The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) provides the August update on global developments in sustainable energy finance. August 2014 Sustainable Energy Finance Update During the month of August, the World Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the European Investment Bank (EIB), the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the African Development Bank … Continue reading Latest update on Sustainable Energy Finance
Tag: sustainable development
Serious efforts in the energy transition
This is an important article that should make us sit up and take notice. John Vidal writes in The Guardian that the world’s largest private bank predicts large-scale power stations will soon make way for electric cars and new solar technologies. While the article focuses on renewable energy, it also points out the importance of … Continue reading Serious efforts in the energy transition
World Trade Organisation about to re-start negotiations on green goods
After the failure of the Doha Round, the WTO was paralysed for a considerable period. Now the new head of the WTO is trying to get the ball rolling again, according to Shawn Donnan in the Financial Times. Green goods trade talks set to start The world’s leading economies are due on Tuesday to launch … Continue reading World Trade Organisation about to re-start negotiations on green goods
The world needs a game changer
In April this year, John Llewellyn wrote an excellent column for eceee on Formula 1 and the need for incentives to encourage innovation. For the Financial Times, John continues talking about vehicles and the need for encouraging inventiveness, possible through some “incentive.” As John says, “It should not take fear to make us motivate talents … Continue reading The world needs a game changer
Sustainable Energy for All
Globally, there is a new effort to seriously address universal energy access, improve energy efficiency and increase the share of renewable energy. Many organisations and companies are participating. In Europe, the European Commission recently began a couple of important long-term projects in Africa under the SE4ALL banner. Krysta Villeda has written an excellent blog for … Continue reading Sustainable Energy for All
We need to live within our biosphere’s thresholds
Andrew Simms of the New Economics Foundation wrote in the Observer about society’s need to live within our means in a material sense. As he argues, limits govern everything, even though the way we behave gives no indication we have learned that lesson. Simms argues that our economies – and this is a lesson that … Continue reading We need to live within our biosphere’s thresholds
Views on sustainability
The environmentalist Tony Juniper writes an excellent article in the Guardian hoping sustainability will be firmly on the political agenda in 2014 but fearing the philosophy of growth at any cost will continue. The growth versus environment narrative needs to change in 2014 The last year was not a landmark one for progress on … Continue reading Views on sustainability
Power of the people
Sarah Shemkus reviews an interesting three-day conference in the Guardian that was held in the US recently. The conference was on Crowds and Climate. Harnessing the crowd to promote sustainable innovation MIT's crowds and climate conference discussed the crowd's power to champion sustainability – but is the market ready? Hundreds of academics, activists, scientists, municipal … Continue reading Power of the people
US changes stance on funding coal-fired power plants
The World Bank has often been criticised for funding large-scale energy projects – from large hydropower dams to coal-fired power plants – that can have serious environmental consequences and certainly not in the realm of sustainable energy. Michael Shear writes in the New York Times that its largest funder, the US, has now taken a … Continue reading US changes stance on funding coal-fired power plants
UN Secretary-General launches SE4ALL energy efficiency hub
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) opened a new global centre for Energy Efficiency as part of the Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL) initiative. The Energy Efficiency Hub (EE Hub), in Copenhagen, Denmark, will seek to help “drastically increase” energy access, energy efficiency and renewable energy deployment. … Continue reading UN Secretary-General launches SE4ALL energy efficiency hub
Energy in Demand - Sustainable Energy - Rod Janssen 