healthier, happier and richer

Welcome to Climate Answers

Climate change is the most serious issue ever to have faced humanity. Rightly, it is now high on the public, political, media and business agendas. However, too much of the discussion is still about what we should not be doing or what we should be against. There is not enough discussion or information on solutions – what we can and should do to minimise dangerous climate change, and what should be done to make us not only safer and more secure, but also richer and happier.

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Editorial 8 February 2010: Major progress on wind in 2009

2009 is in danger of being remembered as the year of the Copenhagen ‘failure’ and Obama’s failure to get a cap-and-trade bill through the US Senate. However, it should be remembered as a year when, despite extremely difficult economic conditions, major polluting countries made substantial progress in expanding wind energy.

Thailand – climate and energy statistics

This document sets out some of the important climate change statistics concerning energy use in Thailand.

Editorial 4 February 2010: Substantial EU progress on CCS

On Tuesday 2 February 2010, European Union member states agreed to European Commission proposals on how to distribute billions of Euros collected under the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) to CCS and renewable energy projects.

Chile – climate and energy statistics

This document sets out some of the important climate change statistics concerning energy use in Chile.

Editorial 1 February 2010: Chile and low-carbon energy

Last week, I went to Chile to take part in a conference about energy policy – mainly about whether Chile should build nuclear power stations. The current Chilean government has been discussing nuclear energy for the last three years, but has not said yes or no.

Edit 26 January 2010: UK policy on clean business

Yesterday, I attended a talk by Pat McFadden, a minister in the UK’s Business Department, about how the UK should move to a low-carbon economy. His main point was that the UK is still a manufacturing economy, despite the common view that everything manufactured is now imported. He also talked about the enormous opportunity for people in the UK to make wind turbines.

Editorial 22 January 2010: Renewing and decentralising Iraq’s electricity

This week, the European Union and Iraq signed an agreement to strengthen their energy cooperation in areas such as natural gas, energy security and renewables.

Editorial 18 January 2010: Obama’s first year

President Obama has done more to control climate change than President Bush ever did. However, that is hardly setting the bar very high.

Policies and performance in Obama’s first year

How well have Obama and Energy Secretary Chu done so far on promoting energy efficiency, renewables, CCS and electric vehicles? A very positive assessment is made by the Center for American Progress.

Editorial 14 January 2010: Is the EU good for business?

Today, I attended a conference organised by Business for a New Europe and the Centre for European Reform on Is the EU good for business?. The general answers was (unsurprisingly, given the organisers) ‘yes, generally, but could be better’.