The Asian Development Bank (ADB) recently called for “climate proofing” – to borrow a term used by Preety Bhandari, who heads ADB’s Climate Change and Disaster Risk Management Unit – low-lying or coastal cities in Asia requiring the trifecta of sound integrated planning, adequate resources and political commitment. “The battle against climate change is likely… Keep reading →
New research reveals the majority of European cities are unprepared to deal with climate change risks that seem to be intensifying by the day. The report finds that there are major structural gaps in urban adaptation and resilience planning exacerbated further by a lack of information and funding, as well as misaligned incentives. Entitled “Underfunded, Underprepared, Underwater? Cities… Keep reading →
Global supply chains could be headed for big trouble. “Marginal or no improvements”, tantamount to a lack of preparation, leave supply chains in the US, China, India and Brazil more exposed to climate risks than those in France, the UK and Japan finds a new global study from CDP – formerly known as ‘Carbon Disclosure… Keep reading →
Just two weeks ago, the year 2014 was dubbed the hottest year on earth since the start of record keeping in 1880. Separate data compilations from NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) confirmed this 2014 record, as reported by Justin Gillis of The New York Times. Now, the Australian Climate Institute finds… Keep reading →
Germany’s Munich Re, one of the world’s largest and leading reinsurers, released on January 7 its review of natural catastrophes in 2014 – measuring the economic impact of natural catastrophes on its reinsurance business bottom line. Attributing the much lower 2014 financial losses vis-à-vis previous years to the “absence of very severe catastrophes and a… Keep reading →
On October 31, 2014, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) released two plans related to climate change. The Strategic Sustainability Performance Plan and the Climate Change Adaptation Plan are intended to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and prepare for flooding, rising sea levels, and extreme temperatures/weather patterns. These plans come five years after the 2009 Executive Order on Environmental, Energy, and Economic Performance that set energy, climate, and environmental goals for government agencies. The release of the plans gave Energy Secretary Dr. Ernest Moniz an opportunity to outline how the use of clean energy resources, as part of the Strategic Sustainability Performance Plan, has been implemented within the Department. DOE has increased the number of buildings that achieved federal guiding principles for high performance and sustainable buildings. It has completed a biomass cogeneration facility in South Carolina and an 11.5 megawatt wind farm, both of which serve to reduce the use of non-renewable energy. DOE was also recognized as a 2014 GreenGov Presidential Award Winner for its work with the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to produce a five percent reduction in DOT’s total fuel consumption, and a 20 percent increase in DOT’s use of alternative fuels.
WASHINGTON – As a part of the President’s Climate Action Plan, the Department of Energy released plans for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and preparing for climate change impacts such as flooding, sea level rise, severe weather and temperature extremes. These Sustainability Plans and Climate Change Adaptation Plans coincide with the fifth anniversary of President Obama’s… Keep reading →
In this video Dr. Robert Stavins, Professor of Business and Government at Harvard University’s Kennedy School succinctly discusses some of the obstinate challenges facing governments – from the local to national level – regulators, corporate entities, scientists, the environmental community and other relevant stakeholders when considering how to deal with climate change. He discusses the… Keep reading →
