Union of Concerned Scientists

JUNE 13, 2022

I was invited to speak at a panel discussion last Wednesday as part of The Economist ’s annual Sustainability Week, titled “What technologies are needed to avert a climate disaster?” True to the theme, I was asked about which technological innovations would be necessary to save our planet. The actual barriers to progress.

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Technology Technology Climate Change Fossil Fuels 264

Union of Concerned Scientists

MARCH 6, 2025

Working Group 3: Mitigation of Climate Change Evaluates pathways for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, sustainable development strategies, and the role of finance, technology, and policy in achieving net-zero emissions. Delegates questioned when (or if) the IPCC should develop methodologies for technologies with unclear risks.

Climate Change 199

Climate Change Carbon Dioxide Technology Technology 199

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.

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Fossil Fuels Renewable Energy Clean Energy Solar Power 141

Enviromental Defense

JUNE 9, 2021

. – Ontario has launched the second phase of a program to expand fossil fuel gas pipelines to new communities. Instead of supporting viable and more cost-effective clean technologies like heat pumps, Ontario is spending more than $234 million to support approximately 8750 connections – a subsidy of over $26,000 per customer.

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Fossil Fuels Technology Technology Carbon Emissions 119

Enviromental Defense

AUGUST 23, 2021

Last spring, we released a report – Paying Polluters: Federal Financial Support to Oil and Gas in 2020 – that revealed the federal government announced a minimum of nearly $18 billion to the oil and gas sector in 2020. Companies put their own remediation programs on hold while they waited for the government to pay to clean up their mess.

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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.

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A Greener Life

MARCH 3, 2024

By Anders Lorenzen Jim Ratcliffe, the UK’s richest man and the founder and CEO of Ineos , the petrochemical giant, who perversely pays little UK tax as he resides in the tax haven of Monaco, has won UK government backing from a giant fossil fuel project which campaigners have labelled as climate wrecking.

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Fossil Fuels Government Technology Technology 105

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.

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Fossil Fuels Paris Agreement Renewable Energy Carbon Dioxide 321

Union of Concerned Scientists

MARCH 6, 2025

Working Group 3: Mitigation of Climate Change Evaluates pathways for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, sustainable development strategies, and the role of finance, technology, and policy in achieving net-zero emissions. Delegates questioned when (or if) the IPCC should develop methodologies for technologies with unclear risks.

Climate Change 147

Climate Change Carbon Dioxide Technology Technology 147

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.

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Fossil Fuels Clean Air Act Clean Energy Greenhouse 279

Enviromental Defense

DECEMBER 2, 2024

Toronto | Traditional territories of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishinaabeg, the Haudenosaunee, and the Wendat – We are disappointed to see the Ontario government make unsupported claims about the proposed federal clean electricity regulations. Battery storage is very cost-effective.

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Electricity Regulations Renewable Energy Fossil Fuels 119

Legal Planet

JULY 15, 2024

So in a sense, these are old technologies — about the same age as the very first internal combustion engines. But the scientific and technological advances that made these technologies competitive with fossil fuels are much more recent. Persian experts were sent by Genghis Khan to establish the technology in China.

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Renewable Energy Fossil Fuels 2005 Technology 264

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.

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Government Politics Climate Change Paris Agreement 241

Legal Planet

SEPTEMBER 17, 2024

You don’t have to look beyond the front pages of newspapers , or beyond rooftops in your neighborhood to know that we are in the midst of a clean energy revolution, with renewable energy technologies dramatically decreasing in price and increasing in availability.

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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.

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Enviromental Defense

NOVEMBER 11, 2021

Last week, the federal government showed some much-needed climate leadership at COP26, the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow. Joining an ever growing list of countries from around the world, Canada pledged to end public financing for overseas fossil-fuel projects in 2022 and instead prioritize the clean energy transition.

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Fossil Fuels 2022 Clean Energy Climate Change 101

Union of Concerned Scientists

JANUARY 30, 2023

The key word here is “ intensity :” Fossil fuel companies often focus on emissions intensity, meaning emissions per barrel of oil, rather than absolute emissions, which is a set number measured in metric tons. That means Exxon still plans to spend the vast majority of its funds on fossil fuel exploration and production.

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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.

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Legal Planet

SEPTEMBER 17, 2024

However, China will also have to fix problems that have led to an underuse of renewable capacity and a preference for fossil fuel generation on the grid. China has become the dominant manufacturer of clean energy technologies. This is not an accident: the government poured $22 billion into the EV industry starting in 2009.

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Clean Energy Fossil Fuels Renewable Energy 2009 277

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. Reducing production of fossil fuels or making it harder to transport to users would raise prices and deter reliance on those fuels. There are other possible sticks.

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Enviromental Defense

JUNE 13, 2023

March was a tight competition between fossil fuel pipeline, extraction, and oil and gas production companies for who could get the most face time with the federal government. Our lobby bot recorded 103 meetings between oil and gas industry lobbyists and federal government officials from the lobby registry.

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Fossil Fuels Government Climate Change Natural Resources 95

Union of Concerned Scientists

OCTOBER 16, 2023

That’s a really good thing given the central role we expect and need solar to play in a just transition away from fossil fuels. The idea is to “create best practices that solar companies, local governments, and other stakeholders can use to effectively site solar projects.”

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Solar Power Fossil Fuels Electricity Technology 317

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.

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Fossil Fuels Climate Change Paris Agreement Technology 287

Union of Concerned Scientists

FEBRUARY 2, 2024

In December, the Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service proposed regulations governing implementation of the 45V Clean Hydrogen Production Tax Credit , passed as part of 2022’s Inflation Reduction Act. In particular, emissions loopholes related to biomethane and fugitive methane (i.e.,

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Fossil Fuels Waste Regulations Electricity 330

Enviromental Defense

NOVEMBER 4, 2021

If honored, this commitment will likely unseat Canada as the worst-ranking in the G20 for international public financing to the fossil fuel sector. . This means while EDC’s overall fossil fuel support was CAD 13.6 Shifting public finance for energy out of all fossil fuels and into clean energy is an urgent task.

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Fossil Fuels 2022 2018 Renewable Energy 91

Enviromental Defense

NOVEMBER 28, 2023

Carbon capture has never worked as promised, the carbon is dangerous to transport, and the technology is extremely expensive, especially compared to the plummeting costs of renewable energy. This isn’t just a bad bet for the climate, it’s bad for Albertans.

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Technology Technology Fossil Fuels Renewable Energy 123

Legal Planet

DECEMBER 16, 2021

Utilities were famously set in their ways, using nineteenth century technologies to produce and deliver their products. The key to getting climate change under control is to rapidly decrease the user of fossil fuels. Technological changes. Only specialists really paid much attention. All that has changed dramatically.

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Law Fossil Fuels Regulations Electricity 246

Enviromental Defense

MAY 1, 2024

Statement from Julia Levin, Associate Director, National Climate Ottawa | Traditional, unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabeg People – Today Capital Power announced that they would not be pursuing carbon capture at the Genesee Generating Station, east of Edmonton Alberta, given the high costs and complexity of implementing the technology.

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Fossil Fuels Carbon Dioxide Renewable Energy Government 144

Union of Concerned Scientists

FEBRUARY 15, 2024

I’ve written recently about why a Cap on Vegetable Oil-Based Fuels Will Stabilize and Strengthen California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard , which addresses the bio-based diesel credits. California’s LCFS is causing problems for other states and the federal government.

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Fossil Fuels Regulations Carbon Dioxide Renewable Energy 330

Union of Concerned Scientists

MARCH 30, 2023

First, CAISO would need a new governance and decisionmaking system for this Western RTO. As it’s currently organized, CAISO differs from the other RTOs in that California’s elected officials appoint and confirm its governing body, and thus CAISO policies are often aligned with California state policies. What happens next?

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Clean Energy Fossil Fuels Government Renewable Energy 279

Union of Concerned Scientists

FEBRUARY 9, 2024

EN: Besides the fact that state and federal officials largely ignore the harm gas does to public health, the environment and the climate, government policies let gas developers off the hook for cleaning up their pollution. VY: They do. VY: Clean energy sources will be absolutely pivotal for an equitable and reliable grid.

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Clean Energy Nitrogen Oxides Fossil Fuels Electricity 358

Enviromental Defense

JANUARY 20, 2025

To deliver on this goal, the federal government made important investments in renewable energy projects. Yet, reaching net zero also means phasing out polluting fossil fuel energy, so the government developed rules to impose a pollution limit on electricity producers.

Electricity 84

Electricity Regulations Renewable Energy Fossil Fuels 84

Union of Concerned Scientists

JULY 29, 2022

Meanwhile, annual reports show corporations are pushing ahead with plans to expand production, betting on new technologies to somehow make it all okay in the future. Companies are spending millions fighting lawsuits that would hold them accountable for the costs that fossil fuel extraction has imposed on people and the planet.

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Enviromental Defense

SEPTEMBER 26, 2023

Canada needs to take more action to transition away from fossil fuels Statement from Aly Hyder Ali, Oil and Gas Program Manager Ottawa | Traditional, unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabeg People – We applaud today’s report from the International Energy Agency (IEA), which sends a clear signal: the era of fossil fuels is ending.

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Legal Planet

DECEMBER 3, 2021

What makes me most optimistic are the recent technological innovations and falling costs for renewable energy generation, battery storage and alternative fuel vehicles. Now, a framework of foreign diplomacy exists through which we can decide how to best utilize new technologies as they develop. –Polina Hristova, LLM 2022.

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Law and Environment

OCTOBER 26, 2023

Yesterday, Massachusetts Climate Chief Melissa Hoffer issued a report detailing how “to implement the Healey-Driscoll Administration’s whole-of-government approach to addressing the climate crisis.” The post New Report Details Massachusetts Whole-of-Government Approach to Climate Crisis first appeared on Law and the Environment.

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Enviromental Defense

NOVEMBER 15, 2024

The Pathways Alliance spent millions of dollars misleading the public with ads about “greening” its fossil fuel production. That’s not all; when the federal government passed new anti-greenwashing rules in June, the Pathways Alliance and other fossil fuel companies removed their advertising and website content about climate action.

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