News
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.
7–9 billion tonnes of CO2 must be sustainably removed per year to hit climate targets
The 2024 State of Carbon Dioxide Removal report finds that around 7–9 billion tonnes of CO2 per year will need to be removed by mid-century from the atmosphere if the world is to meet the 1.5°C Paris Agreement target.
Nine key takeaways about the ‘state of CO2 removal’ in 2024
Carbon Brief delves into the 2024 State of Carbon Removal Report, led by Dr Steve Smith, and highlights nine key findings.
Net zero is not just good science – it’s also a good deal for ordinary people
Dr Anupama Sen, Professor Sam Fankhauser and Harry Lightfoot-Brown explain that achieving net zero and economic wellbeing are not mutually exclusive goals in The Conversation. "In fact, the additional annual cost of pursuing net zero is somewhere between 0.7% and 1% of GDP, or £5-£7 a week per person."
Creativity for a Greener Future: Inaugural Oxford and Cambridge Sustainability Hackathon
The inaugural Oxford and Cambridge Sustainability Hackathon was a thrilling journey developed by two friends. Their mission was to unite students in a collaborative effort to address sustainability challenges with critical thinking and creativity.
Market value of carbon offsets drops 61%, report finds
Negative scientific and press reports on the efficacy of carbon credit projects has led to a ‘direct pullback in buyer investment,' reports The Guardian. Kaya Axelsson said that carbon markets will "lose relevance unless they radically reform in line with net zero aims" while Stephan Lezak asserted that the current market for carbon offsets "is a bit like a burning building. We need folks to be firefighters and run toward it, rather than walk away and let it burn to the ground."