Energy taxation should take into account the mix of energy, energy poverty and monitoring, and the difference between the Member State practices. The scheme for energy taxation should be implemented as soon as possible, taking into account the urgency of the climate crisis. The energy taxation should be used as a catalyst for speeding up the use of renewables within each Member State
There have been discussions regarding how the EU’s FitFor55 targets could be achieved. Discussions on the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism included a more rapid phase-in and a centralised oversight system. The aviation and the maritime sectors have been identified as sectors which require more ambitious goals
Concerning aviation and the maritime sector, MEPs recognize the need to shift to alternative “green” fuels. However, some fear that this will diminish the EU’s competitiveness. The same issue arises for the ETS revision where some argue the additional costs for achieving the climate goals are highly problematic. Some MEPs say that here the social climate fund comes into play, which should help low-income families and SMEs with the transition. The French presidency agrees with the importance of a socially fair transition and is in line with opinions on the energy efficiency directive that transport poverty must be avoided e.g., by focusing on public transport.
What is a ‘No Climate Policy’ Scenario? Read on to find out how the IPCC have assessed potential future scenarios. The sixth assessment report is the most comprehensive analysis of the climate crisis to ever be released. The AR6 also highlighted the risk of compound events, recognising that extreme weather events such as heatwaves and droughts are more likely to occur simultaneously, as well as becoming more frequent in the future.
The frequency and intensity of extreme events are being exaggerated by climate change. Heat waves, wildfires in northern America and floods in Europe and China are calls to action to prepare better.
Planned obsolescence encourages new product purchases and an economy centered around discard vs. repair. Planned obsolescence is responsible for the generation of e-waste, adversely burdening people and the planet. Recovering materials from e-waste and designing products with repairability in mind are readily available alternatives to planned obsolescence.
Climate adaptation cannot be the poor cousin of mitigation anymore - we need to provide support to communities on the front line of climate change. At COP26, countries need to come together to agree on the Paris Agreement.
The UK’s Nationally Determined Contribution is key in lead up to COP26. This article assess the UK’s updated Nationally Determined Contribution, and critique the delivery of its commitments. Finally, some policy mitigations suggestions are made.
The UN General Assembly opening took place this September with two weeks of speeches from world leaders. The broad overview of global policy direction evidenced an escalating climate rhetoric and bold new proposals relating to coal and green finance. However, blind spots persisted as leaders failed to address how climate change intersects with gender, youth and indigeneity.
The preparation meeting for COP26 took place between 30 September and 2 October 2021. Finance was one of the topics heavily discussed during the meeting and how to provide developing countries with the money they need to mitigation and adapt to climate change. Young activists also attended the Pre-COP meeting and highlighted the importance of strong action, now.