Paris Agreement

The EU alleges in its statement that the deal makes up for 28% of the global GDP and that the two blocks will focus on the development of clean energy innovations. This February, the EU Commission stated that future EU trade deals are contingent on Paris Agreement membership and have to include provisions regarding the fulfillment of the agreement.

High-ranking officials from China and the EU have signed a joint statement to foster technological and political co-operation in clean energy. The regions will also develop emissions trading systems further, with officials seeing such schemes as a policy tool to foster innovation for a low-carbon economy.

According to a new report released by Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe, no single EU country is performing sufficiently in both showing ambition and making progress in reducing carbon emissions, thus casting a long shadow over the Paris Agreement objectives. Sweden is leading the charge in fighting climate change, followed by Portugal and France.

With 34 of the 38 key technologies needed to hit the Paris Agreement’s best-case scenario falling short, PV and electric vehicles are keeping hopes alive

In the latest edition of its long-term renewable energy outlook, IRENA calls for at least six-fold deployment of renewables by 2050, compared to the levels set out in current plans. Investment in low-carbon technologies needs to grow by around 30% to US$120 trillion to enable the energy transition and avoid escalating stranded assets, the report finds.

In a new report out today, Oil Change International and the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) have taken the International Energy Agency (IEA) to task for misleading governments on climate policy through its energy forecasts.

A number of parties used the One Planet Summit in France yesterday to either reaffirm clean financing commitments, or unveil new ones. However, the figures still fall short of the US$6.3 trillion the OECD has calculated is needed annually.

French banking group BNP Paribas has announced a series of measures to support the energy transition, including a pledge to cease all business with companies primarily involved in shale gas, tar sands oil and Arctic exploration for oil. The group also plans to increase its total financing for renewable energy projects to €15 billion by 2020.

A new report from DNV GL forecasts a bright future for renewable energy, predicting that by 2050 electricity demand will increase 140% to become the largest form of energy consumed, and that 85% of this electricity will be generated from renewable sources.

In another show off for Turkey’s populist president this weekend, Erdogan threatened global leaders that his country “will not ratify the Paris climate accord” if certain conditions are not met.