New IPCC report shows we now have hard choices to make

The IPCC assessment offers a stark choice: Does humanity accept this disastrous status quo and the uncertain, unpleasant future it is leading toward, or does it grab the reins and choose a better future? One of the authors of the report, Edward R. Carr, Professor and Director, International Development, Community, and Environment at Clark University … Continue reading New IPCC report shows we now have hard choices to make →

How to improve ESG accounting

ESG accounting is a mess. Competing initiatives mean there’s no uniform set of standards for measuring a company’s progress on sustainability. The good news is that a new initiative, the International Sustainability Standards Board, promises to do for sustainability reporting what the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) does for financial reporting — develop standards for … Continue reading How to improve ESG accounting →

Fuel poverty: new report compares approaches to energy affordability in the EU and Australia

The EU and Australia have important similarities when it comes to the energy sector, such as a vast grid that crosses jurisdictions and shared governance arrangements. A new report shows what the EU and Australia can learn from each other as they address fuel poverty. Sangeetha Chandrashekeran, Senior Research Fellow, Australian Research Council Centre of … Continue reading Fuel poverty: new report compares approaches to energy affordability in the EU and Australia →

IPCC: New climate change report to sound warning on impacts

This coming week, the IPCC will be publishing its second of three major reports. The study will focus heavily on regional impacts as well as on cities and coastal communities. Matt McGrath previews the findings in an article on the BBC News website. A new report on the impacts of climate change will likely … Continue reading IPCC: New climate change report to sound warning on impacts →

What does the Energy Charter Treaty have to do with the Ukraine crisis?

The German government has been worried about being sued by the fossil fuel companies behind the Russian gas pipeline. This potential litigation is due to the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT). Yamina Saheb, a friend of EiD used to head the ECT’s energy efficiency unit and is now an energy policy analyst at the OpenExp think … Continue reading What does the Energy Charter Treaty have to do with the Ukraine crisis? →

New EEA briefing on breaches of EU air quality standards

Breaches of EU air quality limits for nitrogen dioxide across Europe were predominantly due to road traffic, while domestic heating lay behind the majority of exceedances for particulate matter, according to a European Environment Agency (EEA) assessment on air quality plans published this week. Emissions from road traffic and domestic heating behind breaches of … Continue reading New EEA briefing on breaches of EU air quality standards →

Heat pumps show there is life beyond gas boilers

Heat pumps and solar thermal systems are keeping users all across Europe well in their comfort zones – physically, financially, and environmentally. The latest Coolproducts analysis reveals that 88% of European users are satisfied with the switch to renewable heating. Heat pumps perform successfully across Europe – New consumer analysis There is life beyond … Continue reading Heat pumps show there is life beyond gas boilers →

New EEA analysis of economic losses and fatalities from weather and climate-related events

Extreme weather events like storms, heatwaves and flooding accounted for economic losses of around half a trillion euros over the past 40 years and led to between 85 000 and 145 000 human fatalities across Europe. Less than one-third of these losses were insured, according to a European Environment Agency (EEA) analysis of economic losses … Continue reading New EEA analysis of economic losses and fatalities from weather and climate-related events →

The price of European carbon allowances (EUAs) is not yet high enough to drive structural decarbonisation

With high energy prices dominating the political agenda and politicians in certain EU member states training their sights on the bloc's carbon market, there is one salient fact being missed in all the hubbub: ETS emissions likely increased by 6% in 2021, and are set to rise further again this year. Self-evidently, this means that … Continue reading The price of European carbon allowances (EUAs) is not yet high enough to drive structural decarbonisation →

New study highlighting “vast energy inequality” between rich and poor countries points to “climate hypocrisy”

A recent study found that each Briton produces 200 times the climate emissions of the average Congolese person, with people in the US producing 585 times as much. Yet, as recently as COP26, there was lots of hand-wringing by rich countries about the extent to which aid and other development finance should finance fossil fuels … Continue reading New study highlighting “vast energy inequality” between rich and poor countries points to “climate hypocrisy” →