The Mayors of Pittsburgh and Paris: We Have Our Own Climate Deal Last week, President Donald Trump tried to pit our two cities against each other when he announced, in pulling out of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, “I was elected to represent the citizens of Pittsburgh, not Paris.” As the mayors of Pittsburgh…
Moving Forward with Climate Change Action
Brian McCowan, ERS, for Zondits President Trump’s decision to withdraw the United States from the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change is a major disappointment. Reaching agreement in Paris required a massive international effort that resulted in nearly two hundred countries agreeing to work toward common goals. The United States was one of several countries that…
Law & Policy
Trump Announces the U.S. Withdrawal from the Paris Agreement
US cities, states and companies vow to honour Paris climate accord, even if Trump doesn’t New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Wednesday that his municipality would “take matters into our own hands, calling the threat to pull out of the historic climate accord “a dagger aimed at the heart of New York City.”…
Law & Policy
The Reversal of Obama’s Climate Change Initiatives
Gita Subramony, ERS, for Zondits This week, President Trump fulfilled a campaign promise by signing an executive order instructing the EPA to reverse the Obama-era Clean Power Plan (CPP). The Trump administration believes that the CPP, which aimed to limit carbon emissions from coal-fired power plants, negatively impacts the growth of the coal industry. However,…
Emerging Technology
The IoT Could Ensure No Building is Left Behind
Urban innovation: Will the digitalization create sustainable cities? Huffington Post, October 31, 2016 Imagine a city. In the center, a brand-new supermarket has been equipped with digital solutions that constantly monitor the cooling systems’ performance to make more out of the energy used. Maybe a new skyscraper is popping up next door to the supermarket.…
Markets & Trends
The Transition to a Low-Carbon Future Post-Election
States, Power Companies Lead in Cutting Carbon; Election Not Slowing Expected 2017 Progress EDF, January 10, 2017 2016 was a big year for progress in the U.S. power sector. Renewable energy sources provided 16.9 percent of the country’s electricity in the first half of 2016, up from 13.7 percent for all of 2015. The country’s first offshore wind farm opened…
Process
Identifying Options for Re-Use of CO2
CO2 Utilization: A Look Ahead The Energy Collective, January 9, 2017 Finding ways to convert carbon dioxide from an energy and industrial sector waste product to a useful commodity could spur the development of new technologies, products, and industries while limiting emissions to the atmosphere of climate-altering pollutants. In 2016, U.S. policymakers demonstrated leadership in…
Law & Policy
Amsterdam to Reduce Natural Gas Usage
Gita Subramony, ERS, for Zondits Currently, 90% of the homes in Amsterdam use natural gas to provide heat. City Lab takes a look at how the Netherlands’ capital is planning on moving away from natural gas as a heat source. The city is planning on switching buildings over to a district heating system, starting with…