Providing universal energy access by 2030 is one of the UN defined Sustainable Development Goals. It will require doubling current investments in the energy sector, with a significant focus on sub-Saharan Africa. Fortunately, there is a new protagonist under the spotlight, bringing a more resilient and cost-effective solution to electrification. Forget the “bigger is better” mentality, the future is small, interactive, and decentralized.
From energy consumers to energy prosumers: homes, commercial buildings, and industrial facilities worldwide are being covered with solar photovoltaic panels. Opportunities and challenges of a transformation that is changing the world and shaping the immediate future, as described in the latest International Energy Agency forecast analysis.
“Moving first and moving fast” to make Europe the first climate-neutral continent by 2050: ambitious objectives and an investment plan that will activate over one trillion in new capital flows as well as generating jobs. Not to mention a new Climate Law that has the potential to become the most innovative legal regime in the history of environmental legislation. The European Green Deal illustrated in detail.
Australia is experiencing the worst wildfires seen in decades, as drought and heatwaves fan the flames. In the summer and Autumn of 2019, a significant increase in wildfires brought the Amazon close to a tipping point with global ramifications. Some of these fires were caused by man as land is cleared to make way for agribusiness, logging, mining and other “development” projects. While climate change is exacerbating bushfire intensity and damages, experts and policymakers are calling for strong measures to save what is one of the planet’s main carbon sinks and a vital natural climate solution.
Nature provides key benefits for resilience and can be the foundation for sustainability. It cleans the air and water, it provides food, beauty and serenity for people. The “green” realm provides immense benefits to societies, cities, and their citizens. Perspectives and solutions for creating cities that are resilient, sustainable, liveable and just for everyone.
Sustainable agriculture, adaptation plans and creativity are all needed to drive a high quality productive sector that considers scientific knowledge on climate change and sustainability. Italy can play an important role in a global context where, among others, food, eating habits, sustainable land use and the dialogue between science and society are crucial elements.
“It’s not about avoiding the risks. It’s about taking a fantastic opportunity.” Let’s see the bigger picture and seize the moment: costs, assessments, and solutions
The idea of mitigating climate change by removing carbon from the air is nothing new. It has been present on the desks of academics, businessmen and policymakers for over twenty years, taking a central role in climate change prediction models and leading to intense debates on its feasibility and potential for scale up so as to avoid catastrophic climate change. A new study published in the Energy and Environmental Science journal outlines a new ground-breaking technology that may be able to overcome some of the criticisms levelled at direct air capture for carbon storage technologies.
Although fossil fuels have powered and shaped the modern era they have also been a major contributing factor in the current climate crisis. However, energy will also be a key factor in coping with the consequences of climate change: a global clean energy revolution whose economic implications bring newfound hope for our future.
Climate change will have a growing influence on the stability of the banking system, potentially contributing to future financial crises. A new paper published in Nature highlights the detrimental effects of climate change on the banking system, adding to established literature on the effects of climate change on economic growth and productivity of labour. However, financial regulation authorities can act to reduce climate-related risks by implementing targeted measures.
The COP25 came to an end on Sunday afternoon. The inadequacy of current policies in bridging the emissions gap was partially recognized, but disappointment was also widespread, as negotiations failed to deliver ambitious targets and regulate carbon markets by creating consensus around Article 6. Although many are viewing this as a missed opportunity, it isn’t all bad news…
Photographs, films and immersive augmented reality installations: an art project that documents the ways in which mankind has changed the Earth, bearing witness to the effects of the human footprint on natural processes.
