France sets the bar for energy savings

This was a very strange week, with the UK deciding to cut many of its renewable energy subsidies together with ending its flagship Green Deal and France taking an opposite view. Mike Szabo writes a very good article on the Carbon Pulse website, describing the measures in the energy bill that was approved in France … Continue reading France sets the bar for energy savings →

Taiwan putting a focus on addressing energy consumption in its energy-intensive sectors

John Liu writes in the China Post about mandatory energy efficiency measures that will come in place next year in Taiwan. While the main focus is on the textile industry, the article also considers what is happening in the other energy-intensive industrial sectors. Textile industry to face mandatory energy caps Starting next year, mandatory … Continue reading Taiwan putting a focus on addressing energy consumption in its energy-intensive sectors →

Explaining climate policies in Australia

Andrea Bunting writes a thorough overview on the greenleft website on the situation in Australia to balance climate policies with its priorities to be a major energy and commodity producer. It will be interesting to see Australia’s position at the global climate summit in Paris later this year. What’s wrong with emissions trading Australia’s climate … Continue reading Explaining climate policies in Australia →

UK position on energy efficiency getting clearer but not good

Florian Kern, co-Director of the Sussex Energy Group, a Research Fellow working on a project on ‘policy synergies and trade offs for low energy innovation‘ at the Centre on Innovation and Energy Demand, and a Senior Lecturer at SPRU-Science Policy Research Unit, writes about another about face for the UK government. This blog is on … Continue reading UK position on energy efficiency getting clearer but not good →

Great expectations but . . .

Implementing energy efficiency policies and programmes is complex and quite unlike anything on the energy supply side. The stakeholders are different, the data required for monitoring are different, and the beneficiaries are different. Countries have been encouraged to establish units within their ministries responsible for energy or at least specialised institutions that have close links … Continue reading Great expectations but . . . →

British government ditches plans for zero carbon homes

Philip Oldfield writes in the Guardian about the government decision to axe plans to make new homes carbon neutral from 2016. This has raised much criticism. What the article does not mention is how the government will now meet its related obligations for nearly zero energy buildings under the EU’s energy performance of buildings directive. … Continue reading British government ditches plans for zero carbon homes →

Britain’s domestic energy efficiency strategy needs more money

While another post this week detailed that the UK’s domestic energy efficiency programmes are off track, Rebecca McAdam writes on the 24dash.com website that the Climate Change Committee, that provides independent, evidence-based advice to the UK Government and Parliament, stresses that the government must provide more adequate and effective resources. CCC urges increased investment … Continue reading Britain’s domestic energy efficiency strategy needs more money →

Raising concern about UK government’s approach to wind power

Following premature cutbacks to onshore wind farms the UK's energy security will increasingly depend on large scale offshore wind power, write Ian Broadbent & Peter Strachan in an excellent blog on The Ecologist website. All at sea? Government's strong talk on offshore wind masks feeble ambition Onshore wind is potentially Britain's lowest cost electricity … Continue reading Raising concern about UK government’s approach to wind power →

There are growing concerns that the UK Green Deal is struggling to deliver large scale improvements and the ECO scheme has been effectively watered down

Will Nichols writes on the BusinessGreen website about a new government report that provides disturbing, but not surprising, news from the UK on the current state of affairs of its domestic energy efficiency programmes. Government energy efficiency plans 'off-track', official review warns The government's household energy efficiency programme is veering off track, according to … Continue reading There are growing concerns that the UK Green Deal is struggling to deliver large scale improvements and the ECO scheme has been effectively watered down →

Germany’s energy transition facing ‘dangerous errors’ in addressing energy efficiency

EiD has been following Germany’s energy transition with great interest. Seldom, however, do we see articles on the progress made on energy efficiency. Eric Marx writes on the ClimateWire website about serious criticism of the approach being taken. This is an important read. Germany, home of the 'energy revolution,' is flubbing energy efficiency Few … Continue reading Germany’s energy transition facing ‘dangerous errors’ in addressing energy efficiency →