The last COP in Dubai and the upcoming climate conference in Azerbaijan have drawn significant criticism: Oil and gas states are deemed unsuitable hosts for the most important meeting of global climate diplomacy, a commonly expressed view suggests. Australia and some Pacific states might host COP31 in 2026. Bernhard Pötter explains why the region is […]
State commitments and plans for Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) are not sufficient to meet climate goals, reveals a new study published in Nature. Current CDR plans would only be adequate if nations significantly reduced their emissions.The study indicates that if fully implemented, state CDR plans would lead to an additional CO2 removal of 0.5 gigatons […]
The COP28 decision in Dubai to “transition away from fossil fuels” was not the end, but the beginning of the debate on phasing out coal, oil, and gas. This will also be evident at this year’s Petersberg Climate Dialogue in Berlin. After all, the COP wording was deliberately vague to reconcile conflicting interests.However, it is […]
Many countries have failed to meet the climate targets promised at the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference (COP15 in 2009). This is the result of a new study published in Nature Climate Change. The authors analyzed the targets of 34 developed countries (Annex I countries):The study identifies improvements in the energy intensity of economies – i.e., […]
Emissions trading has steadily become more important over the last two decades. Many countries plan to introduce an emissions trading system (ETS), as the new study, Emission Trading Worldwide – Status Report 2024, by the International Carbon Action Partnership, shows.Especially Latin America has plans to establish emissions trading systems:Numerous projects are also being planned and […]
This week, the leading climate diplomats from the EU, Germany, France, Denmark and the Netherlands will meet with the Chinese leadership in Beijing. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is also expected next weekend. The list of topics discussed at these meetings always includes the climate policy of the largest carbon emitter. After all, China is about […]
In a new study, the cement industry is pressing for a swift expansion of CO2 infrastructure in Germany. Otherwise, neither the sector nor Germany can achieve their long-term climate goals. According to the study by the Verein Deutscher Zementwerke (VDZ), waste incineration plants and the cement and lime industry could capture and store (Carbon Capture […]
It’s a surprisingly optimistic outlook: Germany is on track to achieve its climate targets by 2030, said Minister for Economic Affairs Robert Habeck today. Together with UBA President Dirk Messner, he presented the emission data for 2023 and the Federal Environment Agency (UBA) projections for the future.Especially the outlook reveals unexpected developments: The political measures […]
It was a cheerful Minister for Economic Affairs who appeared before the cameras at 8 a.m. on Friday morning: He had something “unusual and successful” to announce, said Robert Habeck. And indeed, the numbers he presented with UBA President Dirk Messner are surprisingly positive: The latest projection from the Federal Environment Agency shows that the […]
Methane emissions from the energy sector remain at a very high level – despite various pledges by the oil and gas industry to fix leaks and replace leaking infrastructure. This is according to a new report published by the International Energy Agency (IEA) on Wednesday. The production and use of fossil fuels released 118 million […]