Canada had some good words to say at COP29 but its actions don’t back them up

Bruce Campbell writes on the Policy Alternatives about Canada at the Baku summit. While it takes a positive attitude to the COP process, it has to be admitted that Canada is the world’s the fourth largest oil producing country and sixth largest producer of natural gas. It also had many lobbyists there representing the tar … Continue reading Canada had some good words to say at COP29 but its actions don’t back them up →

Reflecting on Baku

Fiona Harvey, environmental editor of the Guardian, discusses some of the major issues that arose at COP29 in Baku. Fiona should know. She has attended 18 of the COPs. As she said, the Baku COP29 talks were marked by division and self-interest, with rancorous meddling right until the end. If you attended, what are your … Continue reading Reflecting on Baku →

New briefings from the EEA on the status of the circular economy in Europe and highlighting the need for improving recycling quality

Europe has set ambitious goals to create a competitive circular economy that can be key in supporting innovation, decarbonisation and security. The transition is also needed to halt biodiversity loss and wasteful use of natural resources. Published this week, two briefings from the European Environment Agency show the status of circular economy and highlight the … Continue reading New briefings from the EEA on the status of the circular economy in Europe and highlighting the need for improving recycling quality →

Where is the urgency for action on climate change? There is a gravely mistaken believe which grossly under appreciates the era of global death and human misery

Joshua M. Pearce, John M. Thompson Chair in Information Technology and Innovation and Professor, Western University writes on The Conversation website about some of the weakness from the recent COP29. He argues that business-as-usual climate discourse has failed. Understanding the real human deaths caused by carbon emissions could help drive change in climate policy. … Continue reading Where is the urgency for action on climate change? There is a gravely mistaken believe which grossly under appreciates the era of global death and human misery →

Pioneering the use of theatre, music and visual arts to research issues around plastic pollution

The global plastics treaty negotiations meeting this week remain on a knife edge. In an article on The Conversation website, Cressida Bowyer, Associate Professor in Arts and Sustainability, University of Portsmouth and Erika Hughes, Professor of Theatre for Social Change, University of Portsmouth discuss how creative arts can disrupt this process and bring about a … Continue reading Pioneering the use of theatre, music and visual arts to research issues around plastic pollution →

New EEA briefing on first state of play on national surveillance for heat-related health impacts

Collecting timely and reliable data on the number of deaths and illnesses associated with heat are vital to deploy targeted emergency responses during heatwaves. Twenty of the European Environment Agency’s (EEA) 38 member and cooperating countries currently monitor heat impacts on health, according to an EEA briefing published this week. Impacts of heat on … Continue reading New EEA briefing on first state of play on national surveillance for heat-related health impacts →

“The EIB has integrated the energy efficiency first principle into its Energy Lending Policy”

In 2023, the European Investment Bank provided more than €21.3 billion for energy-related projects, of which €8.3 billion was for energy efficiency, jumping from €2.1 billion in 2014 – but the energy-efficiency gap remains challenging. Christoph Schwaiger writes on the Euractiv website how the EIB is taking lending in energy efficiency seriously. EIB sees … Continue reading “The EIB has integrated the energy efficiency first principle into its Energy Lending Policy” →

Blog by Steve Thorne: The Voluntary Carbon Markets (VCM) – what has been learned so far… and where is it heading?

The first-ever United Nations global stock take warned that the world is significantly off track in meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement in reaching a maximum of 1.5oC warming by 2050. We need every tool available working at full speed to reduce emissions and secure a liveable future for the planet. A high-integrity voluntary carbon market … Continue reading Blog by Steve Thorne: The Voluntary Carbon Markets (VCM) – what has been learned so far… and where is it heading? →

New EEA briefing on placement of offshore wind turbines with consideration of impacts on marine ecosystems

Increased use of wind turbines in coastal zones to provide Europe with renewable energy is a crucial element in decarbonising Europe’s economy and in meeting its climate and energy targets. The placement of these turbines should also carefully consider potential impacts on marine ecosystems, according to a European Environment Agency (EEA) briefing published this week. … Continue reading New EEA briefing on placement of offshore wind turbines with consideration of impacts on marine ecosystems →

Corporate lobbying at COP29

Friday the Guardian reported that there were over 1,700 coal, oil and gas lobbyists granted access to Cop29. It is timely that Christina Toenshoff, Assistant Professor of European Politics and Political Economy, Leiden University has written on The Conversation website for us to better understand what this lobbying is about. Thousands of corporate lobbyists … Continue reading Corporate lobbying at COP29 →