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 312

Fossil Fuels Climate Change Renewable Energy Natural Gas 312

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 176

Fossil Fuels Climate Change Government Law 176

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 216

Fossil Fuels 2023 Clean Energy Nitrogen Oxides 216

Enviromental Defense

AUGUST 23, 2024

How often does the fossil fuel industry try to influence the government’s climate policy decisions? The report finds that oil and gas companies and industry associations try to influence the government through persistent lobbying. If any of these questions have ever crossed your mind, then I have great news for you!

Fossil Fuels 143

Fossil Fuels 2023 Climate Change Natural Resources 143

Enviromental Defense

SEPTEMBER 27, 2023

This wasn’t the first of these summits – but it was the first one that focused on the concrete actions governments are taking to phase out fossil fuels. We heard world leader after world leader say what has been only an elephant in the room until now – that we must phase out fossil fuels.

Fossil Fuels 131

Fossil Fuels Government Politics Greenhouse 131

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 141

Fossil Fuels Renewable Energy Clean Energy Solar Power 141

Legal Planet

MAY 9, 2022

Emissions trading systems are often launched with relatively lenient design features, typically justified as giving the system a chance to “learn-by-doing” and to gain political buy-in for approval of a program. – Continual reform to improve ambition, integrity, and buy-in. Most ETS have fallen on the prices-too-low side.

Government 241

Government Politics Climate Change Paris Agreement 241

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

MARCH 24, 2022

And even as governments seek to avert looming food crises, they must also recognize that today’s food and farming systems are highly vulnerable to disruption. More important than their numbers, however, is that several of the affected countries and regions include some of the more politically fragile and/or embattled in the world (e.g.,

Fossil Fuels 311

Fossil Fuels Politics Natural Gas Government 311

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

Union of Concerned Scientists

MARCH 6, 2025

During the Hangzhou plenary, governments had the opportunity to review and adjust the draft outlines developed at earlier expert meetings. This debate is not just technicalit is deeply tied to ethics, governance, and the role of the IPCC in assessing emerging technologies. With AR7 now in motion, the real work begins.

Climate Change 161

Climate Change Carbon Dioxide Technology Technology 161

Union of Concerned Scientists

DECEMBER 4, 2023

In an unforeseen turn of events, a pivotal climate litigation case unfolded in Montana , where 16 young environmental advocates challenged the state’s fossil fuel policies. Additionally, investment-related litigation gained prominence, shaping governance in the face of climate change.

2024 274

2024 Fossil Fuels Climate Change Government 274

A Greener Life

NOVEMBER 22, 2023

By Jeremy Williams There’s a giant cognitive dissonance at the heart of global climate politics. At the same time, those governments all want to maximise fossil fuel production. In the graph above, the purple line at the bottom is what needs to happen to fossil fuel production to hold warming at 1.5C.

Fossil Fuels 98

Fossil Fuels Politics Government Conservation 98

Circle of Blue

OCTOBER 4, 2022

The move represents a lifeline for fossil fuel use in a decarbonizing energy grid. One in 20 tests performed by the city’s water department detected the toxic metal at concentrations exceeding government limits for drinking water. Looking Ahead. Upcoming Events.

Carbon Dioxide 246

Carbon Dioxide Politics 2022 Climate Change 246

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

MARCH 6, 2025

During the Hangzhou plenary, governments had the opportunity to review and adjust the draft outlines developed at earlier expert meetings. This debate is not just technicalit is deeply tied to ethics, governance, and the role of the IPCC in assessing emerging technologies. With AR7 now in motion, the real work begins.

Climate Change 147

Climate Change Carbon Dioxide Technology Technology 147

Union of Concerned Scientists

NOVEMBER 15, 2022

But governments must put policy measures into place immediately to be effective. Methane emissions come from two main sources : fossil fuels and agriculture—primarily animal-based agriculture. At COP27, 636 registered attendees are lobbyists for the fossil fuel industry. We need to phase out fossil fuels.

Fossil Fuels 278

Fossil Fuels Paris Agreement 2030 Climate Change 278

Union of Concerned Scientists

APRIL 4, 2022

Now the reports driven by these resolutions are beginning to roll in, and while they certainly provide some insight into the fossil fuel industry’s investment in political influence, a sleight of hand is preventing investors from seeing the companies’ full strategy. ExxonMobil Names Names.

Fossil Fuels 264

Fossil Fuels Paris Agreement 2020 Politics 264

A Greener Life

NOVEMBER 7, 2022

Two-thirds of the G20’s public finance for energy went to fossil fuels in 2019–2020. The G20 group of nations provided nearly US$200 billion in support of fossil fuels in 2021, despite the worsening impacts of the climate crisis and their pledge in 2009 to phase out “inefficient” subsidies. By Catherine Early.

Fossil Fuels 98

Fossil Fuels 2009 Paris Agreement 2020 98

Union of Concerned Scientists

JANUARY 20, 2023

This methodology is similar to my own work combining climate science, political science, and history to reconstruct how UN climate negotiations have played out and what that implies for climate justice. Such a constraint would clearly place a limit on the amount of fossil fuels ExxonMobil could extract, produce and market.

Fossil Fuels 275

Fossil Fuels 2003 Sea Level 2005 275

Legal Planet

MAY 23, 2022

Australia has had a change of government. The Liberal Party — conservative in everything but name — lost control of the federal government to Labor. So the change in government is more than welcome. Climate change wasn’t a central issue in the campaign, but resistance to climate action no longer provided a political advantage.

Carbon Emissions 246

Carbon Emissions Climate Change Fossil Fuels Politics 246

Legal Planet

JULY 13, 2023

To begin with, there are the health benefits of the energy transition away from fossil fuels. It will limit the environmental harms caused by producing and transporting millions of tons of fossil fuels. Europeans are seeing right now how dangerous it can be to depend on fossil fuels from abroad.

Fossil Fuels 246

Fossil Fuels Climate Change Air Pollution Natural Gas 246

Legal Planet

AUGUST 5, 2021

A big shift to renewables could leave stranded assets — existing fossil fuel plants that the utility will no longer get paid for using. That doesn’t seem to be politically feasible at the national level, at present. Another possibility would be to provide less favorable tax treatment for fossil fuel plants.

Fossil Fuels 299

Fossil Fuels Regulations Clean Energy Renewable Energy 299

Legal Planet

MAY 9, 2022

Texas and a number of other states have passed laws banning what they call “boycotts of fossil fuel companies.” ” More precisely, they ban state investment or contracting with firms that “boycott” fossil fuel companies. Is this as opposed to a political purpose on the part of the managers? “.

Fossil Fuels 246

Fossil Fuels Law Carbon Emissions Politics 246

Union of Concerned Scientists

MARCH 30, 2022

Fossil fuels are the root cause of climate change, of long-standing environmental injustices, and are also frequently connected to geopolitical strife and violent conflicts. Other countries are dependent upon these fossil fuels, they don’t make themselves free of them. This is a fossil fuel war.

Fossil Fuels 278

Fossil Fuels Climate Change Clean Energy 2030 278

Union of Concerned Scientists

APRIL 18, 2022

Here in the United States, there are dozens of cases being brought against fossil fuel companies and others claiming recompense for climate damages and prosecuting the companies for actively deceiving their shareholders and the public to block climate action. Disinformation has impeded action.

Climate Change 261

Climate Change Fossil Fuels Government Politics 261

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. Taken together, the need for governments to meaningfully regulate these super polluters has never been clearer.

Climate Change 267

Climate Change Fossil Fuels Law Government 267

Legal Planet

MAY 19, 2023

County of Monterey –a major case involving the authority of California local governments to limit oil and gas development within their borders. County of Monterey case raises important and difficult questions for both the justices and the Executive Branch of California state government.

Law 264

Law Fossil Fuels Climate Change Regulations 264

Enviromental Defense

JUNE 21, 2021

degrees–the goal of the Paris Agreement and a critical threshold for climate change–the world must stop approving fossil fuel projects AND significantly ramp down the production of all fossil fuels: coal, oil, and fossil gas. So what do we need governments to do? This is a huge deal.

Fossil Fuels 98

Fossil Fuels Paris Agreement Climate Change Clean Energy 98

Legal Planet

JUNE 4, 2021

Some events last week sent a strong signal that the tide is turning against fossil fuels. To paraphrase Churchill, this may not be beginning of the end for fossil fuels, but at least it is the end of the beginning of the campaign against them. Each of the events standing alone would have been noteworthy.

Fossil Fuels 246

Fossil Fuels Paris Agreement Climate Change Carbon Emissions 246

Union of Concerned Scientists

SEPTEMBER 27, 2023

The dangerous impacts of a warming, fossil-fuel dependent world span from wildfires capable of destroying entire towns to cancer-causing air pollution that afflicts the next generation. The climate crisis is one of humanity’s most complex conflicts yet. Unfortunately, when it comes to climate change, the truth is often obscured.

Fossil Fuels 297

Fossil Fuels Climate Change Paris Agreement 2010 297

Legal Planet

FEBRUARY 16, 2023

We’ve been hearing a lot lately about geoengineering – the various scientific theories and governance ideas that could eventually lead to technological interventions to help cool the planet. How will governments deal with private startups if they continue to perform unscientific, unregulated experiments? A weather balloon.

Fossil Fuels 287

Fossil Fuels Climate Change Paris Agreement Technology 287

Legal Planet

AUGUST 15, 2023

The state failed to show that the MEPA limitation serves a compelling government interest,” the decision reads. ” Prioritizing fossil fuels over renewable energy in 2023 for insubstantial reasons does not pass strict scrutiny. They’ll have to be pushed. Who will do the pushing?

Climate Change 246

Climate Change Fossil Fuels Renewable Energy Carbon Dioxide 246

Circle of Blue

MARCH 1, 2022

Burning fossil fuels, cutting down forests, raising livestock, making cement, and using synthetic fertilizers are among the actions that have increased the amount of heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere to the point that the planet’s basic functions are coming undone. Some People Are More Vulnerable Than Others.

Climate Change 362

Climate Change Carbon Emissions Fossil Fuels 2010 362

Union of Concerned Scientists

MARCH 29, 2023

As I embraced my family, I felt a palpable fatigue from the pressures of the pandemic, political unrest, and geopolitical turmoil bubbling beneath the surface. As Sri Lanka recovers from the worst economic crisis since its independence, climate change impacts are also quietly fueling and exacerbating the situation.

Sea Level 217

Sea Level Climate Change Fossil Fuels 2012 217

Union of Concerned Scientists

JANUARY 4, 2023

When all is said and done, lower resource adequacy requirements could theoretically reduce utilities’ reliance on fossil fuels and reduce the cost of resource adequacy requirements for ratepayers. This is especially useful when dealing with transmission across state lines that can often face political and financial obstacles.

Clean Energy 292

Clean Energy Fossil Fuels Electricity 2018 292

Enviromental Defense

AUGUST 12, 2024

In 2023, they had at least 1,255 lobby meetings with the federal government. It highlights the most active fossil fuel companies and industry associations, as well as the Members of Parliament, ministries and ministers targeted for lobbying. That means Big Oil lobbied Parliament nearly five times per working day.

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Fossil Fuels Natural Resources Climate Change Government 145