Calling for greater energy efficiency to reduce EU dependence on Russian fossil fuels

Initiatives to improve energy efficiency can reduce the EU’s dependence on Russian fossil fuels. They can also help increase the union’s influence in the global south. Mats Engstrom discusses the issues in an article on the European Council on Foreign Relations website. Efficient influence: Energy initiatives for a geopolitical Europe Russia’s brutal war on … Continue reading Calling for greater energy efficiency to reduce EU dependence on Russian fossil fuels →

New EEA briefings: Europe not on track to reach 2030 targets for municipal waste recycling

The European Union (EU) circular economy action plan aims to halve the amount of municipal waste in the EU that is not recycled by 2030. According to a European Environment Agency (EEA) briefing, published this week, achieving this target requires both reducing waste generation and considerably increasing recycling, possibly even beyond the binding recycling target … Continue reading New EEA briefings: Europe not on track to reach 2030 targets for municipal waste recycling →

One African’s view of the recent IPCC report

Victor Ongoma, Assistant Professor at Université Mohammed VI Polytechnique in Morocco writes on The Conversation website about his views on the latest IPCC report published this week. Climate change report: what we must do to avert the looming crisis Climate change is a threat to all aspects of our lives. Every degree of global warming … Continue reading One African’s view of the recent IPCC report →

Five IPCC contributors give their views on the latest report published this week

The latest IPCC report has received considerable attention since being published April 4th, as it should. Thomas Wiedmann, Professor of Sustainability Research, UNSW Sydney; Arunima Malik, Senior Lecturer in Sustainability at the University of Sydney; Glen Peters, Research Director, Center for International Climate and Environment Research – Oslo; Jacqueline Peel, Director, Melbourne Climate Futures, The … Continue reading Five IPCC contributors give their views on the latest report published this week →

Not to miss: energy efficiency events coming soon

So we see that in-person networking is finally coming back and there are important energy efficiency events coming soon in Europe and Australia. This will be the first time they have been held in person since 2019. Given the importance of energy efficiency in our energy and climate strategies, it is important that they are … Continue reading Not to miss: energy efficiency events coming soon →

New publication from OECD: Decarbonising Buildings in Cities and Regions

Accounting for nearly 40% of global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, and sometimes up to 70% in large cities, buildings are central to the low-carbon transition. Decarbonising buildings, especially older stock, through energy efficiency improvements and renewable energy use not only reduces carbon emissions, but also generates co-benefits in health, energy affordability and the labour market. … Continue reading New publication from OECD: Decarbonising Buildings in Cities and Regions →

New EEA briefing: Europe’s air quality status 2022

Ninety-six percent of Europe’s urban population was exposed to fine particulate matter above the health-based guidelines set by the World Health Organization (WHO), according to the latest annual European Environment Agency (EEA) air quality assessment published this week Vast majority of Europe’s urban population remains exposed to unsafe levels of air pollution Despite a … Continue reading New EEA briefing: Europe’s air quality status 2022 →

If ESG is to live up to its potential, we’re still a long way from making it meaningful

In an article on The Conversation website, Marc Lepere, PhD Candidate in Political Economy at King's College London discusses many of the concerns about the Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) label. Fortunately, there is hope for the future. Green investing: the global system for rating companies’ ethical credentials is meaningless As the war in Ukraine … Continue reading If ESG is to live up to its potential, we’re still a long way from making it meaningful →

As governments redirect emergency aid to Ukraine, they need to find additional funds for climate finance and not pitch the two crises against each other

Mattias Söderberg, chief advisor at humanitarian NGO DanChurchAid, provides his views on the need to keep financing climate change in an article on the Climate Change News website. Climate finance should not be made to compete with aid to Ukraine A little over four months ago, ministers from developed countries attending the Cop26 UN … Continue reading As governments redirect emergency aid to Ukraine, they need to find additional funds for climate finance and not pitch the two crises against each other →

Ukrainian climate scientists will try to take part in global talks to produce the next major climate change report even while they shelter from missile attacks and prepare to fight for their country

Climate scientist Svitlana Krakovska and her colleagues are sheltering from bombs in Kyiv but still trying to work on the upcoming IPCC report. One has to admire their dedication, given the situation. Madeleine Cuff explains in an article on the inews website. ‘We still exist and resist’: Ukrainian climate scientists to press on with … Continue reading Ukrainian climate scientists will try to take part in global talks to produce the next major climate change report even while they shelter from missile attacks and prepare to fight for their country →