Mitigation

Carbon: A matter of budget – Ep.05

A trip among satellites, robots and bottles. One that oscillates between the heights of the atmosphere and the surface of the sea. We ride on carbon dioxide molecules to understand how relevant the word budget can be in delivering a future where a climate neutrality  takes shape.
An attainable horizon as long as we follow a simple little rule:
“Don’t look at what they say. Look at what we’re doing”.

Success or failure? The Kyoto Protocol’s troubled legacy

Twenty-five years of hope and political negotiations, of science, data and denial campaigns to delay and even bury it. A look at the first iconic moment for global climate policy making: what remains of the Kyoto Protocol’s heritage and what lies ahead for international environmental agreements.

“The effects are greater than the cause.” Media reactions to COP27 outcomes

What a difference between the Global South and Developed Countries. In the COP27 aftermath, media analyses range from applause to disappointment, from those who call it a momentous decision to those that signal the use of ambiguous new language. Barbados and U.S., Brazil and EU passing through Pakistan, UK, India, China and South Africa, a collection of media coverage of the Sharm el-Sheikh Implementation Plan.

COP27 Decarbonization Day

COP27 Decarbonization Day

A crucial part of the Paris Agreement is decarbonization. This involves cutting CO2 emissions as much as possible, including in hard to abate sectors. Through policy, technology and nature based solutions decarbonization has been shown to be possible but will require immediate and radical action. November 11 at COP27 is the Decarbonization Day.

Methane: A key to unlocking the climate crisis

Scientists, experts, and policymakers: the eyes of the world are turning towards methane, a potent greenhouse gas the mitigation of which is one of the single most effective short-term actions for fighting climate change. What avenues are open for implementing effective strategies? Analysts and researchers weigh in on the international debate.

Carbon market

Giving a price to carbon means innovation, technological deployment, and profound changes in the economic system. However, the costs of a low-carbon transition will not be felt equally by all. Trading emissions in a carbon market allows us to start cutting emissions where it is cheapest whilst leaving room for the most virtuous to make gains. Origins and evolutions of a flexible and cost-effective policy with almost 20 years of history.

The sound of ice – Ep.02

Listen to the numbers. From an ice-breaker in the Arctic to the keyboard of a piano, scientific indicators become music and gestures, a narrative made of science and digital art. An experimental tale of the emotions at the heart of research. This is how Judy Twedt creates data-driven soundtracks from sea ice.

Digital twin

By connecting the real and virtual worlds digital twins help create, test and deploy the disruptive technologies and ideas needed to respond to the climate crisis at an unprecedented pace. A look at how experts such as Peter Bauer, Director of Destination Earth at the European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, are using digital twins to help plan and define the future.

Climate overshoot

Is it possible and what are the consequences of exceeding a given global mean temperature threshold and then bringing warming back down again? Although a limited and temporary climate overshoot is better than reaching a peak temperature and staying there, some of its impacts may be irreversible and could push ecosystems towards dangerous tipping points.

Food for Climate

Two faces of the same world. Obesity, food loss and waste, land competition for non-food crops on the one hand. Hunger, struggle for food security, worries for a growing population to feed on the other hand. Many paradoxes are governing the current unsustainable food system, grounded in a type of agriculture that maximizes yields at any cost for human health and the environment. We dive into an open debate in the scientific community about how to ensure that the agriculture of the future is sustainable and good for the climate, analyzing the pros and cons of organic farming as a possible solution.

The Green Climate Fund Must Focus on Adaptation  

Historically adaptation projects have received less funding than ones for mitigation. Furthermore, the burden of implementing adaptation is falling ever more on the public sector, whereas for mitigation private sector interest and investments are on the rise. This is leading to consequences in how climate finance allocates resources which are failing to support at risk areas and Least Developed Countries. The Green Climate Fund aims to bridge this funding gap and has secured its second round of funding, this time obtaining 9.78 billion USD in pledges.