Government advisers have repeated calls for a 57% cut in UK greenhouse gases by 2030 in the wake of a new global climate deal. The Committee on Climate Change said its advice on cutting emissions for the period 2028-2032 was the “minimum level of UK ambition necessary” in light of the Paris Agreement - the global deal to avoid dangerous climate change agreed late last year.
Ministers from countries around the world are set to arrive in Paris for the final week of UN climate talks which have so far produced a draft text and a greater sense of optimism than previous meetings.
China has said it expects world leaders to reach a consensus at upcoming climate change talks in Paris later this month.
A UK Government minister has highlighted the "vital" need to maximise the North Sea's economic recovery to protect Britain's ongoing energy security. Energy minister Andrea Leadsom said continued exploration and investment in the oil and gas sector would be crucial. She was asked about the package of measures announced by Chancellor George Osborne in his March Budget during the Commons energy and climate change committee meeting yesterday.
An open letter by 41 signatories has been sent to the executive secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) regarding CCS (Carbon Capture Storage). Scientists and experts from Scotland to China said they had written to reassure the UNFCCC that CCS is “safe, secure and effective”. They said extensive research had shown CO2 storage at selected sites was unlikely to lead to any leakages.
Home insulation firm the Mark Group and energy efficiency firm Climate Energy have gone into administration within hours of each other with the loss of at least 1,000 jobs.
Cities across the world should switch to LED for street lights in the next decade to save huge amounts of energy, money and carbon emissions, it has been urged.
Physically removing carbon from the atmosphere cannot be relied upon to prevent extreme global warming or save the oceans from acidity, scientists have warned. Carbon capture and enhanced natural “sinks” are simply not feasible methods of limiting warming because of the sheer scale of the challenge, according to one study. Another team found that even aggressive carbon dioxide removal (CDR) policies would take centuries and possibly thousands of years to reverse ocean acidification. In both cases, the experts concluded there was no way of dodging the need for substantial cuts in greenhouse gas emissions.
The annual State of the Climate report is out, and it’s ugly.
Countries must set a global goal to slash carbon emissions to unlock more than £30 trillion needed in energy investments to tackle climate change, a report has urged. The World Energy Council study, which draws on insights of more than 2,500 industry leaders and policy makers, also calls for a global carbon price polluters must pay for their emissions, to level the playing field between traditional and clean energy schemes. Released ahead of key United Nations climate talks in Paris in December, the report warns uncertainty over global policies is one of the biggest obstacles to unlocking £31- £34 trillion in investments in the energy sector needed to address the problem.
Europe’s largest oil companies are banding together to forge a joint strategy on climate change policy, alarmed they’ll be ignored as the world works toward a historic deal limiting greenhouse gases. Royal Dutch Shell Plc, Total SA, BP Plc, Statoil ASA and Eni SpA are among oil companies that plan to start a new industry body, or think tank, to develop common positions on the issues, according to people with knowledge of the matter. So far the largest US companies -- Exxon Mobil Corp. and Chevron Corp. -- have decided not to participate, the people said, asking not be named before a public announcement expected as early as next month. Efforts to reduce fossil fuel investments and spur renewables such as solar and wind power have gathered pace in the past two years with oil companies sitting largely outside the debate.
Electricity generators are to receive nearly £1 billion - at an average cost of £11 per household - to ensure enough power to meet peak demand in 2018/19. Energy Secretary Ed Davey said the Government’s first ever capacity market auction guaranteed energy supply at the lowest cost for consumers. Electricity providers were asked to bid into the capacity auction, promising if they win a contract that they will be available to provide power when needed.
Energy Secretary Ed Davey insisted the UK has a “moral duty” to help the world’s poor cope with rising temperatures as the Government unveiled a £720 million pledge to a UN climate aid fund. He dismissed “little Englander” critics of the UK contribution to the UN Green Climate Fund, which will help poor countries adapt to the impacts of climate change such as floods and droughts and help them develop their economies while curbing emissions. Some Tories have voiced doubts about the spending, which comes from existing UK aid commitments, pointing out that the deficit is still running at £100 billion a year and Britain’s own flood defences need shoring up.