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Power and politics: the elephant in the room in sustainability debates

Posted on 4 August 2015 by Sandra Pointel — No Comments ↓

This year will see the culmination of two major global agreements for climate change and development. From 30 November to 11 December, worldwide negotiators will gather in Paris at the 21st Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to hammer out a deal that will define post-Kyoto commitments for the next 15 years. The climate negotiations will follow earlier decisions for the adoption of new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with broad objectives applicable to all countries. While the “Road to Paris” and the SDGs continue to gather momentum, much works remain to be done in reconciling long-lasting tensions between climate change and development and rallying diverse international, national and local actors.

New research project to investigate how communities can tackle fuel poverty – the silent killer

Posted on 28 July 2015 by Mari Martiskainen — No Comments ↓

New research to be conducted on the issue of fuel poverty will help researchers, policy makers and the third sector to understand how community groups can reach the vulnerable and what potential impact local activities could have. Dr Mari Martiskainen from the Centre on Innovation and Energy Demand (CIED)¹, together with Dr Giovanna Speciale from South East London Community Energy (SELCE)², have received a grant from The Chesshire Lehmann Fund³ to investigate the effectiveness of the ‘energy shop’ model, as a response to fuel poverty.

Osborne’s long-game? The politics behind the down-scaling of low-carbon policies

Posted on 27 July 2015 by Nora Blascsok — 4 Comments ↓

by Frank Geels and Victoria Johnson.

Within weeks of the newly elected Conservative government coming into power, the down-scaling of low-carbon policies began. The Green Deal, binned earlier this week, is the latest victim of the post-election cull which has seen the end of a further 8 green policies. Commitments to renewable energy and climate change targets are unravelling before our eyes. The recent downscaling of climate change policies is, however, the culmination of a long-standing political struggle between DECC and the Treasury.

Since the creation of DECC in 2008, the Treasury has been embroiled in a battle for policy control over energy and climate; areas formerly located within the Department of Trade and Industry after the disbanding of the Department of Energy in 1992. And, austerity in the face of the financial crisis provided the Treasury with the perfect opportunity, on the basis of cost, to contain green ambitions. Read more ›

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Tagged with: CIED, DECC, energy policy, low carbon, UK energy policy
Posted in All Posts, CIED, News, policy

Energy Performance Certificates and renting in Brighton – From “nice to know” to improved houses?

Posted on 16 July 2015 by Paula Kivimaa — 4 Comments ↓

Usually as a researcher I base my insights on the research and systematic empirical studies I carry out. However, on this particular occasion, the insights are of a more personal nature. Having started to do research on building energy efficiency policies about a year ago, I was interested to be faced with one specific policy instrument in the course of relocating from Finland to the UK – the Energy Performance Certificate.

The Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) provides an assessment of the level of insulation of the property, its heating system, hot water and lighting, giving an overall energy efficiency rating and an environmental impact (CO2) rating. In other words, it provides a common standard against which all buildings can be compared and measured. All European countries are mandated to have a scheme in place for EPCs of both new and existing buildings, following the European Performance of Buildings Directive. Ideally, the EPC improves the quality of properties both for sale and let and encourages new investment on building energy efficiency through increased disclosure of information:

“Through the provision of information about a buildings’ energy performance, new occupiers are given the opportunity to make well-informed choices about the property thus changing the characteristics that drive value in the property market.”

Paris warms up for climate event of the decade – Our Common Future under Climate Change

Posted on 15 July 2015 by Emily Cox — No Comments ↓

People on stage at the Our Common Future Under Climate Change conference

Last week, more than 2000 climate change researchers gathered in Paris for the ‘Our Common Future under Climate Change’ conference, an enormous and prestigious event as part of the preparations for the COP21 climate negotiations in Paris later this year. The talks and conversations were hugely diverse, but a key message was summed up by Fatih Birol, chief economist at the IEA: “Is it enough? No. But is it a good step? Yes”. Read more ›

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Tagged with: climate change, COP21, Fossil fuels, global warming, Our Common Future, renewable energy, renewables, sustainability, Transitions
Posted in All Posts, Fossil fuels, policy, renewables

Power and politics: the elephant in the room in sustainability debates

New research project to investigate how communities can tackle fuel poverty – the silent killer

Osborne’s long-game? The politics behind the down-scaling of low-carbon policies

Energy Performance Certificates and renting in Brighton – From “nice to know” to improved houses?

Paris warms up for climate event of the decade – Our Common Future under Climate Change

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