News

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."

"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.”