A social tariff has shielded eligible households in Belgium from price fluctuations since 2002

While governments focus on how to protect consumers from escalating energy prices, Belgium shows an important way forward. Since 2002, eligible households have been shielded from price fluctuations in the energy market. People don’t have to struggle. Carl Packman discusses the approach taken by Belgium in an article on The Guardian website. There is … Continue reading A social tariff has shielded eligible households in Belgium from price fluctuations since 2002 →

Over recent years, Paris has implemented an array of measures to prioritize pedestrians, cyclists and transit while bringing car use screeching to a halt

The share of journeys made by car in the city has fallen by nearly half, and the trend is only accelerating. Peter Yeung discusses the trend in Paris in an article on the Reasons to be Cheerful website. Cars Are Vanishing from Paris Bright parasols, wooden sun loungers and expanses of golden sand suddenly … Continue reading Over recent years, Paris has implemented an array of measures to prioritize pedestrians, cyclists and transit while bringing car use screeching to a halt →

New EEA data shows that CO2 emissions from new cars dropped by 12% in 2020

Average carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions of new cars dropped by 12% in 2020 compared to the year before, according to final figures published this week by the European Environment Agency. The main reason for the sharp decrease of emissions was a surge in the share of electric vehicle registrations. Average carbon dioxide emissions from … Continue reading New EEA data shows that CO2 emissions from new cars dropped by 12% in 2020 →

Where is the help? Damages to poor countries are expected to increase as the world heats up further

The world’s most vulnerable countries are preparing to take on the richest economies with a demand for urgent finance. This “loss and damage” issue gained momentum since COP26 in Glasgow last year. Fiona Harvey writes on The Guardian website howe vulnerable many countries are. Vulnerable countries demand global tax to pay for climate-led loss … Continue reading Where is the help? Damages to poor countries are expected to increase as the world heats up further →

WEF podcast transcript on carbon offsets

As we wonder about the impact of carbon offsets, the World Economic Forum provides a podcast that should give us a wider view of their benefits. Robin Pomeroy, Podcast Editor at the WEF, discusses carbon offsets with Rachel Kyte, co-chair of the Voluntary Carbon Markets Integrity Initiative and with Dharsono Hartono, UpLink Top Innovator, and … Continue reading WEF podcast transcript on carbon offsets →

New EEA report on the feasibility of Europe achieving the zero pollution action plan’s noise reduction target

About 18 million people suffer long-term annoyance from transport noise in the EU. The European Commission’s zero pollution action plan aims to reduce the number of people chronically disturbed by transport noise by 30% by 2030, compared to 2017 levels. According to the European Environment Agency’s assessment, published this week, reaching this target is unlikely … Continue reading New EEA report on the feasibility of Europe achieving the zero pollution action plan’s noise reduction target →

Crisis in Spain over threat to olive oil industry

Spain’s Jaén Province, home to one fifth of the world’s supply of “green gold,” is having to cope with climate change and threats to its way of life. David Segal and José Bautista discuss in an article on the New York Times website. The Olive Oil Capital of the World, Parched The branch, plucked … Continue reading Crisis in Spain over threat to olive oil industry →

While keeping the global average temperate rise below 1.5C may not be achieved, “we need to knuckle down as much as we can to prevent every 0.1C rise”

In an article on The Guardian website, Bill McGuire, professor emeritus of geophysical and climate hazards at UCL, argues that the goal of 1.5C by 2030 is arbitrary and now unachievable – yet working to prevent every 0.1C rise can still give us hope. What do you think? Why we should forget about the … Continue reading While keeping the global average temperate rise below 1.5C may not be achieved, “we need to knuckle down as much as we can to prevent every 0.1C rise” →

New EEA report on need to ensure soils are no longer a net source of GHG emissions in Europe

Soils can both remove carbon from the atmosphere or emit greenhouse gas emissions. According to a European Environment Agency (EEA) briefing, published recently, European soils are currently a net source of greenhouse gas emissions and, if not addressed, this could pose a risk to the EU climate targets. Mitigation actions can reduce the loss of … Continue reading New EEA report on need to ensure soils are no longer a net source of GHG emissions in Europe →

How solar power can help your gardening

With the rising price of groceries, gardening is becoming more important than ever. Many households are creating gardens in their backyard to grow their own food and cut down on some of their spending. Jane Marsh writes on the Renewable Energy Magazine of the benefits of solar panels in your garden. What is your experience? … Continue reading How solar power can help your gardening →