Shell is trying to establish itself as a leader in Arctic exploration and drilling, despite the company’s poor safety record in the region, writes Subhankar Banerjee, author of the new book Arctic Voices: Resistance at the Tipping Point. According to Banerjee, Shell’s activities are a mortal threat to one of the last untouched environments on the planet. President Obama still has a choice: to stop Shell – or to let it go ahead and become … [Read more...]
Columbia Law School creates global database of climate change laws
The Columbia Law School Sabin Center for Climate Change Law is creating a comprehensive database with links to climate laws and policies around the globe. The collection currently includes information for more than 100 countries, organized by continent. … [Read more...]
To make European climate policy work, we need to put a carbon price on imports
European institutions are struggling to reform the failing EU Emission Trading System (ETS) – “the cornerstone of EU climate policy”. But all reforms will be inadequate, writes Emil Dimantchev, senior carbon market analyst at Thomson Reuters, unless we address the system’s key defect: the failure to impose equal rules on all producers, including those from outside the EU. According to Dimantchev, EU policymakers will never allow carbon prices to … [Read more...]
Highlights from the Energy Union package – and responses
The European Commission announced its plans for a far-reaching Energy Union for Europe on 25 February, with a work package full of legislative and non-legislative actions for the next two years. Brussels also presented a strategy for the UN climate talks in Paris in December and a paper on how to meet electricity interconnection targets inside the EU. We present the highlights plus some responses. For a detailed analysis, see the accompanying … [Read more...]
The significance of the UK party leaders’ joint climate pledge
The UK's three main political leaders have pledged to tackle climate change after the next election, whatever the outcome. Simon Evans of the Carbon Brief assesses the significance of the unusual joint pre-election pledge. He concludes that the substance of the agreement is not new, but it will “prevent backsliding on climate policy by future governments”. It will also serve as an example to countries across the world. … [Read more...]
viEUws VIDEO: “Fuel Quality Directive should be extended after 2020” lead MEP underlines
Sonja van Renssen is joined by Finnish MEP Nils Torvalds (ALDE), rapporteur on Indirect Land-Use Change (ILUC) for the European Parliament, on viEUws.eu to talk about the position of transport in the EU 2030 climate and energy policy. … [Read more...]
UK Conservatives, Labour and Liberal Democrats pledge to cooperate on climate change
In a highly unusual move, the three leaders of the main UK political parties – Prime Minister David Cameron of the Conservatives, Nick Clegg of the Liberal Democrats and Ed Miliband of the opposition Labour party – have signed a joint pledge that they will work together across party lines to tackle climate change. Among other things, they have pledged to end the use of "unabated coal" for power generation. … [Read more...]
Global Calculator shows how the world can ‘prosper’ while tackling climate change
The world's population could live a prosperous, European-style lifestyle by 2050 at the same time as avoiding dangerous climate change, according to a new Global Calculator developed by the UK's Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC). Simon Evans tests the Calculator against scenarios of Shell and Friends of the Earth and comes to some surprising (or, perhaps not so surprising) conclusions. … [Read more...]
viEUws VIDEO: latest EU news on shale gas, biofuels, emission trading, climate change
In this Brussels Briefing on Environment for viEUws.eu, correspondent Sonja van Renssen provides an overview of the latest EU environment policy developments. … [Read more...]
India’s energy and climate change challenge
The US and India have signed a deal to "enhance cooperation" on cutting emissions and investing in low carbon energy sources. The agreement is much weaker than the historic pact signed between the US and China last year. But there are a number of good reasons India is reluctant to take strong action to curb its emissions in the short term. Mat Hope of the Carbon Brief describes India's huge energy and climate challenge. … [Read more...]
Christoph Frei, World Energy Council: “The real hope for ‘Paris’ is to see a connected carbon market started by the big players”
On 20 January, the World Energy Council (WEC) will publish its World Energy Issues Monitor – an annual survey of over 1,000 energy leaders in over 80 countries. WEC’s Secretary-General Christoph Frei notes the biggest changes compared to last year are that energy leaders have become more concerned with security of supply (Russia) and cyber-security. Price volatility and climate framework remain at the top of the worries list. In an in-depth … [Read more...]
Measuring the CO2 impact of big infrastructure projects: the case of Keystone XL
Major energy infrastructure projects will be more and more put to a climate test. In the US, for example, draft environmental legislation adopted last year stipulates that climate analysis of federal projects should include “downstream” emissions. In future it will not be so easy for companies to say “if we don’t do it, somebody else will”. But how do you measure indirect climate effects? The Stockholm Environment Institute is one place where … [Read more...]
The implications of $50-a-barrel oil for the world’s energy mix
Oil prices keep sliding, sending economic shockwaves around the world. Analysts are scrambling to try and understand what it means for the world's future energy mix and efforts to cut emissions. But the relationship between oil prices and energy investments is complex, writes Mat Hope for The Carbon Brief. Much depends on how low the price goes as, beyond a certain point, lots of projects are no longer economically viable. … [Read more...]
Business and policy: Paris 2015 needs the best of both worlds
Global climate negotiations have hardly led to tangible climate policy tools over the last five years. The latest UN Climate Summit in Lima was no exception. By contrast, both businesses and local and regional authorities are developing plenty of new initiatives. Could the crucial 2015 conference in Paris take a cue from these alternatives? And to what extent do business initiatives need a supranational climate deal? Rolf de Vos from energy … [Read more...]
Scientists: large fossil reserves must stay in ground
Christophe McGlade and Paul Ekins of the Institute for Sustainable Resources at University College London have published a paper in the scientific journal Nature presenting their research on "the carbon bubble" aka as "stranded assets". They come to alarming conclusions for fossil fuel producers: no new exploration should be undertaken anymore if climate change is to be contained. … [Read more...]
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