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Analysis: Which countries are historically responsible for climate change?
Analysis: Which countries are historically responsible for climate change? Historical responsibility for climate change is at the heart of debates over climate justice. History matters because the cumulative amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted since the start of the industrial revolution is closely tied to the 1.2C of warming that has already occurred. In total, humans have pumped around 2,500bn tonnes […]
Cooling effect of clouds ‘underestimated’ by climate models, says new study
Cooling effect of clouds ‘underestimated’ by climate models, says new study Cooling effect of clouds ‘underestimated’ by climate models, says new study * * * Clouds could have a greater cooling effect on the planet than climate models currently suggest, according to new research. The paper, published in Nature Climate Change, aims to […]
Explainer: Will global warming ‘stop’ as soon as net-zero emissions are reached?
Explainer: Will global warming ‘stop’ as soon as net-zero emissions are reached? Media reports frequently claim that the world is facing “committed warming” in the future as a result of past emissions, meaning higher temperatures are “locked in”, “in the pipeline” or “inevitable”, regardless of the choices society takes today. The best available evidence shows […]
Guest post: Why avoiding climate change ‘maladaptation’ is vital
Guest post: Why avoiding climate change ‘maladaptation’ is vital With the delayed UN climate talks coming up this year, COP26 president Alok Sharma recently launched a “Race to Resilience” to underscore the urgency of adapting to climate change. However, in our new study – published in the journal World Development – we come to the unsettling conclusion […]
UNEP: Net-zero pledges provide an ‘opening’ to close growing emissions ‘gap’
UNEP: Net-zero pledges provide an ‘opening’ to close growing emissions ‘gap’ The recent net-zero pledges by major emitting countries and the potential for a “green recovery” from the Covid-19 pandemic “presents the opening” for the world to close the growing “gap” between existing commitments and what is needed to limit global warming to meet the […]
Analysis: World has already passed ‘peak oil’, BP figures reveal
Analysis: World has already passed ‘peak oil’, BP figures reveal The world has already passed “peak oil” demand, according to Carbon Brief analysis of the latest energy outlook from oil major BP. The 2020 edition of the annual outlook reveals – albeit indirectly – that global oil demand will not regain the levels seen last year. It adds that demand could […]
Guest post: Why low-end ‘climate sensitivity’ can now be ruled out
Guest post: Why low-end ‘climate sensitivity’ can now be ruled out After four years of labour and detailed discussions by an international team of scientists, we are able to quantify better than ever before how the world’s surface temperature responds to increasing CO2 levels. Our findings, published in Reviews of Geophysics, narrow the likely range in […]
Analysis: How ‘carbon-cycle feedbacks’ could make global warming worse
Analysis: How ‘carbon-cycle feedbacks’ could make global warming worse Scientists making climate-change projections have to deal with a number of uncertainties. The amount of global warming will depend on the magnitude of future emissions, which, in turn, depends on how society grows and develops. The rate of warming will also depend on how sensitive the climate is to […]
Guest post: The irreversible emissions of a permafrost ‘tipping point’
Guest post: The irreversible emissions of a permafrost ‘tipping point’ Across vast swaths of the northern hemisphere’s higher reaches, frozen ground holds billions of tonnes of carbon. As global temperatures rise, this “permafrost” land is at increasing risk of thawing out, potentially releasing its long-held carbon into the atmosphere. Abrupt permafrost thaw is one of […]
Q&A: How is Arctic warming linked to the ‘polar vortex’ and other extreme weather?
Q&A: How is Arctic warming linked to the ‘polar vortex’ and other extreme weather? The past week has seen some brutal weather hitting the US and Canada. With cold Arctic air plunging south down to the US midwest, six states have seen temperatures lower than the south pole and at least eight people have died due to the extreme […]
Ten charts show how the world is progressing on clean energy
Ten charts show how the world is progressing on clean energy Rapid progress towards clean energy is needed to meet the global ambition to limit warming to no more than 1.5C above pre-industrial temperatures. But how are countries doing so far? In our Energy Revolution Global Outlook report, written with colleagues at Imperial College London […]
IEA: Clean energy transition makes reforms ‘inescapable’ for oil states
IEA: Clean energy transition makes reforms ‘inescapable’ for oil states A changing energy system is posing “critical questions” for many of the world’s largest oil and gas producing countries, the International Energy Agency (IEA) says. The rise of shale gas and oil in the US, global improvements in energy efficiency, and the response to climate […]
Q&A: Why cement emissions matter for climate change
A builder directs wet concrete from a cement truck into the foundations of a large building. Credit: Peter Righteous/Alamy Stock Photo. Q&A: Why cement emissions matter for climate change If the cement industry were a country, it would be the third largest emitter in the world. In 2015, it generated around 2.8bn tonnes of CO2, […]
Clean energy investment ‘must be 50% higher’ to limit warming to 1.5C
Clean energy investment ‘must be 50% higher’ to limit warming to 1.5C An extra $460bn per year needs to be invested on the low-carbon economy globally over the next 12 years to limit global warming to 1.5C, a new paper says. This is 50% higher than the additional investment needed to meet a 2C limit, […]
Analysis: ‘Global’ warming varies greatly depending where you live
A woman quenches her thirst in Jaipur, India, during a severe heatwave in May 2016. Credit: PACIFIC PRESS / Alamy Stock Photo. Analysis: ‘Global’ warming varies greatly depending where you live As part of the Paris Agreement on climate change, the international community committed in 2015 to limit rising global temperatures to “well below” 2C […]
