Sustainability Outlook Headlines

UK Government Misses Renewable Energy Target by 75 Percent

A report on Thursday stated that the UK government failed to meet their energy target of having 10 percent of electricity generated from renewable energy sources such as solar, wave, and wind.

The energy target was set in 2000 and due to be completed in 2010. But according to the figures released by the National Audit Office (NAO), only 2.3 percent of the 10 percent goal was accomplished, leaving the government short 75 percent less than their intended objective. The NAO responded to this shortfall by criticizing the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC)'s use of government... Read more..

$550 Billion in Fossil Fuel Subsidies

A new report out by the International Energy Agency (IEA) makes it clear that if we just stopped subsidizing the fossil fuel industry (or, at least, subsidized it a lot less) we could significantly cut climate change pollution.

The report found that the global fossil fuel industry receives approximately $550 billion in subsidies every year. The report was released at a meeting of G20 finance ministers in Busan, South Korea last weekend.

You would think that with increasing concerns about global warming and peak oil, subsidies would be decreasing, but the report showed that... Read more..

Critics slam climate change proposal

A new round of climate talks has ended with rich and poor countries criticising a new text meant to pave the way toward a deal to halt global warming.Still, the United Nations says progress has been made at the two-week meeting in Bonn. 'This, all in all, is a big step forward, making much more possible in Cancun,' UN climate chief Yvo de Boer said on Friday, referring to the next major climate summit in Mexico at the end of the year. In Bonn, negotiators from 185 countries tried to revive efforts for a global treaty to fight climate change after the disappointing UN summit in Copenhagen... Read more..

Rich and poor countries unimpressed with new climate change proposal in Bonn

A new round of climate talks ended Friday with rich and poor countries both sharply criticizing a new text meant to pave the way toward a deal to halt global warming. Still, the United Nations said progress was made at the two-week meeting in Bonn."This all in all is a big step forward making much more possible in Cancun," said U.N. climate chief Yvo de Boer, referring to the next major climate summit in Mexico at the end of the year.

Himalayan climate impacts ‘cannot be generalised’

Changes to the flow of meltwater as a result of global warming is likely to have a “severe” impact on food security in some areas, say scientists. Yet people living elsewhere are likely to see food productivity increase, they added in a paper published in Science. Overall, the food security of 4.5% of 1.4bn people in the region is threatened, the researchers conclude. More than 1.4bn people depend on water from the Indus, Ganges, Brahmaputra, Yangtze and Yellow rivers.

World Bank role in climate opposed

Today, in response to demands by rich countries for World Bank management of climate funds, 287 civil society organizations from over 50 countries released a letter to President Barack Obama calling for the US to stop supporting the Bank in UN climate negotiations.

India remains firm on its stand on emission reduction targets

India has rejected calls by developed countries at the Bonn climate talks to turn its domestic emission reduction commitments into internationally binding pledges.In response to industrialized nations again raising the issue of such commitments by developing countries, Indian negotiators made a statement at the climate meet that firmly echoed the views of the Group of 77 and China.

Rich countries accused of carbon 'cheating'

Some rich countries are seeking new rules under the UN climate convention that campaigners say would allow them to gain credit for "business as usual". Russia, Australia, Canada and some EU countries are among the accused. The rules relate to land-use change, which can either release or absorb carbon, depending mainly on whether forests are planted or chopped down. Rich countries, apart from the US, could account for about 5% of their annual emissions through this loophole.

Climate change: No solution at hand on funds for developing countries

Providing adequate amount of money to help developing countries to slow down climate change continues to be a stumbling block at the negotiating process in Bonn. There are two parts to the finance knot: The short-term or fast-track financing of $30 billion by 2012 and the long-term or mobilising of funds to the tune of $100 billion annually by 2020.At Bonn, developing countries have expressed scepticism about fast-track finance.

Recession boost to environment

Call it the law of unintended consequences, but some good may have come out of the sub-prime mess created by Wall Street.The 2008-09 recession probably did more for the global environment than any climate change summit or agreement. The recession hit world economy saw its energy consumption, and hence greenhouse effect causing carbon dioxide emissions, shrink by 1.1 per cent during 2009.This is the first time since 1982 that global energy consumption has dropped, says oil major BP in its latest Statistical Review of World Energy.

Climate change: No solution at hand on funds for developing countries

Providing adequate amount of money to help developing countries to slow down climate change continues to be a stumbling block at the negotiating process in Bonn. 

At Bonn, developing countries have expressed scepticism about fast-track finance.

Hope are also faint on the ability of the UN secretary general’s high-level advisory group on finance to deliver a solution to long-term finance for developing nations. 

Media Clinic takes pulse of Bonn climate-change negotiations

Top climate-change negotiators from China, India, the EU,Brazil, Bangladesh and the Solomon Islands made a rare joint appearance before media at a side event during the ongoing UN talks in Bonn.

With the UN negotiations often taking place behind closed doors, it is rare to get opposing sides in the same room and speaking on record.