Environment + Energy Leader

JUNE 26, 2023

A report by global safety charity Lloyd's Register Foundation shows individuals in countries heavily reliant on fossil fuel production are less likely to perceive climate change as a significant threat.

Fossil Fuels 246

Fossil Fuels Climate Change 246

Union of Concerned Scientists

JUNE 20, 2024

Last week, I participated in the Scientists Speakout Day during the Summer of Heat on Wall Street , to protest and disrupt the financial institutions that are enabling the fossil fuel industry (and, as a result, our current climate crisis).

Fossil Fuels 252

Fossil Fuels Sea Level Paris Agreement Climate Change 252

Union of Concerned Scientists

DECEMBER 10, 2023

Last week, I joined my colleagues at COP28 in Dubai , as negotiators and civil society push for a fossil fuel phaseout to meet climate goals. This year there has been a lot of attention on the more than 2,400 oil and gas lobbyists at the climate meetings. Source: IPCC Sixth Assessment Report. billion on advertising.

Fossil Fuels 334

Fossil Fuels Carbon Dioxide Climate Change Paris Agreement 334

Union of Concerned Scientists

DECEMBER 8, 2023

While there are thousands of people here in Dubai at COP28 fighting for genuine change, the climate summit is facing a barrage of disinformation. Combatting climate change has never been more urgent, and COP28 is poised to advance critical global action. According to The Global Carbon Project , approximately 36.6

Fossil Fuels 339

Fossil Fuels Climate Change Renewable Energy Carbon Dioxide 339

Union of Concerned Scientists

DECEMBER 4, 2023

It’s not just the poor air quality, long lines, and excessive fossil fuel company representation ; nations are still too far apart in their positions on a fossil fuel phaseout, the top priority for this COP. Yet global fossil fuel production and use continue to expand. Particulate matter (PM2.5)

Fossil Fuels 328

Fossil Fuels Nitrogen Oxides Clean Energy Paris Agreement 328

Union of Concerned Scientists

MAY 10, 2023

This year has brought new evidence of what major fossil fuel companies knew and when about the role their products play in climate change, as well as what they did in spite of what they knew.

Fossil Fuels 363

Fossil Fuels Climate Change Carbon Dioxide Renewable Energy 363

Union of Concerned Scientists

APRIL 24, 2023

In an important win for climate accountability in the United States, the US Supreme Court decided that lawsuits filed in Colorado, Maryland, California, Hawai’i, and Rhode Island against fossil fuel companies including ExxonMobil, Chevron, Shell, Suncor, and others will remain in state courts.

Fossil Fuels 312

Fossil Fuels Climate Change Government Carbon Dioxide 312

Union of Concerned Scientists

FEBRUARY 21, 2023

The world’s biggest fossil fuel companies recently released their 2022 earnings reports, revealing record-breaking profits last year; just five companies–ExxonMobil, Shell, BP, Chevron, and TotalEnergies–reported a total of nearly $200 billion in profits. billion and $35.5 billion, respectively, during 2022.

Fossil Fuels 321

Fossil Fuels Climate Change Sea Level 2022 321

Union of Concerned Scientists

JUNE 24, 2024

This month, UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for a ban on advertising by fossil fuel companies, invoking the ban on tobacco ads as a relevant precedent. So what can we learn from the ban on tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship that may be relevant to tackling the fossil fuel industry-driven climate crisis?

Fossil Fuels 345

Fossil Fuels 2009 2008 Climate Change 345

Union of Concerned Scientists

NOVEMBER 14, 2022

The destruction caused by climate change is directly linked to human activity, primarily burning fossil fuels. There are multiple realistic, tangible solutions that would rapidly reduce greenhouse gas emissions worldwide, yet policy addressing anthropogenic climate change remains slow and insufficient.

Fossil Fuels 342

Fossil Fuels Climate Change Renewable Energy Natural Gas 342

Union of Concerned Scientists

SEPTEMBER 12, 2024

He recently published a children’s book titled Goodnight Fossil Fuels! that’s specifically about climate change and fossil fuel accountability. I checked out the science books, and there were some interesting titles but literally nothing about climate change. is disastrous.

Climate Change 301

Climate Change Fossil Fuels Climate Scientist Atmosphere 301

Union of Concerned Scientists

OCTOBER 12, 2022

Earlier this year, The Guardian ran a powerful article exposing the ties of Elsevier, one of the world’s largest academic publishing companies, to the fossil fuel industry. The article caught my attention because I’d never considered the ways in which an academic publisher might be perpetuating and enabling a fossil fuel economy.

Fossil Fuels 355

Fossil Fuels Climate Change Clean Energy Paris Agreement 355

Legal Planet

NOVEMBER 15, 2021

The decision at the Glasgow climate conference to phase down fossil fuels is an important step forward — and not just because of climate change. We think of fossil fuels as a source of climate change, but that’s only a one part of the problem. Consider coal. Download as PDF.

Fossil Fuels 238

Fossil Fuels Carbon Dioxide Clean Water Act Climate Change 238

Law and Environment

AUGUST 3, 2023

On July 31, 2023, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu signed an executive order ending the use of fossil fuels in new construction and major renovations of city-owned buildings. Covered buildings and projects will require heating, ventilation, air conditioning, hot water, and cooking systems that do not use fossil fuels.

Fossil Fuels 243

Fossil Fuels Carbon Emissions Clean Energy Law 243

Union of Concerned Scientists

MAY 16, 2023

But this new study from my colleagues working on climate change and fossil fuel accountability couldn’t be ignored. In short, the study concludes that fossil fuel companies are in part to blame for the extraordinary damages resulting from western wildfires (including those sparked by utilities).

Fossil Fuels 252

Fossil Fuels Climate Change Electricity Regulations 252

Union of Concerned Scientists

OCTOBER 3, 2024

The grief of yet another climate-changed event is overwhelming. Photo provided by the author The aftermath of Helene is proving the worst of what we imagine in the face of climate change. That means that, because of climate change, we need to be prepared for more destructive storms like Helene.

Climate Change 346

Climate Change Fossil Fuels Ocean Climate Scientist 346

Union of Concerned Scientists

AUGUST 26, 2024

And we know that as our climate warms further—driven by burning fossil fuels—the risk of large wildfires will only grow. This alarming finding clarifies the significant role and responsibility of fossil fuel companies to not only stop their harm moving forward, but also to address damage they have already done.

Climate Change 272

Climate Change Fossil Fuels Clean Energy Electricity 272

Union of Concerned Scientists

JULY 29, 2024

My colleague Dr. Kristy Dahl and I arrived in Sofia, Bulgaria, last week for the 61st session of the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). These documents offer an internationally accepted summary of the state of climate science, and form the backbone of many legal briefs I prepare.

Climate Change 281

Climate Change Fossil Fuels Carbon Dioxide Paris Agreement 281

Union of Concerned Scientists

APRIL 27, 2023

Fossil fuel power plant owners are facing increased accountability for their air and water pollution, including from a new round of environmental and public health protections that are being rolled out by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). We’ve heard these lazily disingenuous narratives before.

Fossil Fuels 280

Fossil Fuels Electricity 2014 Climate Change 280

Union of Concerned Scientists

OCTOBER 27, 2021

Director of Strategic Climate Analytics Erika Spanger-Siegfried pulls no punches as she imagines what she'd ask the fossil fuel executives who will be questioned about their role in climate change at a House Oversight and Reform Committee meeting.

Fossil Fuels 290

Fossil Fuels Climate Change 290

Legal Planet

AUGUST 18, 2022

Production and combustion of fossil fuels imposes enormous costs on society, which the industry doesn’t pay for. I want to talk about some options for using the tax system to change that. A more promising alternative might be a clean-up tax on the fossil fuel industry. Download as PDF.

Fossil Fuels 261

Fossil Fuels Carbon Dioxide Politics Air Pollution 261

Union of Concerned Scientists

JUNE 19, 2024

Accelerating risks from climate change are colliding with shortcomings in insurance markets—such as a lack of transparent information and affordability provisions—to create a perfect storm for people and communities on the front lines of floods, droughts, and wildfires. Many of these disasters bear the fingerprints of climate change.

Climate Change 362

Climate Change Regulations Fossil Fuels 2022 362

Union of Concerned Scientists

JANUARY 24, 2023

Utilities and grid operators prepared for the storm as it was coming down the pike, but they still underestimated the energy demand it would trigger, as well as the number of outages at fossil fuel power plants—mainly natural gas-fired, plus some coal-fired plants.

Fossil Fuels 283

Fossil Fuels 2014 Climate Change Electricity 283

Union of Concerned Scientists

FEBRUARY 29, 2024

Fossil fuel companies are well established as founts of disinformation , agents of obstruction, and drivers of climate change. We draw attention to the outsized role that a small number of business enterprises have had in driving climate change and obstructing action.

Climate Change 293

Climate Change Fossil Fuels Law Government 293

Union of Concerned Scientists

JUNE 26, 2024

This June, I had the opportunity to testify at the Pennsylvania House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee’s hearing on “Hydrogen Hubs and Climate Change.” My name is Julie McNamara, and I am a senior analyst and deputy policy director for climate and energy at the Union of Concerned Scientists.

Climate Change 282

Climate Change Fossil Fuels Carbon Dioxide Clean Energy 282

Union of Concerned Scientists

FEBRUARY 23, 2023

And just like summertime in the US, this period (December, January, and February) has transformed into a “ danger season ” as a result of climate change, replete with deadly heatwaves, drought, and wildfires. Sixty times more likely is a remarkable figure to me. And there would be some justice.

Climate Change 316

Climate Change Fossil Fuels Carbon Dioxide Climate Scientist 316

NRDC

APRIL 23, 2024

Study shows that plastic production could be nearly one third of the global carbon budget and emits four times more greenhouse gases than the airline industry.

Fossil Fuels 138

Fossil Fuels Climate Change Greenhouse 138

Legal Planet

JUNE 16, 2022

According to the Energy Information Agency , South Korea’s power sector is heavily reliant on fossil fuels. Two thirds of generation capacity is based on fossil fuels, split evenly between coal and natural gas, with 17% nuclear, and 14% hydro and other renewables. 50% coal, 26% gas, and 25% nuclear. Download as PDF.

Climate Change 246

Climate Change Fossil Fuels Paris Agreement 2030 246

PA Environment Daily

NOVEMBER 13, 2024

On November 12, Moms Clean Air Force , Environmental Health Project , and Clean Air Council held a press conference at the Pennsylvania State Capitol calling on state leaders to safeguard Pennsylvanians from the impacts of a fossil fuel and plastic industry buildout. Steele, executive director of the Environmental Health Project. “As

Fossil Fuels 86

Fossil Fuels Renewable Energy Climate Change Air Pollution 86

Enviromental Defense

MARCH 11, 2024

Will the City of Ottawa ban fossil fuel promotion in City facilities? Fossil fuel advertisements indeed contradict the City’s policies on climate. City Council declared a climate emergency in 2019 and committed to a full phase-out of fossil fuels by 2050. It’s possible. And who knows?

Fossil Fuels 134

Fossil Fuels Climate Change 2019 2022 134

Real Climate

APRIL 6, 2023

The summary for policymakers of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) sixth synthesis report was released on March 20th (available online as a PDF ). There is a recording of the IPCC Press Conference – Climate Change 2023: Synthesis Report for those who are interested in watching an awkward release of the report.

Climate Change 340

Climate Change Fossil Fuels Greenhouse 2012 340

Union of Concerned Scientists

MARCH 23, 2023

And fossil fuel power plants may not stick to their retirement schedules for a variety of reasons. And CO 2 emissions are a primary driver of global climate change, which is exacerbating the type of extreme weather that killed 474 people and caused $165 billion in damages in the United States last year alone.

Fossil Fuels 249

Fossil Fuels 2023 Clean Energy Nitrogen Oxides 249

Union of Concerned Scientists

NOVEMBER 1, 2024

As a result of fossil fuel-driven climate change, it’s on track to be the warmest year in recorded history. This heat fueled extreme weather events across the world, with most having significant impacts on human life and infrastructure and ecosystems. 2024 will be a year to remember.

Fossil Fuels 274

Fossil Fuels Atmosphere Climate Change Ocean 274

Legal Planet

OCTOBER 24, 2023

Though they probably meant well, it’s offensive—misogynist even— to suggest that Taylor Swift has nothing more to contribute to the climate movement than a date. You could argue that writing about climate change would be a departure from Swift’s usual topics of relationships and romance, which frankly is a sexist and untrue take.

Climate Change 286

Climate Change 2019 Climate Scientist Fossil Fuels 286

Union of Concerned Scientists

OCTOBER 31, 2024

This could be met from a variety of sources—including pollution fees on fossil fuel companies, the elimination of fossil fuel subsidies, and wealth taxes on the richest people. Climate vulnerable countries need funding to start flowing quickly. Progress on support for climate adaptation. to 2.8 °C

Fossil Fuels 273

Fossil Fuels Paris Agreement Renewable Energy Climate Change 273

Union of Concerned Scientists

MARCH 24, 2023

For the first time, the International Court of Justice (ICJ)—the world’s highest court—may be ruling on climate change. On March 29, the UN General Assembly will vote on a resolution to bring climate change before the ICJ.

Climate Change 330

Climate Change Law Paris Agreement Ocean 330

Enviromental Defense

DECEMBER 29, 2023

Earlier this month at COP28 countries committed to transitioning off of fossil fuels and massively scaling up renewable energy instead. So you’re excused if, like me, you’re baffled by Minister Freeland’s first move in the wake of COP28: a giant new fossil fuel subsidy, via the new Canada Growth Fund.

Fossil Fuels 142

Fossil Fuels Renewable Energy Clean Energy Solar Power 142