News
How cheap solar power could have arrived decades ago
Dr Sugandha Srivastav told Science Business that cheap solar power could have come much sooner, if it weren't for a lack of investment in previous decades. The article cites her thought experiment on George Cove, the early 20th century solar entrepreneur who was allegedly kidnapped and told to cease his operations.
To Incentivize Companies to Address Climate Change, Measure Their Broader Impact
Kaya Axelsson and Solitaire Townsend discuss how the current carbon compliance regime “fails to reward systemic efforts by entrepreneurial companies” to tackle climate change. “In fact, firms may even be penalized for busting their own corporate carbon budget when developing solutions that will help the world meet net zero.”
Super resistant potatoes, mussel farming, and green finance
Ben Caldecott talks to BBC Farming Today about the diversity of schemes to pay for environmental outcomes such as nature recovery in the UK, including the challenges of making sure these work as expected.
Impact investing could entrench inequality without better monitoring
A new report from researchers at the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment finds that current methods for measuring the outcomes of impact investing risk entrenching existing inequalities in access to capital whilst opening the door to ‘impact washing.’
New 'Climate Tests' proposed to align UK oil and gas licensing with climate goals
A new Policy Brief from the University of Oxford and NGO Carbon Balance Initiative offers a potential breakthrough solution in aligning the UK’s oil and gas sector transition with its climate goals.
Growth of impact investing risks entrenching inequality
The Financial Times' Sustainable Views section reported on new research by George Carew-Jones and Dr Alex Money, which warns that current methods for measuring the outcomes of impact investing risk entrenching existing inequalities in access to capital whilst opening the door to ‘impact washing.’
“Data which proves that impact investments are making a positive, real-world difference is the key to avoiding impact washing. But the burden of collecting this data often falls on the most vulnerable,” says Carew-Jones.
No data, no deal: how to get a good measure of climate impact finance
George Carew-Jones explains how good data is key for measuring the success of impact finance, however the responsibility for gathering it often lands on the shoulders of struggling business owners in developing nations. This could further entrench inequality, but there are some potential solutions.
Effectiveness of 1,500 global climate policies ranked for the first time
The world can take a major step to meeting climate goals by focusing on 63 cases where policies have had the most impact, new research in Science has revealed.
Food brands and investors scramble to stave off risk of stranded assets
Ethical Corporation Magazine, a part of Thomson Reuters, explores rapidly growing concern over stranded assets (where investment assets become liabilities) for the agricultural industry.
Corporate climate targets are a mess. Could tracking ‘spheres of influence’ help?
Grist speaks to Kaya Axelsson about a recent study from Oxford University and the Exponential Roadmap Initiative that proposes a new, more expansive way to look at companies’ contribution to global net-zero.
Climate reporting should examine impact beyond value chain emissions
The Financial Times Sustainable Views reports on new research by Kaya Axelsson, Claire Wigg and Dr Matilda Becker, which concluded that current climate standards should be expanded to include a company’s broader influence on climate action. "We need a way to compare and reward companies that are changing the world, not just their operations,” says Axelsson.
A day off to save the planet? Here’s what a four-day week could mean for UK carbon emissions
Could cutting emissions be as simple as taking an extra day off work? Max Collett's thesis research finds that as much we'd love the reply to be a simple “yes”, the truer answer is “it depends”.