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☆ ‘Climate-Controlled’ Sausage? Courts Crack Down on ‘Greenwashing’
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-12 | by ( Somini Sengupta | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A “climate-controlled” sausage. New trousers labeled “recycled.” A “sustainable” airline ticket. More and more, big brands are using taglines like these to cater to their green-minded customers. And more and more, they are under fire from courts and regulators for making climate promises they can’t keep. Researchers at the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment last year identified “an explosion of ‘climate-washing’ cases,” using existing national laws and regulations.

Organizations: Grantham Research, Danish Crown, Markets Authority Locations: Grantham, Denmark, Britain

On Monday, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, energy minister and the key climate negotiator, for the kingdom, was a no-show at the Saudi Green Initiative. "The climate finance that they have pledged at this COP28 is simply not enough," said Pakistani activist Zaigham Abbas, whose country was devastated last year by widespread flooding. Elsewhere, France and Japan said they would support a move by the African Development Bank to leverage IMF Special Drawing Rights for climate and development. This year also features the biggest-ever representation of business at the annual U.N. summit, amid hopes for more private investment toward climate causes. "The scale of the climate crisis demands urgent and game-changing solutions from every industry," COP28 President Ahmed Al-Jaber said.

Persons: COP28, Johanna Geron, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, Nicholas Stern, Mia Mottley, Antonio Guterres, Zaigham Abbas, Abu Dhabi, Ahmed Al, Jaber, Simon Jessop, Maha El, Al Sayegh, Alexander Cornwell, Elizabeth Piper, David Stanway, Katy Daigle Organizations: of, European Union, REUTERS, Companies, Saudi, United, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Green Initiative, Crown, Grantham Research, Asian Peoples ' Movement, Development, African Development Bank, European Bank for Reconstruction, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, BlackRock, HSBC, Finance, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Dubai, Brussels, Belgium, Companies UAE, DUBAI, COP28, United Arab, Saudi Arabia, Sharm el, Sheikh, Egypt, Paris, China, Grantham, Barbados, France, Japan, Copenhagen, Abu

☆ 'Tax the bad' to boost climate finance, COP28 panel advises
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Mark John | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/3] A general view shows Marathon Petroleum's refinery, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, in Anacortes, Washington, U.S., March 9, 2022. Higher carbon taxes - including levies on emissions from the maritime and aviation sectors - should be among options COP28 studies, the panel recommended. Subsidies for fossil fuels totalled $1.3 trillion, and substantially more if counting the societal cost of dealing with emissions and pollution. Co-chair Nicholas Stern, professor at LSE/Grantham Research Institute, said there was a compelling case for energy companies to make voluntary contributions. "I think that moral obligation is something that will be emphasised at COP28, and indeed before and after," he said.

Persons: David Ryder, Amar Bhattacharya, Vera Songwe, Nicholas Stern, Mark John, Barbara Lewis Organizations: REUTERS, Summit, United Arab, Brookings, Center, Sustainable Development, Investments, World Bank, LSE, Grantham Research Institute, Aviation, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Anacortes , Washington , U.S, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Paris, COP28, China

☆ The cost of climate policies: Hard-pressed consumers are pushing back
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

In a 2022 Pew survey covering 19 countries in North America, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region, climate change was named the top global threat. Aira UK“There is no trade-off between (installing a heat pump), saving the planet and at the same time saving the pockets of consumers,” CEO Martin Lewerth told CNN. “If you’re living outside Scandinavia and you want a heat pump, it’s not a hassle-free experience,” Lewerth acknowledged. “There is no scenario in which delay is the cheaper option with climate change,” said Bob Ward, policy and communications director at the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at the LSE. “If we’d invested more in renewable energy… energy bills wouldn’t have gone up so much, which disproportionately impacted on poor households,” Valero at the LSE told CNN.

Persons: ”, ” Brett Meyer, Tone, Tony Blair, ” Langengen, Meyer, Anna Valero, Keith Mayhew, Oliver Blume, doesn’t, Rishi Sunak, Kelley, Martin Lewerth, Sunak, ” Lewerth, “, Bob Ward, we’d, ” Valero, Tim Jackson Organizations: London CNN, Times Radio, Tony, Tony Blair Institute for Global, Pew, London School of Economics, Political Science, CNN, HSBC, carmakers, Volkswagen, Grantham Research, LSE, ”, Swiss, Confederation of British Industry, Centre, Prosperity, University of Surrey Locations: London, Europe, North America, Asia, Pacific, Greece, United Kingdom, United States, Germany, “, Norway, Sweden, Aira, Essex, Swedish, Britain, Scandinavia, Grantham, Ukraine

☆ Economic models buckle under strain of climate reality
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Mark John | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

But detractors say those numbers are the product of economic models that are not fit to capture the full extent of climate damage. A year earlier, the Trump administration cited similar models to justify replacing the Obama-era Clean Power Plan with one allowing higher emissions from coal-burning plants. At issue are the "integrated assessment models" (IAMs) economists use to draw conclusions on anything from output losses to financial risk or the pricing of carbon markets. Line chart with data from Climate Tracker shows varying predictions of global warming damage as percentage of GDP. "Our main message is: 'Economists, speak to climate scientists and come up with results that make sense'," he said.

Persons: William Nordhaus, Trump, Obama, Isabel Schnabel, Leon Walras, doesn't, Thierry Philipponnat, Steve Keen, Nordhaus, Rupert Thorne, Livio Stracca, Jean Boissinot, Nicholas Stern, Stern, Watch's Philipponnat, Mark John, Barbara Lewis Organizations: Central Bank, Finance Watch, Reuters, Network, Greening, " University College of London, ECB, NGFS, LSE, Grantham Research Institute, European Union, Thomson Locations: Dubai, Paris, Brussels

☆ Britain solves half of its wind power problem
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( George Hay | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

REUTERS/Andrew Boyers Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Nov 16 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Maybe UK wind isn’t a busted flush after all. Britain needs 50 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind by 2030, against 14 GW completed now and around 13 GW in development. It will also increase by 52% for floating offshore wind projects, from 116 pounds per MWh to 176 pounds per MWh. In AR6, offshore wind will also be given a separate funding pot in recognition of the high number of projects ready to participate. The UK aims to deliver 50 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind by 2030, including up to 5 GW of floating offshore wind.

Persons: Andrew Boyers, Sweden’s Vattenfall, Jefferies, Denmark’s, LCPDelta, Neil Unmack, Streisand Neto Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Jefferies, Grantham Research, Thomson Locations: Watchfield, Swindon, Britain, British

☆ Britain set to roll back climate pledges, enraging campaigners and auto groups
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak speaks to the media during his visit to Shell St Fergus Gas Plant in Peterhead on July 31, 2023 in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. LONDON — U.K.-based industry bodies and automakers on Wednesday criticized British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, amid reports that he is preparing to dilute several key net-zero climate pledges. A press representative for the prime minister's office declined to comment on the BBC report. However, interior minister Suella Braverman on Wednesday insisted in broadcast comments that the prime minister's approach to green policies was "pragmatic." On the long term, weakening the UK climate policies "could hurt economic growth by undermining domestic and overseas investment in a range of sectors that are developing and deploying clean technologies, such as heat pumps and electric vehicles.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Sunak, Lisa Brankin, Brankin, Mike Hawes, Chris Skidmore, Suella Braverman, Bob Ward, Chris Hewett Organizations: Shell St Fergus Gas Plant, LONDON, British, BBC, Ford, Society of Motor Manufacturers, Traders, Ministers, Conservative Party, Labour, Grantham Research, Solar Energy Locations: Shell, Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, Britain, Grantham, U.S, China, EU, India

Poland's government, which faces October elections, is even suing Brussels over climate policies. Britain has already quickly gone from being a leader on the world stage to looking quite weak on green policies, he said. CITIZENS, BUSINESSESEurope's green policies are still more credible than U.S. ones, given see-sawing between electoral cycles in the United States, some analysts said. Rows over green policies have propelled right-wing populist parties to second place in both Dutch and German polls. "Otherwise citizens might start to feel that climate policy is always financially overwhelming and bad, and that sentiment is then exploited by populists."

Persons: Timm Reichert, Virginijus Sinkevicius, Sinkevicius, Anna Moskwa, Nathalie Tocci, Mats Engström, GREEN, Bob Ward, Ward, Rishi Sunak, Rob Jetten, Nina Scheer, Simone Tagliapietra, Tagliapietra, Kate Abnett, Sarah Marsh, Gloria Dickie, Anthony Deutsch, Angelo Amante, Pawel, Susanna Twidale, William James, Alexnder Smith Organizations: REUTERS, European Union, Reuters, European People's Party, European Council, Foreign, United States, Grantham Research, London School of Economics, Political, Climate, Energy, Democrats, Thomson Locations: Gruenberg, Germany, EU, BERLIN, BRUSSELS, Netherlands, Brussels, Europe, United States, Grantham, India, China, Britain, Berlin, London, Amsterdam, Rome, Warsaw

☆ Britain sets out next steps to green its financial system
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Huw Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Asset managers oversee assets worth 10 trillion pounds ($12.35 trillion), with nearly half having integrated ESG into the investment process, the paper said. "This will support the quality of standards, labels and disclosures used in the industry for green finance activity," the ministry said in a statement. "The government proposes that nuclear - as a key technology within our pathways to reach net zero - will be included within the UK’s Green Taxonomy, subject to consultation." In the fourth quarter, Britain will also consult on requirements for the largest companies to disclose their transition plans to net zero carbon emissions, if they have one, the ministry said. Brendan Curry, policy fellow at the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change, said the updated strategy has "failed to deliver" a clear roadmap for the annual investment needed for net zero.

☆ Economists urge China to think 'beyond GDP' to head off climate risks
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( David Stanway | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SINGAPORE, Feb 23 (Reuters) - A team of influential economists has urged China to adopt a new development model based on "wellbeing" rather than GDP growth in order to fulfil its 2060 net-zero emissions goals and head off the mounting threats of climate change. The old development model drove rapid growth in China over the last four decades, but is putting the world at "grave risk", the report said. China began experimenting with "green GDP" in 2005 as concerns mounted about the environmental damage done by rapid industrialisation. A 2006 government report concluded that environmental losses amounted to 3% of total GDP, but critics believed the actual figure was much higher. China is home to 16 of the 20 global regions most vulnerable to climate change, data showed on Monday.

☆ Big business likes to trumpet ESG credentials. But a 'greenwashing' reckoning could be on the horizon
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-21 | by ( Anmar Frangoul | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Many of these claims are now viewed through the prism of ESG, or environmental, social and governance. But here's the rub: Definitions of ESG often vary and are hard to pin down. Over in the United States, scrutiny of claims about sustainability and ESG is also taking place. When contacted by CNBC, Vale — which has an "ESG Portal" on its website — referred to a statement issued on April 28. The debate surrounding greenwashing is becoming increasingly fierce, with the charge often leveled at multinational companies with vast resources and significant carbon footprints.

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