This post is by Hannah Dillon, head of the Zero Carbon Campaign
What should a post Covid-19 society look like? I hope we can all agree that a world in which businesses continue to profit from pumping vast amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere should not be part of the picture. Read more
This post is by Greg Marsden, professor of transport governance at the University of Leeds and co-Investigator at the Centre for Research into Energy Demand Solutions (CREDS). The original piece can be found on the CREDS blog.
The lockdowns and social distancing measures in place across much of the globe have been both hugely socially challenging and revealing, with images of clear skies over Delhi, goats roaming the town centre of Llandudno and streets empty of cars. Read more
This post is by Jan Rosenow and Samuel Thomas of the Regulatory Assistance Project (RAP). It was first published in Utility Week.
For months, we have been waiting for the UK government’s proposal for the future of clean heat policy. After committing to a net zero carbon target for 2050, the need to take aggressive action now to drive down emissions from heating became clear. Surely the government would announce something bold or step up support for climate friendly heating technologies? We could not have been more disappointed. Read more
This post was first published by Business Green.
Despite the challenges the world is now facing due to the coronavirus pandemic, one thing that’s become clear is that society has seen a glimmer of hope into what life could be like in a greener and cleaner society. Read more
The UK’s transport sector has not stepped up to the plate in cutting carbon emissions to date, with a meagre 4.5 per cent reduction in its emissions since 1990, compared to 63 per cent in the power sector. Its performance has been lower than every other sector in the UK. Read more
This post is by Katie de Kauwe, lawyer at Friends of the Earth.
The government’s policy giving the green light to Heathrow expansion and establishing the need for more airport capacity in the south east was ruled unlawful by the Court of Appeal on climate grounds last month. This ruling follows years of work by the legal team at Friends of the Earth (myself included), along with our external solicitors at Leigh Day, and barristers (David Wolfe QC at Matrix Chambers, Peter Lockley at 11KBW and Andrew Parkinson at Landmark Chambers). And, of course, the absolutely tireless work, campaigning and commitment from local residents who are the unsung heroes of the piece. Read more
This blog is by Dr Peter Mallaburn, a researcher from the Centre for Research into Energy Demand Solutions. It is part of a series reflecting on the need for energy demand reduction in the UK.
We spend most of our lives inside buildings, and the energy we use to light, heat and cool them is responsible for a third of UK CO2 emissions. So, now we need to take more action to tackle climate change and bring down emissions, and buildings are an important target for government policy. Read more
The aviation industry body Sustainable Aviation has just released a road map to net zero by 2050. While this is a welcome change in ambition from the previous industry-set target of halving emissions by 2050, it rests on a lot of assumptions which don’t stand up to close examination and it has some important omissions which will make it difficult or impossible to keep global heating to 1.5C. Read more
This post is by Greg Archer, UK director at Transport & Environment.
The UK has a flying addiction that, if left unchecked, will wreck its climate commitments. In the past 20 years the number of passengers flying to and from the UK has doubled and more Britons travelled abroad in 2018 than any other nationality, making us one in 12 of all international travellers. Read more
This post is by Professor Rebecca Willis and Professor Mike Berners-Lee of Lancaster University, co-authors of The case against new coal mines in the UK.
Cumbria’s West Coast, the very north western tip of England, is a place of beauty. From the rolling cliffs of St Bees, on a clear day you can see over the Irish Sea to the Isle of Man. Turning inland, the Lake District fells dominate the view. William Wordsworth was born just a few miles away. Read more
