In the early days of climate action, urban plans to reduce carbon frequently suffered from the laundry list syndrome: cataloguing potential strategies without any evidence of how they would meet long-term goals. Since then, cities and counties have become more sophisticated about cutting carbon, and are developing clean energy transition plans to do it.
Leading urban governments have set aggressive goals such as carbon neutrality and 80% reduction by 2050, and others have committed to sourcing 100% of their energy with renewables. These are not empty pledges, but achievable goals that local officials are already implementing.
In December 2015, international leaders will gather in Paris for what are arguably the most important global climate talks ever. Countries are updating their carbon reduction pledges, which currently fall far short of what is necessary to hold global warming at two degrees Celsius. This represents an ambition gap among national negotiators that the bold climate leadership of city officials around the world can help close.
Low-carbon fuel standards make headway in OR and CA, climate pledges fall short of 2˚ goal but buy time for further progress, renewables surpass coal as UK’s #2 power source, and more news of the week in clean energy solutions
Sweden sets goal of going completely fossil-free, China to work with US on utility innovation and decarbonizing cities, union opposes coal port in Oakland, and more news of the week in clean energy solutions
Former EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson once named energy efficiency the “silent hero” in the climate crisis. Republican Governor Butch Otter of Idaho called efficiency the “low hanging fruit in the energy orchard.” We know that a key way to reduce our climate pollution is to reduce our energy demand. By reducing energy use, we also save money on our utility bills. So why are there still barriers to homeowners embracing deep energy efficiency?
Obama brings climate road show to Alaska, solar industry ponders a future unsupported by tax credits, Citibank and IEA see clean energy reaching cost parity, and more news of the week in clean energy solutions
This week in Anchorage, President Obama offered a beautiful, strong speech about the need for an epic response to climate change. But across the Northwest, our region still burns; and the President is permitting Shell to fan the flames with Arctic drilling.
Solar prices dropping, global temperatures rising, wind farms producing more energy for every megawatt of capacity, and more news of the week in clean energy solutions.
