Budget 2018: Key climate and energy announcements
Philip Hammond, the chancellor, has delivered his last budget before the UK is set to leave the EU in March 2019. It was a lengthy speech full of technical detail, but included no references to climate...
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Guest post: Did bombing during second world war cool global temperatures?
Prof Alan Robock is a distinguished professor of climate science in the Department of Environmental Sciences at Rutgers University in New Jersey, US. Between 3 February and 9 August 1945 during the...
View ArticleNegative emissions: Scientists meet in Australia to discuss removing CO2 from...
An international group of researchers and policymakers met in Australia’s capital this week for the country’s first major conference dedicated to the topic of “negative emissions”. The two-day event,...
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The Carbon Brief Quiz 2018
Last Wednesday, Carbon Brief hosted its fourth annual quiz night at a bar in central London. Thirty-five teams, featuring more than 250 people, took part in the climate and energy-themed evening, all...
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Guest post: Combining renewables with direct air capture for ‘net negative’...
Jan Wohland is a PhD student at Forschungszentrum Jülich, Dr Dirk Witthaut is a junior professor at Forschungszentrum Jülich, and Dr Carl-Friedrich Schleussner is head of climate science and impacts at...
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Global coal use may have peaked in 2014, says latest IEA World Energy Outlook
The world may never again use as much coal as during a peak in 2014, according to the latest World Energy Outlook from the International Energy Agency (IEA). The weighty annual outlook is one of the...
View ArticleThe Carbon Brief Interview: Sir John Armitt
Sir John Armitt is the chair of the National Infrastructure Commission. He was awarded a CBE for his services to the rail industry in 2007 and a knighthood in 2012 in recognition of his role as chair...
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US could meet Paris emissions pledge with ‘natural climate solutions’, study...
The US could meet its pledge to cut emissions under the Paris Agreement through “natural climate solutions” (NCS), a new study suggests. NCS comprise a group of techniques – such as reforestation,...
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CCC: UK should ‘move away’ from large-scale biomass burning
The UK should not give support to any new large-scale biomass power plants unless they include carbon capture and storage (CCS), according to the Committee on Climate Change (CCC). Biomass has a...
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CCC: Farming needs a ‘revolution’ for UK to meet climate goals
Greenhouse gas emissions from the land-use and agriculture sector are set to increase unless the UK’s “unsustainable” approach changes, warns the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) in a report published...
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Rising CO2 levels in the ocean could benefit toxic algae, study says
Rising levels of CO2 in the ocean could spark blooms of toxic algae capable of causing harm to marine life and human health, a new study suggests. Experimental evidence collected by researchers in the...
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Melting Antarctic ice could slow global temperature rise, study says
Cold meltwater running off Antarctica’s ice sheets and into the ocean could dampen the pace of global temperature rise, a new study suggests. The research, published in Nature, finds that the rate of...
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CCC: Progress on low-carbon hydrogen ‘must begin now’ in UK
Hydrogen is a “credible” option for reducing UK’s emissions if used “selectively”, according to the government’s climate advisers. It could replace natural gas in some otherwise hard-to-decarbonise...
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The Carbon Brief Interview: Prof Terry Hughes
Prof Terry Hughes is the director of the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies at James Cook University in Townsville. He was awarded the 2018 John Maddox Prize for...
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Q&A: What next for UK capacity market after surprise EU ruling?
The UK capacity market, the main government policy for “keeping the lights on”, has been rendered illegal after a surprise EU court ruling issued on 15 November. The market is a key plank of the...
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UNEP: Limiting warming to 1.5C requires ‘fivefold’ increase in climate...
The world is far from being on track to meet its climate targets unless emission-reduction commitments are dramatically expanded, according to the latest UN Environment Programme (UNEP) emissions gap...
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The Lancet: Extreme heat threatens ‘systemic failure’ of hospitals
The recent impact of climate change on heat-related diseases should be seen as a harbinger of future dangers posed to human health, a landmark report finds. These risks include the threat of a...
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In-depth Q&A: The UK Climate Projections 2018
At the Science Museum on Monday, environment secretary Michael Gove launched the latest set of climate change projections for the UK. Produced by the Met Office Hadley Centre, the UK Climate...
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Natural ocean fluctuations could help explain Antarctic sea ice changes
Since satellite records of sea ice began in the 1970s, the world’s poles have shown a contrasting picture. While Arctic sea ice levels have fallen steadily over the past few decades, Antarctic sea ice...
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Explainer: Why some US Democrats want a ‘Green New Deal’ to tackle climate...
A growing number of Democrats in the US Congress are hoping to create a new set of policies which would trigger a rapid decarbonisation of the US economy. They have labelled the plan as the “green new...
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