About: climate economics
EU pushed towards ‘climate disclosure’ regime for investors
Pressure is building on global regulators and the European Commission to “stress-test” portfolios of large institutional investors against long-term objectives to reduce climate change, in a move that could shift billions in investment away from fossil fuels.
World Bank: Climate policies could lift global GDP by trillions every year
Global economic output could rise by as much as an additional $2.6 trillion (€1.9tn) a year, or 2.2%, by 2030 if government policies improve energy efficiency, waste management and public transport, according to a World Bank report released on Tuesday (24 June).
Kyoto pact in the balance in UN climate endgame
President Barack Obama arrives in Copenhagen today (18 December) for the final day of the UN climate conference on a positive note, after the US pledged to contribute to international climate aid. EURACTIV reports from the Danish capital.
Finance sector makes voice heard at UN climate talks
Executives from Merrill Lynch and Goldman Sachs spoke alongside former world leaders in Copenhagen yesterday (16 December) to promote private finance as a way of helping poor nations switch to low-carbon energy sources. EURACTIV reports from the Danish capital.Climate summit struggles to overcome targets row
With UN climate talks marred by tensions between poor and rich countries over carbon emissions reduction targets, some are now looking at the 1992 UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) as a more solid foundation for a deal.
Enel: No climate deal without global carbon market
With nearly 200 nations having begun climate talks in Copenhagen, a genuine global regulatory framework is required to create a level playing field for businesses seeking to slash their emissions and move towards a low-carbon future, Giuseppe Montesano, head of environmental policy at Italian power company Enel, told EURACTIV in an interview.
Ahead of EU summit, Soros unveils climate finance plan
While EU leaders are expected to agree on immediate action to provide financial support for developing countries in Brussels today (11 December), in Copenhagen billionaire investor George Soros has unveiled a plan to provide up to 150 billion dollars for poor countries to access clean technologies.
India envoy: ‘Not enough progress towards a climate deal’
Despite the need to come up with a global climate deal by the end of the year in Copenhagen, diplomats involved in the negotiations are not making enough progress, India's special envoy on climate change, Shyam Saran, told EURACTIV in an exclusive interview.
EU debates emission cuts for rich nations
Environment ministers from the 27-member bloc will meet on Monday (2 March) to fine-tune the EU's position ahead of international climate negotiations for the period after 2012. But views differ as to how the world's richest countries should contribute, with member states at odds over criteria such as GDP and population size.
EU signals end of ‘free lunches’ on climate finance
China and India must play their full part in fighting climate change and accept that programmes financed by the West to modernise their industries will only come in return for making genuine efforts at home, warns the EU's chief climate negotiator in an interview with EURACTIV.
Davos experts call for multilateral linking of economy, climate
2009 presents a diplomatic opportunity for governments of major economies to mobilise "unprecedented public-private collaboration" to address climate change as part of a wider economic growth agenda, participants in the World Economic Forum stated yesterday (29 January).
Pozna? climate talks leave ‘heavy lifting’ for 2009
Despite great expectations, UN climate talks in Pozna? have failed to deliver a coherent plan for action, with activists and environmentalists voicing disappointment that much of the "heavy lifting" negotiations had been postponed until next year. Delegates will seek to strike a deal on a new international climate change agreement in Copenhagen next December.
Human rights in spotlight at UN climate talks
Frustrated by a lack of progress in talks over a new climate agreement taking place in Pozna?, activists and delegates used the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to warn negotiators that legal action will increase unless governments take decisive steps to tackle global warming.
UN climate talks make little progress
After a week of intensive talks, ministers have not yet made a breakthrough in negotiations for a post-Kyoto climate change deal currently taking place in Poland, despite some progress on tackling deforestation.
UN maps out national positions ahead of climate talks
After a year of debate on what a post-Kyoto climate deal should look like, the United Nations has published a report setting out its ideas in the hope that it will facilitate an agreement during upcoming negotiations in Poznan, Poland, on 1-12 December.
D. Bank sees green ‘opportunities’ in economic slump
Funding shortages and recession fears should not be used as excuses for shying away from tackling climate change, while governments have a key role to play by setting the right carbon price on polluters, according to a new report by Deutsche Bank.
EU weighing compromises to clinch climate deal
Amid a worsening global economic slowdown, EU leaders say they will reach a deal on ambitious CO2 reduction laws before January 2009. But the rules could be significantly watered down in order to make concessions to reluctant member states.
EU summit to balance climate goals and economy
EU heads of state and government will convene in Brussels tomorrow (15 October) to agree on the bloc's energy and climate agenda in the midst of a worsening economic crisis that is exacerbating industry concerns over CO2 abatement costs and foreign competition.
Brussels readies for ‘Super Tuesday’ climate vote
MEPs will tomorrow (7 October) vote on key legislation designed to slash the EU's CO2 emissions by 20% by 2020. But the vote comes amidst a worsening economic crisis, with several member states indicating that they want to put the brakes on any rapid adoption of the measures.
G8 ministers compromise on 2050 climate target
Differing views on the need for intermediate emissions reduction targets emerged over the weekend (24-26 May) between G8 environment ministers, who pledged to work on a deal to halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 during an upcoming summit in July.
New report ‘points the way’ on sectoral climate action
Concerns about anti-competitive behaviour and insufficient incentives for emerging economies, which frustrate sector-based greenhouse gas reduction schemes, can be overcome, says a new report by the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS).
OECD backs green economy push
Competitiveness challenges associated with the shift towards a low-carbon economy are real but manageable, according to environment ministers from the 30 member countries of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), who debated the issue in Paris this week (28-29 April).
Major emitters pledge further climate talks
The world's leading emitters of greenhouse gases last week debated emissions reduction levels and the massive sums required to boost 'greener' development during a two-day meeting that produced no clear commitments or agreements.