British PM and the net zero transition – lessons from history about flip-flopping on the environment

This has been a very interesting week in climate policy in Britain, with the British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, defied official advice and rolled back on the net zero timetable. Marc Hudson, Visiting Fellow, Science Policy at the University of Sussex writes on The Conversation website giving us a history lesson on the experience of … Continue reading British PM and the net zero transition – lessons from history about flip-flopping on the environment →

“Bangladesh has been quite well in adapting to climate change, but there is still a long way to go with not much time to waste”

Dr Saleemul Huq, director of the International Centre for Climate Change and Development and a professor at Independent University in Bangladesh and one of the most vocal and effective experts on adaptation, writes on the Daily Star website of the need to scale up as soon as possible. This is a message not only for … Continue reading “Bangladesh has been quite well in adapting to climate change, but there is still a long way to go with not much time to waste” →

Germany has to raise its efforts to meet its long-term climate targets

A council of experts has said in its policy review that Berlin's proposals were insufficient for the mitigation of climate change. It added that the over 100 measures did not amount to a cohesive overall plan. The review’s findings are discussed in a Reuters news item on the Deutsche Welle website. Germany's climate policy … Continue reading Germany has to raise its efforts to meet its long-term climate targets →

Britain’s energy and climate transition: is it on track?

The latest progress report from the Climate Change Committee makes grim reading on progress towards net zero. Government inertia and reliance on old ways of thinking are to blame. Andrew Warren, Chairman of the British Energy Efficiency Federation discusses the report in the July issue of Energy in Buildings & Industry. Has the UK … Continue reading Britain’s energy and climate transition: is it on track? →

Lessons learned from an energy project on SMEs

Having attended a conference this week in Brussels on the EU-funded LEAP4SME project, it was timely to see a blog by the Energy Saving Trust, one of the partners in the project. LEAP4SME aims to support establish or improve effective policies for SMEs to undergo energy audits and implement cost-effective, recommended energy-saving measures through identifying … Continue reading Lessons learned from an energy project on SMEs →

France will reach the level of electricity consumption expected in 2050 as early as 2030-2035

Assuming France achieves its decarbonisation and reindustrialisation targets, electricity consumption could rise to 580-640 TWh by 2035, equivalent to what the grid operator had forecasted for 2050 in its “Future Energy 2050” report published at the end of 2021. In an article on the EURACTIV website, Paul Messad discusses the recent report from France’s electricity … Continue reading France will reach the level of electricity consumption expected in 2050 as early as 2030-2035 →

Germany’s three-party coalition government agrees on changes in transition to phase out oil and gas in its heating strategy

The latest policy rift within Germany's three-party coalition government appears to have been resolved with a compromise deal. This time it was over planned changes to laws on heating. The coalition hopes to put the law before the Bundestag this week and to secure its passage before the summer break begins in July. An article on the Deutsche … Continue reading Germany’s three-party coalition government agrees on changes in transition to phase out oil and gas in its heating strategy →

Better understanding of energy sufficiency

France has made energy sufficiency – the deliberate reduction of energy consumption – one of the three pillars of its decarbonisation strategy, alongside nuclear and renewables. However, Brussels and other European capitals have yet to fully embrace the approach. Paul Messad discusses the French approach in an article on the EURACTIV website. Energy sufficiency, … Continue reading Better understanding of energy sufficiency →

An international first: Dutch wind turbines shut down to prevent migratory birds from flying into the wind turbine blades

NL Times reports that wind turbines were shut down for four hours last weekend to protect migratory birds. It is planned that wind turbines will be shut down more often from this autumn, so that migratory birds can safely travel. Wind turbines at sea shut down for the first time to protect migratory birds … Continue reading An international first: Dutch wind turbines shut down to prevent migratory birds from flying into the wind turbine blades →

Canada’s energy transition to net-zero emissions: need to upgrade 600,000 existing homes and 750 million square metres of existing commercial space per year between now and 2040

have to act now, and the shift will require a co-ordinated effort between government, industry and residents. Abdul Matin Sarfraz discusses the challenges and costs in an article on the National Observer website. The cost of turning older buildings into climate-fighting machines While Canada has set a deadline to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions … Continue reading Canada’s energy transition to net-zero emissions: need to upgrade 600,000 existing homes and 750 million square metres of existing commercial space per year between now and 2040 →