Australia has been burning since September 2019. The country has always experienced a ‘fire season’, but this year is fighting the worst bush fires in decades. Every state and territory in Australia have experienced fires this summer, with the biggest fires along the southern and eastern coasts, including the hubs of Sydney and Adelaide. The… Read the full article >
A look to the year ahead for climate change and CO2Balance
2019 was a busy year for climate change awareness and action; the emergence of the youth climate movement, climate activism and greater concern about the impacts amongst the global population. A recent poll by Ipsos MORI found that 85% of UK citizens are concerned about climate change. Here at CO2Balance, our position as a Carbon… Read the full article >
Climate Action Week 2019!
A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to attend the first ever London Climate Action Week 1-8th July organised in partnership with the Mayor of London, Sadiq khan. The week was packed full of events and workshops which showcased London’s enthusiasm and expertise as a global leader in the transition to a net-zero city… Read the full article >
International Day of the Tropics
We are ready to celebrate International Day of the Tropics on the 29th June, raising awareness of the diverse challenges that vulnerable nations here face. The Tropics are the geographical regions between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, which experience little seasonal change in temperature and increasing rain seasonality with distance from the equator. Levels… Read the full article >
Turning the tide in Africa’s 5000-year fight against desertification
Did you know that the Sahara Desert used to be green? The vast expanse of dusty desert and blistering sand was, 9000 years ago, a lush green savannah. This period was known as the ‘Neolithic Subpluvial’, a time of mega-lakes surrounded by grasslands and wildebeest and early human settlements[1]. Then, about 5000 years ago, the… Read the full article >
Sawadee Krap to the UNFCCC in Bangkok
The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is currently meeting in Bangkok to draft a rulebook for implementing the 2015 Paris Agreement, which will form the basis of the COP24 Summit in Katowice, Poland in December. The objective of the rulebook is to provide a streamlined draft which will assist discussions at the Katowice… Read the full article >
How to Reduce Waste for Zero Waste Week 2018
As we come to the end of Zero Waste Week 2018, what have you done to minimise waste in your life? This can be wasted food, throwing away plastic packaging to landfill, unworn clothes in your wardrobe, wasting water and energy. The one we hear the most about in the media is plastic waste. Plastic… Read the full article >
Where are you going on your summer holidays?
The world-wide tourism industry is booming and worth over $7 trillion. It employs 10% of workers and brings in massive revenue for areas which may have little else. The industry is growing by 4% each year, driven by new wealth in emerging economies such as China, Brazil and Mexico. A study in Nature Climate Change found… Read the full article >
Climate Change, Water Security, and Development
Much of the discussion and headlines around climate change focuses on rising global temperature and, though this is the driving factor, it is a longer-term and more abstract trend. One of the more noticeable impacts that has been and will continue to be seen is rainfall; how much will fall, where, and when. As temperatures… Read the full article >
Full-steam ahead towards 1.5C! – Greenhouse Gas Emissions of the Shipping Industry
The shipping industry contributes 2-3% of global GHG emissions, roughly the same as Germany. However, much like the aviation industry, it was not included in the Paris Agreement 2015 which requires nations to set out mitigation and adaptation GHG targets. The UN International Maritime Organisation (IMO) is meeting in London this week (9th… Read the full article >
Corporate Climate Action
Last week, I received confirmation that I obtained a high pass in the GHG Management Institute’s course in Organisational Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Accounting; this is part of our constant efforts to upskill the team so that we can continue to work to the highest standards. All our business reports are produced in accordance with the… Read the full article >
COP23 Commitments
Last week in Bonn, Germany, the latest round of United Nations Climate negotiations were hosted by Fiji. The talks brought together 197 Parties to progress the implementation of the Paris Agreement starting in 2020. The overarching themes of the negotiations included getting on track towards the Paris Agreement objectives and ultimately achieving the 2030 Sustainable… Read the full article >