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According to the IPCC, the concentration of greenhouse gases in the earth’s atmosphere is directly linked to the average global temperature on Earth, and the concentration has been rising steadily. The most abundant greenhouse gas, accounting for about two-thirds of greenhouse gases, carbon dioxide, is largely the product of burning fossil fuels.
There is alarming evidence that important tipping points, leading to irreversible changes in major ecosystems and the planetary climate system, may already have been reached or passed. One of the most urgent challenges facing countries across the world today is how to achieve economic prosperity and development while also combating climate change.
The Paris climate change agreement commits nations to limit global temperature rise to no more than 2°C above pre-industrial levels, with countries pledging to cut or curb their greenhouse gas emissions – through a combination of mitigation and adaptation measures – by 2030.
Created a Post in Climate Change
Americans’ growing sense of vulnerability is palpable. Craig Fugate, former head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency and Florida’s Emergency Management Division, has never known a summer as packed with crises as this one. The question, he wonders, is whether this calamitous season will mark a turning point in public opinion that finally forces political leaders to act. “If not,” Fugate asked, “what will it take?”
In July the European Commission published ‘Fit for 55’ – the package intended to set the EU on the path to a greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction of 55% by 2030 and, ultimately, climate neutrality by 2050. The package contains more than a dozen legislative proposals, both for new and existing laws. However, the package still leaves many fundamental political choices to be addressed in negotiations by the Council and European Parliament. Most flagrant among these choices are free allocation volumes to industry, and whether the carbon border adjustment mechanism will actually come into effect or remain a paper tiger.
Created a Post in Climate Change, Energy, Sustainable Finance
Insurer Prudential and lenders Asian Development Bank (ADB), Citi, and HSBC plan to speed up the closing of coal-fired power plants in Asia by buying and closing them within 15 years - much shorter than a plant’s average lifetime of 46 years. Led by the ADB, they plan to present a model at the COP26 to buy out coal plants for early closures, as an attempt to speed up the transition to zero emissions. It will also help turn costs into savings for customers and utilities.
To make it happen, governments are looking to provide public funding to seed new funds or investment vehicles. How to ensure the coal plant buy outs will benefit the public and not the big banks?
Created a Post in Climate Change, Energy
With its current pace, Europe will only reach its 2030 target to reduce 55% GHG emissions by 2051. Closer cooperation between member states on energy transition, adopting a regional approach to boost market integration is needed to speed up the process.
Created an Event in Sustainable Finance, Climate Change
Created an Event in Climate Change
Created a Post in Energy, Climate Change
Join IISD, IEA, and the Government of Denmark for a webinar on Tuesday looking at how fossil fuel subsidy reform can support people-centred clean energy transitions! Experts will give practical examples of how to conduct FFSR in a way that supports people by taking into account issues such as gender, health, local community considerations, and broader social impacts.
Created an Event in Energy, Climate Change
"The Middle East Is Becoming Literally Uninhabitable" as one of the regions hardest hit by climate change is warming at twice the global average and by 2050 will be 4 degrees celsius warmer as compared with the 1.5 degree mark. Poor governance, environmental mismanagement, urbanization, and urban unrest in communities poorly served with water, air conditioning, and other amenities are among the points of concern.
As the world gets warmer the more we need cooling systems - it's a vicious cycle of climate change.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates in a 2018 report that global demand for space cooling will more than triple by 2050. The growing cooling demand is “one of the most critical energy issues of our time”.
Is there a way to make air conditioning less of an environmental issue?