Fears of ‘1.5-washing’

Climate campaigners and scientists say historic responsibility means developed countries should cut emissions faster than developing ones. Jo Lo writes on the Climate Home News that many rich countries need a history lesson to understand what their real contribution should be. Rich nations ignore polluting past to claim climate plans are 1.5C-compatible Claims by … Continue reading Fears of ‘1.5-washing’ →

Blog by Jane Marsh – Battery metals and the green transition: can Europe compete in the global market?

Those interested in the zero-carbon transition around the globe are hearing of renewable energy projects and electrification. Another major component of this is advanced recycling and reuse methods, especially for the increasing number of batteries. Discover how Europe is handling this influx and how it aligns with its climate objectives. The State of Battery-Metal Handling … Continue reading Blog by Jane Marsh – Battery metals and the green transition: can Europe compete in the global market? →

Energy in Demand News, February 2, 2025

Who would have guessed? Norway’s coalition government has collapsed because of the EU’s energy efficiency directive, energy performance of buildings directive and renewable energy directive! The Eurosceptic junior coalition partner quit after the Prime Minister pushed to implement the energy directives. Norway (which is not a member of the European Union) adopts most of the … Continue reading Energy in Demand News, February 2, 2025 →

It’s not clear that Heathrow Airport expansion can fit within the UK’s legal and arguably moral requirement to cut emissions and remain within its carbon budget

Richard Sulley, Senior Research Fellow, Sustainability Policy, University of Sheffield writes on The Conversation website about the impact of expanding the UK’s largest airport on government commitments to reduce carbon emissions. Since this was published, the UK government has given the green light to the construction of the third runway at Heathrow with considerable mixed … Continue reading It’s not clear that Heathrow Airport expansion can fit within the UK’s legal and arguably moral requirement to cut emissions and remain within its carbon budget →

Energy in Demand News, January 19, 2025

It was welcome news this week from the Coalition for Energy Savings that, according to latest Eurostat data, there was a sharp drop of the EU's primary and final energy consumption in 2023. Compared to 2022, primary energy consumption dropped by 3.9% and final energy consumption lowered by 3%. This is the largest decline since … Continue reading Energy in Demand News, January 19, 2025 →

“We need urgent action to accelerate the shift from fossil fuels to renewable and low-carbon energy as well as the rapid rollout of technologies that improve energy efficiency”

In an article for the World Economic Forum annual meeting, Morten Wierod, CEO at ABB, the Swedish-Swiss multinational electrical engineering corporation, gives a strong argument for the importance of energy efficiency. Why electrification and efficiency are the two keys to hitting net zero An urgent challenge of the energy transition is integrating renewable energy … Continue reading “We need urgent action to accelerate the shift from fossil fuels to renewable and low-carbon energy as well as the rapid rollout of technologies that improve energy efficiency” →

Energy in Demand News, January 12, 2025

The devastation from the wildfires in the Los Angeles area is a human tragedy beyond belief. It only adds to those who are suffering globally from droughts, floods and other climate-related disasters. An article on the Financial Times (behind a paywall) counts the cost from catastrophes in 2024. “Hurricanes, fires and other disasters caused $320bn … Continue reading Energy in Demand News, January 12, 2025 →

Without meaningful action, net zero by 2050 for the aviation sector will never be achieved

In an article on The Conversation website, Mark Maslin, Professor of Natural Sciences, UCL and Iain Hanson, Honorary Professor at the Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction, UCL discuss how to make aviation more sustainable. What are your views? Five ways to make aviation more sustainable right now Many of us feel guilt when we … Continue reading Without meaningful action, net zero by 2050 for the aviation sector will never be achieved →

Energy in Demand News, December 15, 2024

BP and Shell are scaling back electricity ambitions to escape the ‘valley of death,’ according to the Financial Times website (behind a paywall). Over the past five years, the two companies had spent a combined US$18 billion to be major players in electricity. But now Shell has sold its retail electricity business in Germany, the … Continue reading Energy in Demand News, December 15, 2024 →

Latest study reveals is that governments and industry have taken the original concept of net zero and redefined it to the point where is it meaningless

Steve Hanley writes on the CleanTechnica website that the phrase “net zero” has been on the lips of every corporation, industry lobbyist, and politician, all promising they are working hard to do their part to avoid turning the planet we live on into a burnt cinder but understanding “net zero” is much more complicated and … Continue reading Latest study reveals is that governments and industry have taken the original concept of net zero and redefined it to the point where is it meaningless →