THE BRIEF [Sep 25-Oct 1'23]
THE BRIEF [Sep 25-Oct 1'23]
EU banks helped fossil fuel firms raise 1T€, future-proof veggies and fruit, behaviour change, new IEA net-zero report.
Welcome to this week’s edition of The Weekly Climate 🎉
References: [1], [2], [3], [4], [5] and [6].
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‼️News you can’t miss
Here’s one important scary/bad (🙀), good (😻), interesting (😼) and fossil (💩) news item.
🙀 EU banks helped fossil fuel industry raise 1T€
😻 Future proof veggies and fruits
😼 Do we need to change behaviour?
💩 New IEA net zero report leaves no place to hide for fossil fuels
This week’s highlights
[IEAreport] — The International Energy Agency (IEA) has released a new net zero report that emphasizes the need for big polluters to transition away from fossil fuels and focus on cost-effective solutions like renewables, energy efficiency, and electrification. The report downgrades the role of carbon capture and hydrogen technologies, stating that they have not lived up to expectations. The IEA also calls on all countries to accelerate their net zero plans, with rich nations urged to reach net zero emissions by 2045. The report highlights the limited potential of hydrogen and the underperformance of carbon capture, while revising projections for solar power and electric vehicles upwards.
[#greengrowth] — The chief of the International Energy Agency (IEA) has stated that the significant growth of renewable energy and green investment in the past two years has brightened the prospects of staying within the 1.5C limit on global heating. While more needs to be done, the rapid uptake of solar power and electric vehicles is encouraging. The IEA also called on developed countries with 2050 net zero targets to bring them forward by several years. The upcoming UN climate summit, Cop28, is seen as a key opportunity for countries to set out tougher emissions-cutting plans.
[#carbonoffsets] — This in-depth Q&A explores the effectiveness of carbon offsets in tackling climate change. It highlights concerns about the impact of extreme weather events on offset projects and the limitations of buffer pools in covering future harm. The article also discusses the need for improvements in carbon offset markets, including the development of high-quality offsets, the prevention of lower-quality credits, and the incorporation of technologies for monitoring and verification. Overall, there is a call for stronger frameworks and transparency to ensure the integrity and effectiveness of carbon offsetting in achieving net-zero goals.
[#futureveggies] — Plant breeders are working on developing new varieties of fruits and vegetables that can thrive in the face of climate change. These include cherries that can withstand heat, cauliflower that doesn't get sunburned, melons with deeper root systems for drought resistance, thornless blackberries, carrots that can handle salty soil, potatoes that can survive excessive heat and floods, avocados that use less water, and apples that can handle higher temperatures. These new varieties aim to address the challenges posed by an increasingly erratic climate and ensure a sustainable food supply.
That’s it for this week folks!
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