Can we be pleased with the progress we have made in the development of energy efficiency and the mitigation of climate change?
"As the first decade of the 21st Century closes, can we be pleased with the progress we have made in the development of energy efficiency and the mitigation of climate change?"
IISD's Mark Halle responds to the question posed by Comment:Visions and European Voice for their December 2009 issue, saying, "On the eve of the Copenhagen COP, we have lowered expectations so far that it recalls the pop culture title by Richard Fariña: Been Down So Long It Looks Like Up to Me. We all hope to be pleasantly surprised by Copenhagen, but we are all secretly girding ourselves to explain away a disappointment. But pleased with the progress we have made...? C'mon."
Comment:Visions, is a project of Euronews channel and Brussels-based European Voice newspaper. The project explores the personal views of thinkers, innovators and scientists about possible solutions to such challenges as global warming, overpopulation and dwindling resources.
You might also be interested in
The Hidden Clauses That Can Hinder Tax and Investment Policy Reform
Stabilization clauses should no longer automatically be included in contracts between states and investors. If they are, they should, at a minimum, build on the latest international standards on stabilization to avoid being a barrier to sustainable development.
Coalition against fossil fuel subsidies expands but misses initial targets
The UK, Colombia, and New Zealand have signed on to a coalition of governments aiming to phase out fossil fuel subsidies, joining 13 other mainly European nations in the alliance. IISD's Vance Culbert said that half a dozen more countries—including "a few larger economy developing countries"—are talking privately to them about joining too.
Europe’s Dash for Gas in Africa puts Private Profits First
Europe’s demand for gas is contributing to expansion of LNG projects in Mozambique, Nigeria, and Senegal. This favours the interests of European oil and gas companies over those of African countries, a new report shows.
The United Kingdom, New Zealand, and Colombia Join Coalition to Phase Out Fossil Fuel Subsidies
Today on the sidelines of the UN Climate Conference in Baku (COP 29), the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and Colombia joined the international Coalition on Phasing Out Fossil Fuel Incentives Including Subsidies (COFFIS).