Energy in Demand News, August 17-18, 2025

It was certainly disappointing that the UN negotiations for a global treaty on plastics pollution collapsed without an agreement. Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and a number of other petrostates would not budge from their long-standing refusal to agree measures that address the production of plastic, agreeing only to waste management. It is not clear when negotiations … Continue reading Energy in Demand News, August 17-18, 2025 →

Progress towards a legally binding global treaty on plastics pollution stalled and went into reverse this week

In an article on The Conversation website, Melanie MacGregor, ARC Future Fellow and Matthew Flinders Fellow in Chemistry, Flinders University gives her views on what happened in Geneva the last two weeks. The global plastics treaty process has fallen flat. Here’s what went wrong, and how you can help Progress towards a legally binding … Continue reading Progress towards a legally binding global treaty on plastics pollution stalled and went into reverse this week →

New report from the IEA 4E Technology Collaboration Programme

The IEA Technology Collaboration Programme on Energy Efficient End-Use Equipment (4E TCP) has published the report, System-level Energy Efficiency Policy Modelling and Monitoring. This report explores opportunities to improve the energy efficiency of systems using modelling and monitoring in regulations. The research methodology involved literature searches of potential example system regulations in areas such as … Continue reading New report from the IEA 4E Technology Collaboration Programme →

Energy in Demand News, August 10-11, 2025

GHG emissions are “going through the roof” because of AI, according to an article on the New York Times website that explains how Big Tech’s net-zero goals are looking shaky. “Google’s greenhouse gas emissions rose by 11 percent in 2024 from the year before. Amazon’s were up by 6 percent. Microsoft’s fell slightly but remained … Continue reading Energy in Demand News, August 10-11, 2025 →

Energy in Demand News, August 3-4, 2025

The EU and US agreed to a new trade deal in recent days, to a distinctly mixed reaction. The European Environmental Bureau (EEB), Europe’s largest network of environmental NGOs, warns that the centrepiece of the deal, a €700 billion pledge to buy U.S. fossil fuels and nuclear energy over the next three years, is fundamentally … Continue reading Energy in Demand News, August 3-4, 2025 →

With the US leaving the global stage in addressing climate change, there are signs that a new set of leaders is rising to the occasion

In an article on The Conversation website, Shannon Gibson, Professor of Environmental Studies, Political Science and International Relations, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences writes about who will step into the leadership vacuum now that the US has walked away again. US government may be abandoning the global climate fight, but new … Continue reading With the US leaving the global stage in addressing climate change, there are signs that a new set of leaders is rising to the occasion →

Energy in Demand News, July 27-28, 2025

It is summer time in Europe but the news has not slowed down. The post below on the IEA is disturbing and we can all hope that the US remains a member of the IEA in order to make a valuable contribution to our sustainable energy future. There is a good report from SciencesPo on … Continue reading Energy in Demand News, July 27-28, 2025 →

The Science Based Targets initiative says that, to be 1.5C-aligned, financial institutions must stop funding firms that are expanding fossil fuel production and use

This week, the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) launched a net zero standard for banks, asset managers and insurance companies, which requires them to end financing for firms that are expanding coal projects immediately and for those expanding oil and gas projects by 2030. In an article on the Climate Home News website, Joe Lo … Continue reading The Science Based Targets initiative says that, to be 1.5C-aligned, financial institutions must stop funding firms that are expanding fossil fuel production and use →

As more countries develop their climate plans in advance of COP30, it’s time for leaders across the globe to face the hard truths of climate science

In an article on The Conversation website, Piers Forster, Professor of Physical Climate Change; Director of the Priestley International Centre for Climate, University of Leeds and Debbie Rosen, Research and Innovation Development Manager for the Priestley Centre for Climate Futures, University of Leeds provide a wake-up call about how serious our climate crisis is. So … Continue reading As more countries develop their climate plans in advance of COP30, it’s time for leaders across the globe to face the hard truths of climate science →

New report from SciencesPo on the EU taxonomy in practice

Titouan Chalavon, Clara Klint and Barbora Rapantova have written a report for the SciencesPo European Chair for Sustainable Development and Climate Transition on how the EU taxonomy has helped drive energy efficiency investments. The following is the abstract for the report. The EU taxonomy in practice: driving energy efficiency investments? Mapping insights from stakeholders … Continue reading New report from SciencesPo on the EU taxonomy in practice →