As a hundred thousand people on the streets of London for Extinction Rebellion’s Big One have been reminding us of the existential threat of climate change and 1,300 oil workers have gone on strike because oil companies aren’t sharing their record profits, …
Oil boss is COP boss
Pressure is growing on the United Arab Emirates to replace their choice of the head of the state oil company as the President of the next climate talks, COP28. Countries almost always give the job to their climate or environment minister, …
What the Energy Strategy really said about fossil fuels
In response to last week’s Scottish Government Energy Strategy one newspaper ran a front page headline announcing the end of the oil and gas industry. The truth is less clear. The long-awaited new Strategy is a draft and public responses are …
Nature-based solutions not as nice as they sound
As the seaside resort of Sharm el-Sheikh gets back to catering for tourists, it’s time to reflect that the outcomes of the UN COP27 climate talks were predictable, surprising and dangerous, all at the same time. The first success was …
Climate COP or fossil capture ?
As COP27 grinds slowly towards its conclusion, the battle over what any final agreement might say about fossil fuels is reaching its peak. Last year’s COP in Glasgow produced an agreement that finally actually admitted fossil fuels might be a …
The global energy crisis and the climate
When the deadline for revised climate pledges passed last month only 23 countries out of nearly 200 had submitted something new. This deadline was agreed at the Glasgow climate talks last November and counties where supposed to propose stronger action between …
Financing climate justice
A new report I researched and wrote for Stop Climate Chaos Scotland on fiscal measure for climate action is covered in today’s Sunday Post. It looks at how we fund climate action at home and how we make our fair …
Energy scenarios almost point the way
The long-awaited Scottish Energy Strategy is due to come out this autumn but new energy scenarios published this week contain some things to welcome but also some worrying ideas. The current Energy Strategy was published in 2017. It contains two scenarios, …
The Ferret – Ministers urged to reject new Peterhead gas plant
A story in the Ferret and Sunday National covers plans to build a new gas fired power station at Peterhead. In a country which is supposed to be leading on climate change. This is the full quotes I gave to …
UK and Scottish energy strategies on collision course
The UK Government’s new energy strategy makes no sense at all and puts Westminster on collision course with Holyrood. In early March Boris Johnson said he would produce, as a matter of urgency, a plan to respond to the twin …
The Great Net Zero Con
Governments and companies are perpetrating a global con trick by talking about net zero climate emissions.
Carbon pipe dreams
The new Climate Plan risks relying on a dodgy technology called BECCS - Bio-Energy with Carbon Capture & Storage