Articles 2020

The Global Environment Outlook, Seventh Edition: A Future We Choose, the product of 287 multi-disciplinary scientists from 82 countries, is the most comprehensive scientific assessment of the global environment ever carried out.

Much attention today focuses on uncertainties affecting the future evolution of oil and natural gas demand, with less consideration given to how the supply picture could develop. However, understanding decline rates – the annual rate at which production declines from existing oil and gas fields – is crucial for assessing the outlook for oil and gas supply and, by extension, for market balances. The International Energy Agency (IEA) has long examined this issue, and a detailed understanding of decline rates is at the heart of IEA modelling and analysis, underpinning the insights provided by the scenarios in the World Energy Outlook. This new report – based on analysis of the production records of around 15 000 oil and gas fields around the world – explores the implications of accelerating decline rates, growing reliance on unconventional resources, and evolving project development patterns for the global oil and gas supply landscape, for energy security and for investment. It also provides regional insights

A UN commission has found Israel’s war in Gaza ranks among history’s greatest crimes. The UK government must stop hiding behind legal fictions and recognise the reality

Taking a closer look at AI’s supposed energy apocalypse

Higher methane emissions from gas infrastructure have negated much of U.S. climate progress in the past two decades, a new study shows.

Consumers ending up shouldering most of the costs of installing and operating CCS in the UK, a new report has found.

Despite working on polar science for the British Antarctic Survey for 20 years, Louise Sime finds the magnitude of potential sea-level rise hard to comprehend

The human fingerprint on global warming was likely evident in Earth’s atmosphere far earlier than previously thought—even before the invention of modern cars, a new study says. Using a combination of scientific theory, modern observations and multiple, sophisticated computer models, researchers found a clear signal of human-caused climate change was likely discernible with high confidence as early as 1885, just before the advent of gas-powered cars but after the dawn of the industrial revolution.

Focus on capital discipline, increasing customer centricity, and investments in new technologies may help companies navigate economic, geopolitical, and regulatory uncertainties in 2025

Insurance costs are rising quickly across much of the country. Hurricanes are part of the reason, but it’s the other perils common across the Midwest and Great Plains that complicate costs.

World Energy Outlook 2024 - Analysis and key findings. A report by the International Energy Agency.

Climate scientists have told the Guardian they expect catastrophic levels of global heating. Here’s what that would mean for the planet

Unearthly skies and unhealthy air resulting from Canadian wildfires may persist for days.

Humanity is not on track to avoid the deadliest effects of climate change, according to University at Buffalo researcher Holly Jean Buck. "Our plans are not adequate to meet the goal of limiting the Earth's temperature increase to no more than 1.5℃ by 2050," said Buck, Ph.D., assistant professor of environment and sustainability....

In the U.K., Extinction Rebellion is shifting to a more moderate strategy in 2023. It could mark a tone shift for the climate movement.

For a small but growing network of countries, the world's go-to metric of economic health is no longer fit for purpose. Finland, Iceland, Scotland, Wales and New Zealand are all members of the Wellbeing Economy Governments partnership. The coalition, which is expected to expand in the coming months, aims to transform economies around the world to deliver shared well-being for people and the planet by 2040.

Climate disorder won’t be remedied through an orderly march of green energy. The world must also rein in consumption.

I became a climate activist 16 years ago. Back then, not many people cared about climate change. The eye rolls were audible. Media coverage was scarce, and what little there was glibly included “both sides”. It was frustrating and tragic to see such a clear and present danger and to know that it was still mostly avoidable, yet ignored by society.

Il existe un sentiment inédit, et répandu chez les plus jeunes, d’être né géo-prolétaire, c’est-à-dire quelqu’un dont les générations précédentes ont accaparé non pas la force de travail, mais le futur vivable sur la Terre.

Nature-based initiatives, such as planting mangroves and revitalizing wetlands, have proven effective in making communities more resilient to climate change. But international funding has shortchanged such solutions in favor of more costly and less efficient engineering projects.

If the Russians are ever to withdraw, then a diplomatic agreement on the terms of withdrawal will be necessary. So what should the demands be?

Toen Georgia Whitaker deze kerstvakantie in de zetel kroop voor een gezellig avondje met de film Don’t Look Up, verwachtte ze een dure, middelmatige komedie met een sterrencast – een beetje als Love Actually. Maar na afloop voelde ze zich verrassend opgelucht. In deze blog legt ze uit waarom.

Comme le Docteur Randall Mindy dans Don’t Look Up, Jean Jouzel a lui aussi dû se battre contre les sceptiques. Non pas ceux qui refusaient de croire à l’arrivée d’une comète sur Terre, comme dans l’intrigue du film de Netflix, mais ceux qui doutent du réchauffement climatique.

Fresh emissions targets from Saudi Arabia and Australia – two of the world’s largest fossil-fuel producers – are due to arrive just in time for global climate talks in Glasgow. These would commit the two countries to reducing domestic emissions to net zero by around mid-century – though both are expected to continue exporting fossil fuels for decades to come.

The enormous, unprecedented pain and turmoil caused by the climate crisis is often discussed alongside what can seem like surprisingly small temperature increases – 1.5C or 2C hotter than it was in the era just before the car replaced the horse and cart.

How much oil is left and how many years before we run out of the stuff? The recurring question everyone asks.

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