Serious health effects and high mortality rate from burning fossil fuels and climate heating Swedish medical associations have summarised the current scientific evidence on the health effects of climate heating and highlighted important areas where efforts to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, such as phasing out fossil fuels and reducing meat consumption, will also have profound health benefits. Read more
Editorial Place the most vulnerable at the core of the response to the climate crisis. The citizens of Small Island Development States (SIDS) are among the most vulnerable people to climate change. More than 60 million people living on these islands are threatened directly by sea-level rise and more intense weather-related natural disasters, caused by global heating. Read more
Scaling up renewable energy investment in emerging markets The untapped potential for the renewable energy sector in emerging markets in Africa, Asia and Latin America is enormous, and should be addressed urgently in recovery efforts post-Covid-19. Read more
New civil society scenario shows pathway towards 65% emission reductions by 2030 The European Commission will propose in the coming weeks an updated EU 2030 climate target. European NGOs have developed their own Paris Agreement Compatible (PAC) energy scenario that illustrates how EU greenhouse gas emissions can be cut by 65% by 2030. Read more
EU Commission proposes strategy for energy system integration The European Commission issued its strategy – “Powering a climate-neutral economy: An EU Strategy for Energy System Integration” – on 8 July 2020. This is one of several policy initiatives which have been presented as a part of the European Green Deal. Read more
Global ship emissions keep on rising In 2018, worldwide shipping consumed some 330 million tonnes of fuel oil, resulting in emissions of 1056 million tonnes of carbon dioxide. Unless concerted action is taken, these emissions are expected to grow by up to fifty per cent by 2050. Read more
Phase-out ship scrubbers The International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) is calling for all open-loop scrubbers to be converted to closed-loop, and for an eventual ban on the technology. Read more
Binding EU air pollution emission limits still breached In 2018, the national emission ceilings for ammonia were still violated by five member states, although total ammonia emissions seem now to have plateaued after five consecutive years of increase. Read more
Plans to tackle key air pollutants insufficient In its first report on countries’ progress towards EU air pollution goals, the European Commission said that most member states are at risk of missing their binding emission reduction targets for both 2020 and 2030. Read more
