News
Cop28 action plan could reduce global cooling emissions by 96%
UAE daily newspaper The National interviewed Dr Radhika Khosla about the UN's new cooling report, which she led. "Unless this growth in cooling is met sustainably, it’s going to make the achievement of that net zero target [by 2050] very hard, because the rise in emissions that’s going to come from this cooling demand is extremely high," she said.
COP28: Relying on carbon capture and storage to reach Net Zero would be economically damaging, shows Oxford report
Excessive dependence on carbon capture and storage (CCS) to reach Net Zero goals would be “highly economically damaging”, a report led by Oxford University’s Smith School of Enterprise and Environment showed.
Al Jaber says comments claiming there is ‘no science’ behind demands for phase-out of fossil fuels were ‘misinterpreted’ – Cop28 as it happened
A Smith School analysis has found rolling out CCS throughout the economy, rather than just in a handful of essential sectors, makes little sense from a financial perspective.
“Relying on mass deployment of CCS to facilitate high ongoing use of fossil fuels would cost society around a trillion dollars extra each year – it would be highly economically damaging,” says Dr Rupert Way.
Project developers in Global South need targeted support to unlock sustainable development – Oxford report
A new Oxford Smith School report, launched today at COP 28, says that challenges faced by renewable energy developers in the Global South are holding back a once-in-a-generation opportunity for inclusive and sustainable development in the region.
Heavy dependence on CCS ‘economically damaging’, says Oxford report
Heavy dependence on Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) to reach net zero targets around 2050 would be “hugely economically damaging”, costing at least $30 trillion more than a route based on renewable energy, energy efficiency and electrification.
Oxford Sustainable Finance Group and ShareAction launch new Stewardship and Engagement Leadership Programme
The Oxford Sustainable Finance Group (OxSFG) at the University of Oxford will launch a new executive leadership course in 2024. The Stewardship and Engagement Leadership Programme will build the skills, knowledge and networks needed for better stewardship and engagement across the financial system.
What role can the circular economy play in meeting the growing demand for critical minerals?
New research led by the Smith School’s Konstantin Born aimed at understanding the potential of recycling to fulfil the growing demand for copper finds that downstream circular economy strategies like recycling, although vitally important, will at most only be able to supply 50 % of the total copper demand by 2050.
“Not dead yet” - Smith School and INET experts identify interventions that could rescue 1.5°C
To meet the goals of the Paris Agreement and limit global heating to 1.5°C, global annual emissions will need to drop radically over the coming decades. Today, a new paper from climate economists at the University of Oxford says that this goal could still be within our reach.
Climate Plans That Rely Too Much on Carbon Removal Could Breach International Law
“There is no way to meet the Paris Agreement target of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees without removing some carbon dioxide from the atmosphere,” said Dr Rupert Stuart-Smith, a professor of climate law at the University of Oxford and lead author of the paper. But, he said, climate plans that do too little to cut emissions in the short term and lean too heavily on carbon removal over the long term could breach international law.
Excessive state reliance on carbon dioxide removal is ‘likely inconsistent with international law,’ says Oxford research
In the run-up to COP28, new research from a team at the University of Oxford and Imperial College London warns that states which over-rely on future Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) to meet Paris Agreement targets could fall foul of international law.
Ramifications of Rishi Sunak’s cabinet reshuffle
Dr Laurence Wainwright comments on the appointment of Steve Barclay MP to the role of environment secretary in a letter to the Times' editor. "With a background of the City, Sandhurst, health, and EU negotiations, he is an eclectic and somewhat odd choice for the role, perhaps illustrating the lack of priority the government gives to the portfolio. Countries leading the charge on sustainability are increasingly giving environmental ministerial roles to those who have qualifications and experience in the field, rather than simply handing it out as a second-class role for someone who has been demoted."
Solar’s forgotten kidnapping
Carbon Brief takes a look at Dr Sugandha Srivastav’s thought experiment, which asks how far solar energy could have come had it not been for the kidnapping of George Cove.