Laura Clarke OBE’s Post

Distract and delay- the playbook of the fossil fuel industry. This fascinating article from Catherine McKenna, Canada’s former minister of the environment, talks anout how the industry has blatantly lied and misled, directly funded pushback in carbon credits, all the while demanding increased public subsidies as emissions increase in and beyond tar sands. This playbook goes well beyond Canada of course. Do taxpayers understand the scale of subsidies? Wouldn’t they be infuriated? Does the public understand the degree to which it is being misled, lied to? Wouldn’t they be infuriated? #greenwashing #publicpolicy #governance, #sdgs #fossilfuels, #climatechange #netzero #energytransition

The High Court ruled that the UK government will have to draft their #climate plan again ! The government has been defeated in court for a second time, for not doing enough to meet its targets for cutting #greenhouse gas #emissions. The UK has a target to reduce its emissions by 78% by 2035 against 1990 levels. If the government fail to put in place a comprehensive and robust climate plan, it may be difficult for the UK to reach this target.

Bill Alert! US House Bill HRES 1546 - Seeking additions to the resolved text of H. Res. 1537. Policy: International Affairs Status: Bill Introduced Full Details: https://lnkd.in/eP-2ctbr Bill 118 H.Res. 1546 seeks to make additions to the resolved text of H. Res. 1537. H. Res. 1537 is a resolution that addresses the issue of climate change and the need for the United States to take action to combat it. The additions proposed in Bill 118 H.Res. 1546 include provisions for increased funding for renewable energy research and development, as well as measures to promote energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The bill also calls for the establishment of a task force to study the impacts of climate change on vulnerable communities and develop strategies to address these impacts. Additionally, it includes provisions for increased funding for programs that help communities adapt to the effects of climate change, such as sea level rise and extreme weather events. Overall, Bill 118 H.Res. 1546 aims to strengthen the United States' response to climate change and promote sustainable energy practices. It emphasizes the importance of taking action to protect the environment and address the challenges posed by a changing climate.

Some of your money got buried under a street today – but the 2024 Climate bill can help fix that. MA spends a lot replacing natural gas pipelines via the Gas System Enhancement Plan, which started with a 2014 law seeking to fix gas leaks faster. A seemingly good idea, except it will spend over $40B (https://lnkd.in/eDap8P4q) replacing pipes and reinvigorating <90% of gas companies’ systems by the time it’s done, letting them make ~10% returns from the investment. Ratepayers will pay for these pipes decades past when we’ve stopped using them for fossil fuels.   Of course we could also just... Not.  The 2022 climate law called for reevaluation of the GSEP policy. It assembled a working group to advise the legislature on statutory changes that can help us spend less on fossil fuels, while maintaining safe gas usage during upcoming decades of transition. The group issued its recommendations in January (https://lnkd.in/eG2X5hdt)    One of the key points made it through the Senate this week in the climate bill – S.2829. The fix is remarkably simple, allowing a gas company to replace, repair or retire its infrastructure – and get paid for any of the three. Rather than driving the automatic answer to be a brand-new pipe, it makes gas companies consider ratepayer impacts, the risk of stranded assets, and whether more gas is consistent with MA’s mandate of 50% GHG emissions cut by 2030, and net zero by 2050. It also asks whether advanced leak repair could buy another 10 years of use for a fraction of the price, or whether a non-pipe alternative could substitute entirely.  Non-pipe alternatives are things that provide heat, but without emissions - though, ironically, some still use pipes. This includes increased energy efficiency, air/ground source heat pumps, or even a thermal network (like what just started operation in Framingham!) (https://lnkd.in/e4yQ9vYG) Like it’s often said, “when you find yourself in a hole, first stop digging” – we need to literally stop digging and burying money under the street as new gas lines.      @Environmental League of Massachusetts and our partners are working hard to ensure this (and other) reforms pass in the 2024 climate omnibus bill. Building-related emissions currently make up 30% of MA’s emissions – by redirecting some of the GSEP money towards electrification, we can reduce emissions and save ratepayers money. As we push for crucial reforms in the climate package before the end of the legislative session on July 31st, I’ll be posting updates about our work – so come follow along!

Learn from ELM's VP of Policy Amy Boyd Rabin on how the 2024 Climate Bill can help redirect GSEP money towards electrification, thereby reducing emissions and saving ratepayers money ⬇

UK government’s climate action plan unlawful The High Court has today found that that the government breached the Climate Change Act when it adopted the Carbon Budget Delivery Plan under the act following a legal challenge brought by Friends of the Earth, ClientEarth and Good Law Project. The Carbon Budget Delivery Plan that is the subject of the ruling was published in March 2023, and purported to set out government policies that enable the binding targets set in Carbon Budgets to be met, including the pledge to cut emissions by over two thirds by 2030. The adoption of five-yearly Carbon Budgets is a legal requirement under the Climate Change Act. Each Carbon Budget sets legally binding targets for the UK to cut its greenhouse gas emissions. The sixth Carbon Budget, which covers the period 2033 to 2037, was adopted in 2021. The latest Carbon Budget Delivery Plan was published after the High Court ruled that the previous plan was also unlawful. The Climate Change Committee, the government’s independent adviser on climate, found in June last year that there were only credible plans for less than a fifth of the emissions cuts needed to meet the UK’s Sixth Carbon Budget, which starts in 2033. As a result of today’s ruling the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, Clare Countinho, is expected to have to draw up a revised plan within 12 months. To comply with the Climate Change Act the plan must ensure that the UK achieves its legally binding carbon budgets, and its pledge to cut emissions by over two thirds by 2030, both of which the government is not on-track to meet. How this is to be achieved is not clear, and it will be interesting to see the approach taken by the government to this politically sensitive issue (especially considering the comments by the PM last September which took focus away from carbon reduction). The period for updating the plan is likely to coincide with the general election later this year. It is unclear whether the government will seek to issue an updated plan before the election or pass this responsibility on to the next administration. Alistair Taylor #netzero #climatechange https://lnkd.in/ewfqzAU7

Wow! I remember when fixing gas leaks finally got some traction with the legislature. Turns out we have a better way to solve this problem or at least reduce it significantly. Incentive the gas companies to do the right thing! Check out the article below and the one he forwarded as well. Very informative and important.

Reporting that the Government acted unlawfully by approving a strategy to meet the UK’s climate targets, a High Court judge has ruled. The plan outlines how the country will achieve targets set out in the sixth carbon budget, which runs until 2037, as part of wider efforts to reach net zero by 2050. The three environmental groups argued the new plan was also unlawful because it was agreed based on incorrect assumptions about its viability, citing the fact that the then-energy minister, Grant Shapps, was not told of the risk that policies to reduce emissions could not eventually be delivered. In response to the decision, a DESNZ spokesperson said: “The UK can be hugely proud of its record on climate change. Not only are we the first major economy to reach halfway to net zero, we have also set out more detail than any other G20 country on how we will reach our ambitious carbon budgets. The claims in this case were largely about process and the judgment contains no criticism of the detailed plans we have in place. We do not believe a court case about process represents the best way of driving progress towards our shared goal of reaching net zero.” #netzero #climatechange #climate https://lnkd.in/ehyrCrFz

🌍 The UK government has been defeated in court for the second time over its failure to meet greenhouse gas emission targets. 🌍 Environmental groups argued that the government’s climate plan lacked evidence of achievability.🌍 ⚖️ The High Court has ruled that the government must redraft its climate plan. This legal challenge was brought by Friends of the Earth , ClientEarth , and The Good Law Project. 🎯 The UK has a target to reduce its emissions by 78% by 2035 against 1990 levels. However, the UK Climate Change Committee (UKCCC) estimated that the government’s plan would only deliver a fifth of the emissions cuts needed in the coming decade. 🔍 The UKCCC criticised the government’s failure to support clean energy and its support for new fossil fuel projects. In July 2023, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced 100 new North Sea oil and gas licenses. 💡 This ruling highlights the urgent need for robust, comprehensive, and fair climate plans that ensure we meet our climate targets without leaving anyone behind. #ClimateChange #NetZero #UKGovernment #GreenhouseGasEmissions #HighCourtRuling #ClimateAction

"There is no nation on earth better placed than Australia to achieve the energy transition here at home and power it in the world." - Anthony Albanese A suite of new climate legislation was introduced to the Australian Parliament yesterday. the bills cover a range of key policy initiatives designed to help accelerate the energy transition and ensure that Australia continues to progress towards its legislated emission reduction targets. The legislation includes the long awaited mandatory climate disclosure requirements, but also establishes a new independent authority to help coordinate net zero efforts across government and key stakeholders. 🎓 Want to learn more? Check out Sumday's latest blog for the details and key takeaways on each of the bills: https://lnkd.in/gBKC82RM