New EEA briefing on policies and measures to reduce air pollution and GHG emissions separately

EU Member States report on their policies and measures to reduce air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions separately. A European Environment Agency (EEA) briefing, published this week, reveals that Member States identify links to climate action in about one third of their reported actions planned to reduce air pollution. National measures to cut air … Continue reading New EEA briefing on policies and measures to reduce air pollution and GHG emissions separately →

January’s special elections for the senate in Georgia will have major impact on future US climate policy

How people in Georgia vote for their Senators on January 5 will decide how much the US can again become a serious and influential world player in the fight to combat the threat of climate change. Andrew Warren, former special advisor to the House of Commons environment select committee, argues that the high profile re-run … Continue reading January’s special elections for the senate in Georgia will have major impact on future US climate policy →

With little time left of the Trump administration, career Environmental Protection Agency employees still find themselves in bureaucratic battle with the agency’s political leaders

The presidential transition underway in Washington is full of challenges to the incoming team. The Trump administration is trying to ensure its legacy by accelerating the push to deregulate in many areas. Lisa Friedman writes on the New York Times website about the efforts of career experts to minimise deregulation and ensure environmental controls are … Continue reading With little time left of the Trump administration, career Environmental Protection Agency employees still find themselves in bureaucratic battle with the agency’s political leaders →

New Zealand, with one of the worst climate records of industrialised nations, has declared climate emergency

Robert McLachlan, Professor in Applied Mathematics at Massey University writes on The Conversation website that New Zealand has much to do to get on track to meet climate obligations. This is a good article with messages for all of us. Climate emergency or not, New Zealand needs to start doing its fair share of … Continue reading New Zealand, with one of the worst climate records of industrialised nations, has declared climate emergency →

US President-elect Biden will have his challenges on fracking when his administration takes office

Laura Sanicola writes on the Reuters website about how the American Petroleum Institute will do everything possible to ensure Biden does not fulfil his promise to ban new gas and oil permits on federal lands. No one said the energy transition would be easy. U.S. oil industry group pledges to fight possible Biden fracking … Continue reading US President-elect Biden will have his challenges on fracking when his administration takes office →

Comparing France and Germany in their building renovation strategies

To achieve climate neutrality by 2050, the question of renovating buildings to be more energy-efficient is of crucial importance. More than ever before, it is the subject of debate on both sides of the Rhine. Lucie Duboua-Lorsch and Lukas Scheid report on the EURACTIV website. Energy-efficient building renovation: a Franco-German challenge Even before the … Continue reading Comparing France and Germany in their building renovation strategies →

By shifting current policies and fundamental program designs, next-generation energy efficiency programmes can be a crucial tool for meeting deep carbon-reduction goals

Val Jensen writes on the Greentech media website about the need to revamp energy efficiency programmes to meet long-term energy and climate objectives. While he speaks about the United States, there are no doubt lessons for all of us. Revamped Energy Efficiency Programs Are the Key to Deep Carbon Reductions Across the U.S., governments … Continue reading By shifting current policies and fundamental program designs, next-generation energy efficiency programmes can be a crucial tool for meeting deep carbon-reduction goals →

Blog from Stuart Fairlie: Don’t reinvent the wheel for commercial property retrofit

In the same way that Government-approved technical standards provided the foundation for the Green Homes Grant and the low energy retrofit of millions of UK homes, so similar energy efficiency standards are now being developed that should pave the way for the retrofit of commercial buildings. The only trouble is, the first draft of these … Continue reading Blog from Stuart Fairlie: Don’t reinvent the wheel for commercial property retrofit →

Concerns about “net-zero energy ready” buildings in Canada

As many countries around the world are planning on ambitious energy efficient buildings, Canada has run into some problems for new buildings. John Bleasby discusses latest developments in an article on the Daily Commercial News website Energy efficiency advocates concerned about direction of 2020 NBC Two groups representing Canada’s leading edge of building energy … Continue reading Concerns about “net-zero energy ready” buildings in Canada →

Targets for emissions cuts released by Chinese government this week

China will use energy more efficiently over the next five years and expects its carbon emissions to be on a steady decline by 2035 at the latest, according to a roadmap for the country's development released after top-level political meetings this week. Kevin Foster explains latest developments on the Argus website. China lays out … Continue reading Targets for emissions cuts released by Chinese government this week →