The UN sustainable development goals have infiltrated the things people say, think and write about global sustainability challenges but nothing has changed where it matters

Sixty-two academics analysed more than 3,000 academic studies that scrutinised aspects of the SDGs. Unfortunately, their findings were “disheartening”. One of the authors, Frank Biermann, Professor of Global Sustainability Governance at Utrecht University discusses their findings in an article on The Conversation website.   UN sustainable development goals failing to have meaningful impact, our research … Continue reading The UN sustainable development goals have infiltrated the things people say, think and write about global sustainability challenges but nothing has changed where it matters

New DNV report predicts that the amount of hydrogen in the energy mix will be only 0.5 percent in 2030 and 5 percent in 2050

Robin Whitlock discusses the new DNV Hydrogen Forecast to 2050  in an article on the Renewable Energy Magazine website, noting that while it has a crucial role to play in global decarbonisation, update will be too slow without urgent, significant, policy interventions. DNV forecasts hydrogen to meet a third of what is required for Paris … Continue reading New DNV report predicts that the amount of hydrogen in the energy mix will be only 0.5 percent in 2030 and 5 percent in 2050

Factors like social and economic instability caused by extreme weather events drive gender-based violence

Vishwam Sankaran writes on The Independent website about recent research that found that the climate crisis is driving economic instability, food insecurity, mental stress, while also disrupting infrastructure and exacerbating gender inequality. What are your views?   Climate crisis may lead to more violence towards women, girls, gender and sexual minorities, study warns Extreme weather … Continue reading Factors like social and economic instability caused by extreme weather events drive gender-based violence

The pace of the transition is inadequate compared to the level necessary to address the worst risks of climate change

Today’s disruptive world, resulting from Covid-19 and the Ukraine-Russia war, presents the option to us – to gear up concrete actions on the ground to increase clean energy capacity and reshape end-use energy demand to phase down conventional energy sources and reduce external price shocks. Shafiqul Alam, an environmental economist, provides his views in an … Continue reading The pace of the transition is inadequate compared to the level necessary to address the worst risks of climate change

The economic lockdowns imposed across many parts of the world to stop the spread of Covid brought clear skies to some areas only temporarily

Discouragingly, any improvements in air quality during the Covid lockdowns were only temporary according to recent analysis. Rebecca Ratcliffe discusses the developments in an article on The Guardian website.   Air pollution got worse during lockdown in many countries, study finds Lockdowns imposed to stop the spread of Covid led to “virtually no change” in … Continue reading The economic lockdowns imposed across many parts of the world to stop the spread of Covid brought clear skies to some areas only temporarily

Blog from Jane Marsh: Powering Your Home with Micro-hydropower Systems

Residential eco-consumers search for low-impact equipment to shrink their homes’ carbon footprints. Many homeowners are targeting energy-related emissions with alternative electricity sources. Solar panels and wind turbines can generate abundant amounts of electricity in some regions. Areas with minimal sunlight and weak wind patterns may benefit from hydropower. The largest quantity of renewable energy globally … Continue reading Blog from Jane Marsh: Powering Your Home with Micro-hydropower Systems

Message from recent IEA global energy efficiency conference: with the potential to provide one-third of the emissions reductions needed for net zero, energy efficiency has a key role to play

Jonathan Spencer Jones writes on the Smart Energy International website about the important message that came loud and clear from the recent IEA global energy efficiency conference.   Energy efficiency – the dark horse for reaching net zero In the day-to-day businesses of utilities, as reflected in the comments and stories that reach our desk, … Continue reading Message from recent IEA global energy efficiency conference: with the potential to provide one-third of the emissions reductions needed for net zero, energy efficiency has a key role to play

“The energy transition is not happening” writes REN21

Fossil fuels continue to dominate the energy sector by a wide margin, despite the unprecedented increase in wind and solar energy generation capacity. Perrine Mouterde writes on the Le Monde website about the new global status report from REN21.   Despite record growth in renewables, 'the energy transition is not happening,' says new report With … Continue reading “The energy transition is not happening” writes REN21

Energy efficiency is back on the table in the face of rising costs and international conflicts

Lloyd Alter writes on the Treehugger website that energy efficiency is now seen as a critical solution to many of the world’s most urgent challenges. Now let’s see serious implementation to show it is true.   International Energy Agency Calls for Serious Energy Conservation The International Energy Agency (IEA) was set up by former U.S. … Continue reading Energy efficiency is back on the table in the face of rising costs and international conflicts

New Zealand plans to become the first nation to make farmers pay for the greenhouse gases emitted by their sheep and cattle

Bernard Lagan writes on The Times website about the plans New Zealand has to to have farmers “pay for burps and other gaseous releases from their animals from 2025.   Pardon ewe! Farmers will pay for methane emitted by cows and sheep New Zealand plans to become the first nation to make farmers pay for … Continue reading New Zealand plans to become the first nation to make farmers pay for the greenhouse gases emitted by their sheep and cattle