News
‘We’re in serious trouble’: Why a hotter world will be bad for our health
Dr Laurence Wainwright spoke to the Guardian about the mental health impact of Britain’s record-breaking 2022 heatwave, including “increasing overall rates of mortality in mental health conditions, or worsening of symptoms, triggering a relapse into a certain phase of a condition, like in bipolar switching into mania, which is a dangerous phase.”
For investors, green companies still hard to find with new emissions reporting rules
Investors looking to weed out climate laggards from portfolios will struggle to accurately compare companies, according to Reuters. Jimmy Jia, researcher at the Oxford Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment, said as well as differences in defining what should be counted under existing GHGP guidelines, companies may use different calculation processes or present data in different ways.
"Investors need to understand if a difference is due to an operational difference, or because the entities applied different accounting methodologies," he said.
Guest post: How Ukraine could emerge from war as a climate leader
Russia's ongoing, devastating invasion has pushed Ukraine to the edge of survival as a nation-state, inflicting severe damage to its economy and population. But, amid global calls for urgent climate action, Ukraine now finds itself at a crucial crossroads.
Letter: Ground zero for fossil fuels
Most known fossil fuel reserves will have to stay underground if we are to remain within 1.5-2C of a global temperature rise.
European heatwaves must spur adaptation and mitigation efforts
Whether ferocious wildfires in Greece, 46c days in Sicily, records being broken in California, or 30 days in a row above 35c in Beijing, it is clear that what we are experiencing is anything but normal, says Dr Laurence Wainright.
Evaluating net zero transition plans in emissions-intensive sectors
Credible, feasible and actionable transition plans are critical to achieving net zero.
Oxford University announces winners of inaugural greening finance prize
The University of Oxford today announced the inaugural winners of a prestigious new prize in green finance. The ‘Insight Investment – University of Oxford Prize for Greening Finance’ is the preeminent prize in an increasingly important area of research and practice.
Can we stop climate change without putting the brakes on economic growth?
As the world grapples with climate change, biodiversity loss and other environmental challenges, campaigners and some academics are questioning a central tenet of modern society – that continued economic growth is desirable. Professor Sam Fankhauser argues in favour of green growth, saying that "there’s no reason to believe that an economy powered by cars that are electric and renewable energy and hydrogen that fuels industry ... structurally or permanently must generate less prosperity."
Switzerland, UK and Norway "dangerously unprepared" to keep people cool if global 1.5ºC target is missed
Switzerland, UK and Norway will see the world’s most dramatic relative increase in days that require cooling interventions – such as window shutters, ventilation, fans, or air conditioning – if the world overshoots 1.5 ºC of warming, according to new University of Oxford research
The UK Isn’t Ready for the Heat That’s Coming
"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.
BBC Newsnight
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)
Water Companies Need to Rebuild Trust Before Hiking Bills
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.