The Guardian’s divestment campaign is targeting charitable research trusts. John Quiggin says they have a moral duty to divest fossil fuels, regardless of the temptation to research technological climate fixes.
The University of California is the world’s leading university on dealing with climate risk to its investments - most others have a long way to go.
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Do universities deserve praise for pledging to drop fossil-fuel investments, or for actually doing it? Former Liberal leader John Hewson, who leads the Asset Owners Disclosure Project, says only the latter.
Switching to alternative energy sources, such as renewables, and using more electric cars could double Australia’s energy productivity.
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Gary Ellem, University of Newcastle; Damien Giurco, University of Technology Sydney; James Ward, University of South Australia, and Steve Mohr, University of Technology Sydney
Australia likely has decades of fossil fuels left to extract, export and burn. That could prove to be a problem if the world comes to an agreement on climate change. Here’s four ways to help the economy, and the climate.
What happens to coal in China will play a big role in deciding which climate road we’re all on.
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Another Australian university has outlined plans to reduce the exposure of its investments to climate change, and is taking a contrasting approach to the Australian National University’s high-profile divestment…
Energy supply including nuclear is the best way to fight climate change and conserve wildlife and ecosystems.
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Should nuclear energy be part of Australia’s (and many other countries’) future energy mix? We think so, particularly as part of a solution to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and prevent dangerous climate…
Investing in fossil fuels for the long term? You might find your plans get pricked.
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The controversy ignited by the Australian National University in October, when it decided to sell its shares in seven resources companies, has raised two important questions about divestment from assets…
We’re using less petrol – there’s a recession on, you know …
Antony
Readers of the Financial Times would have recently encountered a story that encompasses the paper’s version of bad/good news when it comes to the oil business. According to the author Daniel Yergin, the…
The Australian National University has drawn fire for dumping mining stocks - but is it alone?
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The Australian National University’s decision to withdraw A$16 million in investment from seven resources companies, including gas producer Santos, has been praised by divestment campaigners and condemned…
ANU’s divestment decision is only worth A$16 million - but the outcry suggests it will be more influential than the numbers suggest.
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Is the Australian National University’s decision to sell its shares in some resource companies merely tokenistic? Far from it. The outrage from the affected companies shows how much influence universities…
Australian coal needs to find some new customers.
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China’s recent move to limit imports of the dirtiest coal from 2015 onwards is a scary prospect for Australian miners. The proposed restrictions will ban the burning of coal with high levels of ash or…
World greenhouse emissions reached a new record in 2013 and will be even higher in 2014, driven largely by the continued use of fossil fuels such as coal.
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As heads of state gather in New York for tomorrow’s United Nations climate summit, a new report on the state of the world’s carbon budget tells them that greenhouse emissions hit a new record last year…
Is the ABC biased against fossil fuels? The IPA thinks so, but it’s not really the most constructive question to ask.
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It’s tempting to view The Australian’s latest broadside at the ABC as just another salvo fired between our nation’s two biggest media organisations. But the coverage, based on an Institute of Public Affairs…
The International Energy Agency was set up to avoid a repeat of the 1973 oil crisis - but four decades later the rules need updating.
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Next week, Brisbane hosts the final meeting of the G20 Energy Sustainability Working Group before the main G20 summit in November. Government officials and energy experts from 20 of the most powerful countries…
Australia has some fairly ambitious goals for green energy: a renewable energy target (currently under review) of 20% of electricity from renewables by 2020, and a forecast to get 51% of electricity from…
While there may be gold beneath the surface, it’s hard to reach.
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Britain’s energy-hungry population is highly dependent on oil and gas, which powers around two thirds of the UK’s energy needs. The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) projects that by 2030…
Universities have led the charge on fossil fuel divestment - but is divestment the best way to manage climate risks?
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Divestment from fossil fuels, advocated by climate action campaigners such as Bill McKibben, is a blunt instrument for reducing carbon emissions, according to climate risk analyst Robert Litterman in an…