News
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."
'A good deal': UK climate goals can be delivered at 'minimal cost', study finds
The UK could meet its 2030 emissions targets by mobilising between £6bn and £8bn of public investment annually, a new analysis from University of Oxford researchers has calculated. "A focus on only the initial costs of adoption denies households and businesses significant savings that low-carbon technologies offer, for example when a household has to replace an ageing boiler or vehicle in the coming years as millions of businesses and homes will be doing," said Dr Anupama Sen.
Adopting net zero technologies will save UK economy billions
New evidence shows the UK can get a good deal on Net Zero at minimal cost to people and the economy, with the co-benefits of improved homes, reduced bills and 250,000 more jobs.
Dr Laurence Wainwright wins Teaching Excellence Award
Dr Laurence Wainwright has been presented with a Teaching Excellence Award from the University of Oxford’s Social Sciences Division. Dr Wainwright is a Departmental Lecturer at the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment, and Director of its MSc in Sustainability, Enterprise and the Environment.
Saving rhinos: What are the best policies to ensure megafauna survival?
Rhinos have been a flagship for animal conservation for a while now, a symbol of all endangered species that need protection. So how do we ensure their survival?
Can We Solve Climate Change by Suing Polluters?
"Climate litigation is not just growing — it’s snowballing," writes The Daily Upside. However, international courts have been slow to catch up. Dr Ben Franta of the Oxford Sustainable Law Programme comments: “It’s a well-known challenge [with] international courts: Because they don’t have independent police power, they must persuade member states to comply with their orders.”