We started 2018 wondering what impact 2017 would have, and what we accomplished. As always, it took a few months, and when it finally arrived the news was mixed — as it normally is. The International Energy Agency (IEA) announced in March that global energy demand increased by 2.1% in 2017, more than twice the previous year’s rate. Similarly, carbon emissions increased for the first time since 2014, jumping by 1.4%. At the same time, however, global renewable energy generation capacity increased by 167 gigawatts (GW) in 2017, pushing the planet’s cumulative renewable energy capacity to 2,179 GW, according to numbers published in April by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).
Clean Tech 28th Dec 2018 read more »
The fug of pessimism too easily distracts us from the eminently solvable nature of many of the challenges Britain faces. All it would take is political leadership, courage and ambition. Here are five ideas within the grasp of any government determined to make Britain a kinder, greener, more equitable place to live in the 2020s. Climate change poses an increasingly existential threat to mankind and the time available to stave off catastrophic levels of warming is running out. The government must do more to advocate for global net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, and set out a plan for the UK to produce net-zero carbon emissions before 2050, including bringing forwards the ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars to 2030.
Observer 30th Dec 2018 read more »