to mitigate emissions. Attaching giant sails … Continue reading Fitting giant sails to cargo ships could reduce their GHG emissions by at least 30 % →

Bitcoin and other digital currencies come with astonishing environmental costs

The company’s stock market arrival establishes Bitcoin and other digital currencies in the traditional financial landscape. It also elevates a technology with astonishing environmental costs. Hiroko Tabuchi discusses the energy implications in an article on the New York Times website. In Coinbase’s Rise, a Reminder: Cryptocurrencies Use Lots of Energy The stock market debut … Continue reading Bitcoin and other digital currencies come with astonishing environmental costs →

New EEA studies on the most environmentally friendly modes of motorised passenger transport in Europe

Train travel remains overall the most environmentally friendly mode of motorised passenger transport in Europe — in terms of GHG emissions — as compared to travelling by car or plane, according to two transport and environment studies published by the European Environment Agency (EEA) this week. Motorised transport: train, plane, road or boat — … Continue reading New EEA studies on the most environmentally friendly modes of motorised passenger transport in Europe →

Is hydrogen the silver bullet for reaching net zero emissions?

Tom Baxter, Honorary Senior Lecturer in Chemical Engineering at the University of Aberdeen asks an important question in an article on The Conversation website: hydrogen presents a compelling case for its widespread use to support net zero. So, what’s not to like about it? With the UK coming out with its hydrogen strategy soon, Baxter … Continue reading Is hydrogen the silver bullet for reaching net zero emissions? →

Too many companies may be relying on offsetting their emissions through carbon credits rather than cutting their own

Emily Gosden writes on The Times website about a recent study that shows most businesses need to go further to improve the credibility of their targets and their plans for meeting them to avoid accusations of “greenwashing”. Out of the 2,000 largest publicly traded companies by sales, 417 have set net zero goals, the report … Continue reading Too many companies may be relying on offsetting their emissions through carbon credits rather than cutting their own →

Making shipping ports more sustainable

This week with the Suez Canal blocked by a giant container ship (400 metres long), our thoughts turn to the sustainability of shipping. One element of shipping are the ports and Tony Robert Walker and Michelle Adams both of Dalhousie University in Canada write on The Conversation website about how ports can become more sustainable. … Continue reading Making shipping ports more sustainable →

Guaranteeing that the future of steelmaking will be low-carbon requires action now

Our carbon neutral energy transition requires a lot of effort and imagination and there are many challenges in energy-intensive industries. Stephen Carr, Lecturer in Energy Physics, from the University of South Wales provides his views on how to eliminate emissions in steelmaking in an article on The Conversation website. Steel is vital to the … Continue reading Guaranteeing that the future of steelmaking will be low-carbon requires action now →