Environment Focus
An environmental lens on policies for better lives
Category: Mitigation & net-zero emissions
How have governments’ climate policies evolved in the last decade?
We have seen a growing number of countries strengthen their emission reduction pledges by updating their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) or by pledging carbon neutrality targets towards mid-century. But with the increasing urgency of the climate crisis, what are countries actually doing to implement these targets and how has the climate policy landscape evolved over the last decade or so?
How to finance the net-zero transition of industry in emerging economies?
by Joseph Cordonnier and Deger Saygin, OECD Environment Directorate Although policy makers and industry acknowledge the urgency of action for the net-zero industry transition in emerging and developing economies, the investment challenge remains significant. The manufacturing industry serves society with a variety materials and… Continue Reading “How to finance the net-zero transition of industry in emerging economies?”
COP26: Big steps forward on adaptation and resilience
By Michael Mullan, OECD Environment Directorate While I was at COP26 in Glasgow, one of the speakers said that hope was not the same as optimism; rather it was about being able to see the possibility of a better future. In that sense, I… Continue Reading “COP26: Big steps forward on adaptation and resilience”
Deliberative democracy: A bottom up approach to helping solve the climate crisis
By Deborah Holmes Michel, OECD Environment Directorate Our planet’s ecological systems are increasingly under pressure, millions suffer from the negative effects of air pollution, and very few countries are on track to meet their Paris Agreement objectives. Leaders need to imagine different ways of… Continue Reading “Deliberative democracy: A bottom up approach to helping solve the climate crisis”
Deep reductions in CO₂ are not enough
By Rodolfo Lacy, OECD Environment Director From the melting of the poles to the weakening of the ocean currents that carry warm water from the tropics into the North Atlantic, every day the planet sends stronger signals of a climate crisis. On 9 August,… Continue Reading “Deep reductions in CO₂ are not enough”
Climate resilience is essential for a sustainable financial system
By Michael Mullan, OECD Environment Directorate At the start of the 2000s, consumers were surprised to discover that some of their “beef” lasagne was instead made out of horsemeat. Several years later, the global financial system was brought to its knees by the discovery… Continue Reading “Climate resilience is essential for a sustainable financial system”
La résilience climatique est indispensable à un système de financement durable
De Michael Mullan, Direction de l’environnement de l’OCDE Au début des années 2000, les consommateurs ont eu la surprise de découvrir que leurs lasagnes “au boeuf” étaient parfois faites avec de la viande de cheval. Des années après, le système financier global s’est retrouvé… Continue Reading “La résilience climatique est indispensable à un système de financement durable”
Climate change mitigation and adaptation: managing two sides of the same coin
By Catherine Gamper and Mikaela Rambali, OECD Environment Directorate Even if global average temperature increases are limited to below 2°C, there will still be serious climate impacts. Since pre-industrial times, we have witnessed a global average temperature increase of 1.1°C, while ocean acidity has… Continue Reading “Climate change mitigation and adaptation: managing two sides of the same coin”
Is the COVID-19 crisis spurring a transition to net-zero emissions in the oil and gas sector?
By Andrew Prag and Guy Halpern, OECD Environment Directorate Almost all economic sectors have suffered due to the evolving COVID-19 crisis. For the oil and gas industry, already battered on one side by low prices due to an oil price war between Russia and… Continue Reading “Is the COVID-19 crisis spurring a transition to net-zero emissions in the oil and gas sector?”
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