News

"We need to start adapting to the world that lies beyond 1.5C. That means putting sustainable cooling on the agenda," - Bloomberg climate opinion editor Lara Williams explores new research co-authored by Dr Radhika Khosla, which finds Switzerland, UK and Norway will face a huge adaptation challenge if the world hits 2.0C of warming.  

Dr Radhika Khosla was interviewed on BBC Newsnight about new Smith School and Oxford Martin School research predicting the impact of rising temperatures on climate adaptation requirements for cooling across the world. "“I think it's a wakeup call for countries like the UK, for countries in Europe that are not traditionally hot… The elderly, children, outdoor workers, and others - are going to be under extreme threat, and their health, their morbidity and mortality and their productivity is going to be affected,” she said. (23 mins in)

As our water systems struggle under financial mismanagement and the pressures of climate change, higher water costs are something we’re all going to have to swallow.

UK policy has failed to improve approaches to climate adaptation and resiliency, with a new report warning that billions of pounds of new infrastructure planned in the UK are at risk.

As the UK swelters in heatwaves driven by the El Nino weather pattern, which has pushed up global temperatures in recent weeks, the Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) launches a new inquiry on heat resilience and sustainable cooling.

A group of eight large commercial law firms, calling themselves Legal Charter 1.5, have come together to create and sign a charter outlining a set of common principles to reduce greenhouse gas emissions on a timescale that will prevent global warming from rising above 1.5°C.

Dr Thom Wetzer, associate professor of law and finance at the University of Oxford, commented: “The legal profession has the potential to do tremendous good and it can be part of the solution to the climate crisis. That is why the launch of this Legal Charter is such a welcome step forward. It will allow law firms to share expertise with those seeking to improve the current system.”

Stephen Lezak looks at Alaska's recent foray into carbon credits in an opinion piece for The New Republic. "The world of carbon markets is predominantly composed of ecological sleights of hand. But even by the low standards of carbon markets generally, Alaska stands out for its open-armed embrace of the contradictions that undermine credibility and endanger climate progress."

Oxford Smith School’s latest policy brief explores the feasibility and benefits of a fast net zero transition for the UK. It finds that a shift to clean energy would save us money – and that the faster we go the more we could save. It also highlights the challenges of the transition and explores potential solutions. 

Mishcon de Reya has today announced that it has partnered with organisations from three leading academic institutions - the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), Imperial College London and the University of Oxford - to launch the Climate Science and Law Forum. Dr Rupert Stuart-Smith commented: "Climate science has a crucial role to play in supporting legal claims for climate accountability. If the full potential of legal action on climate change is to be realised, it is essential that lawyers have access to scientific insight that provides a firm factual basis for claims. We are delighted to contribute to the Forum and look forward to collaborating with our partners to support high-impact climate litigation in the UK and beyond."

Dr Alex Money, Director of the Innovative Infrastructure Investment programme, comments on water security and climate change risk for Bloomberg and The Washington Post.