Revised UK climate plans continue to fall short of delivering on internationally-agreed targets while new energy plans continue to back expanding oil and gas production. Last week the UK Government released 44 climate and energy documents, including a revised version …
UN’s strongest climate warning yet
Last weeks’ UN climate report came with the direst warnings yet, but is anyone listening ? The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Sixth Assessment’s Synthesis Report is the culmination of years of work by the world’s climate scientists. It brings together …
Climate challenge for new SNP leader
The new SNP Leader will have big shoes to fill when it comes to making progress on climate change. Alex Salmond was a great promoter of renewables and made the commitment to a climate bill with a guaranteed reduction in …
Climate and collective insanity
If aliens are watching our antics on climate change from afar they can surely only conclude that our species is collectively insane… Report to the Galactic Accession Committee, from the Chief Anthropologist Background – we have been observing the planet …
Oil boss is COP boss
Pressure is growing on the United Arab Emirates to replace their choice of the head of the state oil company as the President of the next climate talks, COP28. Countries almost always give the job to their climate or environment minister, …
What the Energy Strategy really said about fossil fuels
In response to last week’s Scottish Government Energy Strategy one newspaper ran a front page headline announcing the end of the oil and gas industry. The truth is less clear. The long-awaited new Strategy is a draft and public responses are …
The Braer disaster 30 years on
30 years ago today Scotland’s worst ever pollution event began. But it could have been so much worse. Just after 11am on 5th January 1993 the oil tanker MV Braer lost her battle with a massive storm and hit the rocks of …
The environment in 2022
In the midst of war and a cost of living crisis, some good things were achieved for the environment but we also went backwards in 2022. The climate scientists of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change produced a report on …
Nature-based solutions not as nice as they sound
As the seaside resort of Sharm el-Sheikh gets back to catering for tourists, it’s time to reflect that the outcomes of the UN COP27 climate talks were predictable, surprising and dangerous, all at the same time. The first success was …
Diplomacy and duplicity at the seaside
The baffling, frustrating and occasionally inspiring circus that is the UN climate talks is in full swing in the Red Sea tourist resort of Sharm el-Sheikh. Impenetrable as they are these talks are the only place countries can negotiate to act …
Funding climate action
We are facing four crisis – climate and nature emergencies, the cost of living crisis and a global poverty crisis. A new report looks at how we can raise the money and drive the behaviour change needed to reduce emissions at …
The real price of carbon emissions
If we valued climate-changing carbon emissions correctly we would make lots of decisions differently, including not giving the go ahead for more than 100 new oil developments or revisiting fracking. There are a number of ways to put a price …