Paris city hall is to impose higher parking fees on owners of SUVs in its battle to reduce pollution in the capital

The number of SUVs in the city has increased by 60% over the last four years and they now make up 15% of the 1.15m private vehicles parked in Paris every evening. Size, weight and motor will be taken into account city officials plan to increase parking fees as of next January 1st. Kim Willsher … Continue reading Paris city hall is to impose higher parking fees on owners of SUVs in its battle to reduce pollution in the capital

New EEA analysis of air pollution data in EU

Emissions of key air pollutants monitored under EU law continued to decline across most EU Member States maintaining a trend since 2005. However, the most problematic area remains reducing ammonia emissions, emitted mostly by the agriculture sector. The latest annual European Environment Agency (EEA) analysis of air pollution data provided by EU Member States is … Continue reading New EEA analysis of air pollution data in EU

So…can Sustainable Development be measured?

Patrick Faubert, Claude Villeneuve and David Tremblay, all from the Université du Québec à Chicoutimi (UQAC) write on The Conversation website raise many questions about measuring sustainable development. For example, how do you measure what does not yet exist? How can we do this in an objective and systemic way? And how do we avoid … Continue reading So…can Sustainable Development be measured?

The challenges of financing the climate crisis that the upcoming Paris summit is trying to address

Foreign debt cripples countries vulnerable to extreme weather events, hindering climate change resilience. Reforming financial systems could help them combat climate change. Tim Schauenberg, in an article on the Deutsche Welle website, looks into many of the issues that need to be addressed at the upcoming Paris summit.   Climate crisis and debt trap: Paris … Continue reading The challenges of financing the climate crisis that the upcoming Paris summit is trying to address

New EEA briefings on developments in the circular economy in Europe

Unsustainable consumption in Europe and beyond is one of the main drivers of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution. According to two European Environment Agency (EEA) briefings, published this week, efficiency gains in production have reduced some environmental impacts but alone they are unlikely to bring Europe’s consumption to a sustainable level. Deeper transformation of … Continue reading New EEA briefings on developments in the circular economy in Europe

New EEA web product on extreme weather outlook this summer in Europe

Under our changing climate, the weather in Europe is getting more extreme. What could this summer bring in terms of heatwaves, droughts, floods, and forest fires? The overall outlook is pessimistic as we have already seen this past winter and spring. This makes adaptation to climate change and better preparedness crucial, according to a European … Continue reading New EEA web product on extreme weather outlook this summer in Europe

Organisers are facing many uncertainties that put in doubt their statements promoting the image of a green Paris Olympics

Stéphane Mandard writes on the Le Monde website about the challenges organisers are facing in hosting a ‘climate positive’ Games. Environmental concerns are foremost in the planning of the Games but there are major challenges. Even still, the Paris 2024 organising committee maintains that these Games will provide the sporting movement with a new model … Continue reading Organisers are facing many uncertainties that put in doubt their statements promoting the image of a green Paris Olympics

Fears that key upcoming climate and finance summit in Paris is not being taken seriously

Just two weeks ahead of a key climate and finance summit, only two developed country leaders have promised to turn up. Joe Lo discusses latest developments in an article on the Climate Home News website.   Rich world’s leaders fail to commit to Paris global financing summit Two weeks ahead of a highly-anticipated climate finance … Continue reading Fears that key upcoming climate and finance summit in Paris is not being taken seriously

New EEA briefings on waste recycling rates in Europe

Reducing waste or recovering its value by extending product lifespans or recycling are key parts of Europe’s efforts to create a circular economy which contributes to the European Green Deal’s sustainability goals. However, according to the European Environment Agency’s assessment, published this week, many EU Member States are at risk of not meeting at least … Continue reading New EEA briefings on waste recycling rates in Europe

Concerns about the resilience of the Earth system

Steven J Lade, Australian National University; Ben Stewart-Koster, Griffith University; Stuart Bunn, Griffith University; Syezlin Hasan, Griffith University; and Xuemei Bai, Australian National University write on The Conversation website discuss a recent assessment of boundaries that quantified the harms to people from changes to the Earth system. What are your views?   It’s not just … Continue reading Concerns about the resilience of the Earth system