News
MSc student Ashley Bang wins Journal of Ecology Best Poster Award
Ashley Bang, a current student on the Smith School’s MSc in Sustainability, Enterprise and the Environment received the Journal of Ecology Best Poster Award at the European Congress of Conservation Biology.
Do We Really Need Carbon Removal? 5 Insights From World’s Top Experts
Forbes speaks with experts and digs into the State of Carbon Removal Report 2024 to find out what the future holds for this growing industry.
Paris Olympics promise climate action, experts remain sceptical
Kaya Axelsson comments on the Games' commitment to 'climate contributions' rather than offsets. "It's a great way to stay honest about an organisation's own footprint while supporting and financing progress to global net zero goals."
Solar power is going to be huge
The Economist cover story explores how the exponential growth of solar power will change the world, featuring research from Rupert Way, Penny Mealy, Matt Ives and Doyne Farmer of INET, OMS and the Smith School.
Asian Development Bank pursues private finance to meet climate goals
Sugandha Srivastav comments on the growth potential of green industries in the developing world as part of the FT's Special Report on Asia-Pacific Climate Leaders.
Oxford experts advise UN Taskforce on Net Zero Policy
Thom Whetzer joins the United Nations Secretary General’s Taskforce on Net Zero Policy which facilitates global action by non-state entities - including businesses, investors and cities - to accelerate emissions reduction a
Assessing corporate climate transition disclosures with AI
A new working paper co-authored by Dr Julia Bingler shows how AI can help the transition towards a more sustainable economy by identifying the elements of company transition plans that need further scrutiny. WWF's Greening Financial Regulation Initiative has commissioned a forthcoming online tool based on this research, which will allow users to assess company transition plans themselves.
The air we breathe: lessons from Beijing’s airpocalypse
June 20th, Clean Air Day, an annual event to raise awareness about the importance of clean air for the environment, resonates with me. I should know: I live in a mega-city where the air pollution was once so bad, a government account tweeted it was “crazy bad”. By Calvin Queck.
Nigel Farage pledges to run for PM in 2029 as Reform manifesto slated by economists
Professor Sam Fankhauser commented on the UK Reform party's plans to scrap net zero commitments in The Independent. "Reform UK would like Britain to be a high-carbon island in a low-carbon world, missing out on 21st-century technology, innovation and growth. Our own research shows that the UK can meet its 2030 net zero targets with just six to eight billion pounds of additional public sector investment a year – a small price to pay for a liveable planet," he said.
The Conservatives’ climate change plans show they have tried but failed to reinvent net zero
Dr Anupama Sen and Professor Sam Fankhauser analyse the U.K. Conservative party's climate policies, describing them as "the latest example of politicians focusing on the wrong debate. The question in climate policy is no longer how much adopting net zero technologies will “cost” us. It is how quickly the savings from their adoption can be realised to benefit households, the economy and above all the climate."
A Green Steel pathway would turbocharge Ukraine’s post-war recovery, new study shows
As the international community gathered this week to discuss Ukraine’s post-war recovery, University of Oxford research co-authored by Smith School MSc alumna Anastasiia Zagoruichyk showed how Green Steel should be top of the agenda.
Carbon removal needs to quadruple to meet climate goals, researchers say
Reuters reports on the 2024 State of Carbon Dioxide Report, which found that 7-9 billion tons of CO2 must be removed from the atmosphere every year if the world is to meet its climate targets. "Global net greenhouse gas emissions were about 55 billion tonnes per year in 2022, and emissions accumulate in the atmosphere, so every year, every action counts," said co-author Professor Gregory Nemet.