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 322

Fossil Fuels Nitrogen Oxides Clean Energy Paris Agreement 322

Yale E360

FEBRUARY 17, 2023

Seeking to offset rising energy costs, governments spent more than $1 trillion on subsidies for the consumption of fossil fuels last year, an all-time high. Read more on E360 →

Fossil Fuels 243

Fossil Fuels Government 243

Union of Concerned Scientists

DECEMBER 8, 2023

Yet, driven by vested interests in the fossil fuel industry , misleading narratives aim to distort and hinder meaningful climate commitments. Fossil fuels are the problem It’s pretty simple: the burning of fossil fuels is the main driver of climate change. billion tons of the 40.5

Fossil Fuels 323

Fossil Fuels Climate Change Renewable Energy Carbon Dioxide 323

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

MAY 8, 2024

Some years ago, I began to feel the most important thing I could do was learn how to replace fossil fuel with renewable energy. For 30 years I have been an advocate for offshore wind development off New England’s coast and for the creation of institutions to support a transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy.

Fossil Fuels 321

Fossil Fuels Wind Power Ocean Renewable Energy 321

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. Fossil fuels are a case in point. Consider coal.

Fossil Fuels 246

Fossil Fuels Carbon Dioxide Clean Water Act Climate Change 246

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 318

Fossil Fuels 2009 2008 Climate Change 318

Union of Concerned Scientists

NOVEMBER 14, 2022

The destruction caused by climate change is directly linked to human activity, primarily burning fossil fuels. This dangerous delay in action is largely due to the fossil fuel industry continuing to increase carbon emissions and standing in the way of change. . Tuvalu endorsed the fossil fuel non-proliferation treaty.

Fossil Fuels 311

Fossil Fuels Climate Change Renewable Energy Natural Gas 311

Union of Concerned Scientists

MARCH 21, 2025

This verdict is yet another example of the fossil fuel industrys agenda being enacted by multiple levels and branches of government. Here at the Union of Concerned Scientists, were resisting through Protect the Protest anti-SLAPP taskforceand by organizing a climate accountability campaign targeting the fossil fuel industry.

Fossil Fuels 205

Fossil Fuels 2008 Climate Change Government 205

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 250

Fossil Fuels Electricity 2014 Climate Change 250

Union of Concerned Scientists

MARCH 30, 2022

Replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy from wind and solar will depend on upgrading the electric power grid, which is currently plagued by planning delays and gridlock. The 2021 law allows, but does not require, PJM to plan ahead because various fossil fuel plants must reduce and then cease emissions by a specific date.

Fossil Fuels 263

Fossil Fuels Renewable Energy Electricity Regulations 263

Legal Planet

FEBRUARY 7, 2022

This being Black History Month, I thought it would be worthwhile looking at the fossil fuel industry’s racial history. Government statistics show that only 3% of those in the coal mining industry today are black. The post Jim Crow and the Fossil Fuel Industry appeared first on Legal Planet. Oil and gas.

Fossil Fuels 246

Fossil Fuels Technology Technology Government 246

Union of Concerned Scientists

JUNE 12, 2023

Utility companies, as well as state and federal government regulatory agencies, made a series of questionable decisions that together created the situation we find ourselves in today. The same scenario has played out with the power plants that use fossil fuels, predominantly methane (“natural”) gas, delivered by pipelines.

Fossil Fuels 215

Fossil Fuels Renewable Energy Electricity Regulations 215

Union of Concerned Scientists

JANUARY 14, 2025

As the climate crisis deepens, so does the urgency to hold fossil fuel companies accountable for decades of deception. As the fossil fuel industry spares no expense to obscure these truths, the work of scientists who engage with climate litigation is increasingly vital.

Fossil Fuels 175

Fossil Fuels Climate Change Government Law 175

Union of Concerned Scientists

MARCH 23, 2023

And fossil fuel power plants may not stick to their retirement schedules for a variety of reasons. The bottom line: There’s still a long way to go, and the clean energy transition must move quicker than it has been—despite the fossil fuel industry’s self-serving claims to the contrary. A bit more on those reasons later.

Fossil Fuels 215

Fossil Fuels 2023 Clean Energy Nitrogen Oxides 215

Union of Concerned Scientists

DECEMBER 30, 2024

Installations of commercial solarsystems on businesses, schools, and government buildings, for examplewere potentially 13% higher in 2024, per Wood Mackenzie. 2024s growth was led by Texas, Florida, and California. And it included MISO’s approval of massive investments in transmission within its territory.

Clean Energy 273

Clean Energy 2024 Wind Power Renewable Energy 273

Enviromental Defense

MARCH 27, 2024

New analysis from Environmental Defence reveals that despite federal government promises, funding to the fossil fuel and petrochemical industries remains high Ottawa | Traditional, unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabeg People – New analysis released today by Environmental Defence reveals Canada’s federal government provided at least $18.6

Fossil Fuels 143

Fossil Fuels Government Renewable Energy 2028 143

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 140

Fossil Fuels Renewable Energy Clean Energy Solar Power 140

Enviromental Defense

JANUARY 14, 2025

It is unlikely that the government will last long once Parliament resumes. At the top of the list of key climate regulations that need to be finalized before March 24th is the governments cap on pollution from the oil and gas industry. The Government of Canada promised the new rules by the end of 2024, but they missed their deadline.

Politics 108

Politics Fossil Fuels Renewable Energy Climate Change 108

Union of Concerned Scientists

MAY 22, 2023

For years, fossil fuel companies have socialized the costs of their pollution while privatizing the benefits. Since local and state governments are on the frontlines of paying for worsening wildfires, they should also be on the leading edge of holding fossil fuel companies accountable.

Fossil Fuels 247

Fossil Fuels Climate Change Paris Agreement 2012 247

Environmental News Bits

DECEMBER 6, 2024

by Bruce Huber, University of Notre Dame Fossil fuels are the leading driver of climate change, yet they are still heavily subsidized by governments around the world. Although many countries have explicitly promised to reduce fossil fuel subsidies to combat climate change, this has proven difficult to accomplish.

Fossil Fuels 52

Fossil Fuels Climate Change Government 52

Union of Concerned Scientists

NOVEMBER 20, 2023

New science has shown that the largest fossil fuel, dairy, and waste methane super-emitters contribute a sizeable fraction of the total methane emissions in the regions the study authors monitored. Corporate high emitters When a methane super-emitter is identified, the company or government who owns that site needs to take action.

Fossil Fuels 309

Fossil Fuels Paris Agreement Climate Change 2030 309

Enviromental Defense

NOVEMBER 6, 2024

After 30 years of international negotiations failing to mention the root cause of the climate crisis, the acknowledgement that we must phase out all fossil fuels and massively scale up renewable energy in order to effectively tackle the climate crisis, was both long overdue and extremely significant.

Fossil Fuels 108

Fossil Fuels Paris Agreement Renewable Energy 2025 108

Circle of Blue

NOVEMBER 1, 2021

The newly autonomous Bangsamoro government has invited investors to pursue drilling projects in a marsh critical for both Indigenous peoples and wildlife. Having gained its status as an autonomous region, the fledgling Bangsamoro government has invited investors to drill under the Liguasan Marsh for fossil fuels.

Fossil Fuels 264

Fossil Fuels Government Climate Change Renewable Energy 264

Union of Concerned Scientists

NOVEMBER 16, 2023

It also will save US consumers money because they will spend less on fossil fuels. First, decarbonizing the electricity sector mainly with wind and solar to replace coal and fossil gas. Second, replacing fossil fuels with clean electricity in the transportation, building, and industrial sectors. Your thoughts?

Carbon Emissions 328

Carbon Emissions Fossil Fuels Clean Energy 2030 328

Legal Planet

AUGUST 15, 2023

State of Montana, a Montana trial court ruled that the state Constitution’s guarantee of a healthy and clean environment prevails over Montana’s longstanding fossil-fuel-based state energy system. The first legal challenge mounted by Our Children’s Trust was Juliana v. United States. The August 14th Held v.

Climate Change 189

Climate Change Government Fossil Fuels Energy Policy Act 189

Union of Concerned Scientists

NOVEMBER 16, 2022

Union of Concerned Scientists’ (UCS) research shows that top fossil fuel producers’ emissions are responsible for as much as half of global surface temperature increase. The best solution: Replace fossil fuels with renewable energy. A small number of big corporations are responsible for the climate crisis.

Fossil Fuels 321

Fossil Fuels Paris Agreement Renewable Energy Carbon Dioxide 321

Union of Concerned Scientists

APRIL 19, 2022

The shift from fossil fuels in the 100% RES scenario reduces the amount of harmful air pollution from power plants much more than in our “No New Policy”/business-as-usual scenario. Similarly, communities now tied to fossil fuels need support in moving beyond that dependence. And our modeling shows renewables’ power.

Renewable Energy 363

Renewable Energy Fossil Fuels Nitrogen Oxides Clean Energy 363

Legal Planet

JUNE 13, 2024

In fact, the state of California is currently suing Phillips 66, along with other fossil fuel companies, for harms caused by climate change to communities around the state. But lots has happened since the 1960s when this partnership was formed, and we know much more than we did then about the harms of fossil fuels.

Fossil Fuels 62

Fossil Fuels Climate Change 2019 Government 62

Union of Concerned Scientists

JULY 1, 2022

First and foremost, despite some fossil fuel interests swinging for the fossil fuel-favored fences, the Supreme Court’s decision in West Virginia v. What the Supreme Court decided in West Virginia v. What this decision means for the climate.

Fossil Fuels 278

Fossil Fuels Clean Air Act Clean Energy Greenhouse 278

Legal Planet

MAY 9, 2022

Continual reform is necessary so that emissions trading systems do not become merely symbolic regulation, or even worse create harmful negative consequences for climate policy – by for example subsidizing fossil fuel use or preempting useful complementary regulations. Implications for China. Stay tuned. Download as PDF.

Government 241

Government Politics Climate Change Paris Agreement 241

A Greener Life

NOVEMBER 22, 2023

At the same time, those governments all want to maximise fossil fuel production. According to the recent Production Gap report, the total planned production of fossil fuels between now and 2050 is twice the limit set to keep warming to 1.5

Fossil Fuels 98

Fossil Fuels Politics Government Conservation 98

Legal Planet

JUNE 16, 2022

Even so, it compares favorably with the national governments in places like the U.S. According to the Energy Information Agency , South Korea’s power sector is heavily reliant on fossil fuels. Actual generation is tilted a bit more toward fossil fuels and nuclear. What is South Korea doing to cut its emissions?

Climate Change 246

Climate Change Fossil Fuels Paris Agreement 2030 246

Yale E360

NOVEMBER 24, 2020

Close ties between the ruling elite and the coal industry have helped perpetuate South Africa’s dependence on the dirtiest fossil fuel for electricity. But now residents of the nation’s most coal-intensive region are suing to force the government to clean up choking air pollution. Read more on E360 ?.

Fossil Fuels 244

Fossil Fuels Air Pollution Electricity Government 244

Union of Concerned Scientists

MARCH 19, 2025

In the 1960s, it started to become clear, with the help of climate models and theory, that fossil fuel use would warm the planet. government, that the planet would warm due to fossil fuel emissions (though the U.S. government was warned about global warming as early as 1965 ).

Atmosphere 163

Atmosphere Ocean Radiation Climate Scientist 163

Union of Concerned Scientists

APRIL 26, 2023

That would be the straw man erected by defenders of the fossil fuel industry who claim that facing climate change is a doctrinaire liberal policy. This year, many on the far-right are attempting to rebrand Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) investing as “woke capitalism.”

Fossil Fuels 314

Fossil Fuels Climate Change Government 2021 314

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 106

Fossil Fuels Climate Change 2019 2022 106