GLOBAL POLICY
The Paris climate goals demand a rapid, just transition from fossil fuels to clean energy. We’re pushing governments to lead the way by adopting policies to end oil and gas production.
OVERVIEW OF WORK
In order to achieve climate goals, governments and other decision makers must support a just and equitable move away from fossil fuels. We are pushing for precedent-setting leadership from governments to put policies in place to manage the decline of oil and gas and ensure a just transition for fossil-fuel dependent workers and communities.
Building from a growing group of first mover governments, we are pressuring for increasing numbers of national and regional governments to end new licenses and permits for oil and gas production, and to develop plans to wind down their existing production over time.
LATEST PROGRAM POSTS
I always thought the one problem with carbon markets or pollution credits is that they allow companies to carry on polluting. They don't actually fix the problem. Now the UK policy group, the Cornerhouse has published a briefing attacking carbon trading. It was also published by the think think, Foreign Policy in Focus.
According to the Larry Lohmann, from the Cornerhouse: "In their efforts to deal with climate change, most governments are pinning their hopes largely on the carbon markets that, under US influence, have been enshrined in both the Kyoto Protocol and the EU Emissions Trading Scheme.
"This is a mistake"
So the spiral of violence in Nigeria continues. Although six hostages being held by militant youths in the Delta region of Nigeria have been released, a further three are still being held.
On the day that Tony Blair hosts a crisis Downing Street summit to address what he calls "the major long-term threat facing our planet", there is more bad news for the climate.
The Guardian reports how "the Earth's temperature could rise under the impact of global warming to levels far higher than previously predicted, according to the United Nations' team of climate experts".
According to a draft of the influential UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, scientists are now unable to place a reliable upper limit on how quickly the atmosphere will warm as carbon dioxide levels increase. The Guardian
The George Clooney movie, Syriana opens in cinemas across Europe this week. Some oil campaigners believe that any film that tries to portray the deep-rooted web of connections between oil companies and politicians is a worthwhile exercise. Others think that it is conspiratorial nonsense.
So what did the Financial Times energy correspondent, Carola Hoyos think of the film? Not much it seems. She called it “unbelievably confusing and, well, crude”.
She seems to think that governments and oil companies are NOT that bright to be involved in a conspiracy. “I am not saying that oil companies are responsible, transparent, generous organisations, and
LATEST PROGRAM RESEARCH
This new report, “Public Enemies: Assessing MDB and G20 international finance institutions’ energy finance” looks at G20 country and MDB traceable international public finance for fossil fuels from 2020-2022 and finds they are still backing at least USD 47 billion per year in oil, gas, and coal projects.
This briefing assesses Shell’s fossil fuel extraction plans in light of Shell's appeal of a Dutch court verdict requiring the company to take responsibility for its climate pollution. Our analysis shows that Shell continues to plan for levels of oil and gas production and investment that undermine the world’s chances of curtailing climate disaster.
The countries that produce oil and gas from the North Sea (Norway, the UK, the Netherlands, Germany, and Denmark) rank among the countries with the greatest economic capacity and responsibility to rapidly phase out extraction, and to finance just transitions to renewable energy solutions domestically and abroad.