Even if countries deliver a global deal to slash carbon emissions
next year, the world is still likely to exceed the two-degree
“tipping point” by 2100 that experts fear could lead to
catastrophic climate change impacts. That is the stark conclusion
of a new paper by analyst firm Thomson Reuters Point Carbon.

The Conservative Party’s controversial plan to effectively ban the
development of new onshore wind farms if it wins the next election
could prove to be a “vote-loser”, according to a new poll of
voters’ attitudes towards candidates who oppose wind-farm
development. The ComRes poll of over 2,000 adults consistently
found that a higher proportion of voters were likely to be put off
voting for a candidate or party that opposed onshore wind farm
development than were attracted to the policy.

Even if countries deliver a global deal to slash carbon emissions
next year, the world is still likely to exceed the two-degree
“tipping point” by 2100 that experts fear could lead to
catastrophic climate change impacts. That is the stark conclusion
of a new paper by analyst firm Thomson Reuters Point Carbon, which
examines the impacts of a range of potential scenarios that could
emerge from the United Nations Climate Change Summit in Paris at
the end of 2015.

Europe faces a “significant risk” of gas shortages this winter if
there is any disruption to Russian supplies through
Ukraine,according to Christophe de Margerie, chief executive of
Total. He says Europe could struggle to find alternative sources of
supply, even without Moscow retaliating against western sanctions
by cutting energy supplies.

The most generous cashback in the Government’s overhauled Green
Deal scheme could be gone in one month, according to the Telegraph.
Current cashback amounts are guaranteed for the first £50 million
only. After that, the government could reduce the amount available
to each household for different parts of the scheme.

The costliest impact of climate change in Europe this century is
likely to be on human health – and in particular heat-related
deaths – according to a new economic assessment by the EU Joint
Research Centre. The study looks at the impact of a 3.5 degrees
Celsius rise in global average temperature from pre-industrial
levels – an increase expected if no concerted international action
to cut greenhouse gases is taken.

Researchers at Kings College London have found Oxford Street has
the highest levels of nitrogen dioxide in the world. Researcher
David Carslaw says he has recorded peak levels over three times
higher than the average amount of the pollutant since the start of
the year – the highest hourly and annual mean in the world.
Nitrogen dioxide,produced by diesel fumes, is harmful to
respiratory health.

An umbrella group of churches, which represents over half a
billion Christians worldwide, has decided to pull its investments
out of fossil fuel companies. The move by the World Council of
Churches, which has 345 member churches including the Church of
England but not the Catholic church, was welcomed as a “major
victory” by climate campaigners who have been calling on companies
and institutions such as pension funds, universities and local
governments to divest from coal, oil and gas.

Dwindling revenue from North Sea oil will increase the pressure on
government finances over the coming decades, according to the
Office for Budget Responsibility. The body has cut its estimate of
tax income from the North Sea between 2020 and 2041 by a quarter,
to £40 billion. The fall is down to lower production forecasts over
the next few years.

The UN Millenium Development Goals have already changed the world
for the better, but negotiations to create a new agenda suffer from
a lack of ambition, argues Jim Murphy. He calls on the UK
government to ensure climate action is at the heart of a new
agreement on the goals, so that gains in health, poverty, food and
sanitation are not reversed.

Energy experts taking part in a Westminster roundtable organised
by the government say that while the UK’s climate targets are
ambitious, the pace of change towards a low-carbon energy future is
“timid”. The government must make sure it’s not “sleepwalking into
[…] challenges” – and instead, ensuring it’s scoping out the
opportunities and risks that lie ahead.

Scientists have developed a new high-resolution climate
model that shows southwestern Australia’s long-term decline in fall
and winter rainfall is caused by increases in man-made greenhouse
gas emissions and ozone depletion, according to research published
today.

The role of technology in international cooperation and
adaptation to climate change is a critical but understudied issue,
says a new study. The research discusses some of the challenges
involved, including assessing the appropriateness of different
technological solutions under climate change, the evolution of
financial markets and access to materials.

A new paper calculates the relative contributions of
countries to global climate change. The contribution of developed
nations to the temperature change between 1850 and 2010 rises from
52 to 58 per cent when you take into account all greenhouse gases,
not just carbon dioxide. The authors estimate the contribution from
developing countries will surpass that from developed countries
around 2030.

Stressing the moral imperatives for climate change action is
a double edged sword – it can motivate people to act for a cause
they believe in or it can defensively lead them to avoid solving
the problem. A new study explores possible solutions.