Media Coverage

Recent news coverage about IISD

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The promise of nature-based infrastructure

In a world grappling with climate change and rapid urbanisation, the role of infrastructure in driving economic and social development cannot be overstated. Global infrastructure needs are immense, with Oxford Economics estimating that a staggering $3.7tn investment is needed annually. To close this gap, countries must increase the proportion of their GDP dedicated to infrastructure. Yet considering that infrastructure is responsible for 79% of total greenhouse gas emissions, according to the United Nations Office for Project Services, it is imperative that new projects not only bridge the infrastructure gap, but do so sustainably and with a low carbon footprint.

IISD in the news

fDi Intelligence

December 4, 2023

Billions in U.S. Funding Hasn't Convinced Developing World to Ditch Coal

South Africa and Indonesia, among the world's most coal-hungry economies, are backtracking on commitments they made to burn less of the fuel under agreements known as Just Energy Transition Partnerships, or JETPs, which offered them $28.5 billion from the U.S. and other wealthy nations. Officials are working to prevent the agreements from falling apart as governments convene in Dubai for COP28, the annual United Nations climate summit.

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Enews.com.ng

December 3, 2023

COP28: Energy transition may cut oil-producing states' revenue by 60%

More than 20 countries dependent on oil and gas revenues could see these sources of funds cut in half by the transition to clean energy. Such an outcome could have disastrous consequences for workers and governments in these "petrostates" without international support to help manage the transition away from fossil fuels.

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NewScientist

December 1, 2023

Climate crisis: The 1.5C threshold explained

In any conversation about climate change, the figure "1.5C" is rarely far from the discussion. But when people talk about "1.5C," what do they really mean? How do we measure it? And where did the figure come from? Is it the right target to be aiming for? And if we overshoot it, will we be able to come back below 1.5C again? Ahead of the climate summit in Dubai, we take a look at some of the questions around this key climate change figure.

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BBC

November 30, 2023

Canada's fossil fuel industry is banking on carbon capture to lower emissions. Is it a viable solution?

Fossil fuel companies in Canada have made carbon capture a key part of their pledges to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The idea is to minimize the amount of carbon that ends up in the atmosphere, while continuing to extract more oil and gas. But is that realistic? Here is a closer look at the technology, where it is being used in Canada, and how it could play into the pivotal climate talks that begin Thursday in Dubai.

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CBC

November 29, 2023

The fossil fuel phrases that countries will fight over at the upcoming COP28

Getting the world off greenhouse gas-spewing fossil fuels is a key part of global climate negotiations. But whether those fossil fuels are "unabated," and where we need to phase them "down" or phase them "out," are expected to cause fierce debate at the upcoming United Nations Climate Change Conference.

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CBC

November 28, 2023

The 'Rarely Unified' Blocs Behind Climate Talks

The UN's climate negotiations involve a diplomatic tug of war between eclectic blocs of countries that group together to push common interests even though geopolitics might divide them. The COP28, or Conference of Parties, begins on Thursday in Dubai and is meant to last 13 days, but climate negotiations often run past their official deadlines as countries haggle until the last minute to find a consensus.

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AFP News

November 28, 2023

Governments worldwide spent $1.7 trillion of public money on fossil fuels, a new report finds

In 2022, governments globally issued more than $1.7 trillion in public money to support fossil fuels, through subsidies, investments by state-owned enterprises, and lending from public financial institutions, a new analysis found. Simultaneously, financial support for renewable energy generation, grid integration of clean energy and battery storage increased, according to the International Institute for Sustainable Development. But it remains insufficient to limit global warming to 1.5°C, it added.

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Down to Earth

November 23, 2023

Global fossil fuel subsidies on the rise despite calls for phase-out

World governments agreed at the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow two years ago to phase out "inefficient" fossil fuel subsidies to help fight global warming. Since then, however, global fossil fuel subsidies have risen $2 trillion to $7 trillion, according to the International Monetary Fund, as governments around the world moved to protect consumers from rising energy prices. At this year's climate gathering in Dubai, EU countries will be looking to harden the COP26 deal to phase out the subsidies by pushing for a deadline of 2030 to get it done, but it is unclear how much support the proposal will gain.

IISD in the news

Reuters

November 23, 2023

IISD-ELA youth engagement officer recognized for conservation efforts

Emily Kroft has been named one of the 30 Under 30 Conservation Leaders of 2023 by Corporate Knights magazine, a quarterly publication focused on climate change, responsible investing and green corporate citizenship. Kroft said she has been involved with environmental advocacy since she was "around 13." She said she was viewed as the "kid advocate" throughout her post-secondary years, and is now a water policy and youth engagement officer with the International Institute for Sustainable Development-Experimental Lakes Area, working on the IISD Next program.

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Winnipeg Free Press

November 22, 2023

Canada won't get to net zero without an emissions cap on oil and gas, researchers say

The oil and gas sector is being increasingly scrutinized for its contribution to the climate crisis, as it is estimated that this particular industry is responsible for more than 75 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions and nearly 90 per cent of all carbon dioxide emissions, according to the United Nations. While many producers have said they are committed to the global goal of net-zero emissions by 2050, with production of oil and gas expected to continue to ramp up for the foreseeable future, it’s difficult to see how this will be achieved.

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The Globe and Mail

November 22, 2023

COP28 host UAE to extract nearly 40 billion barrels of oil and gas over 70 years

COP28 host the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has plans in place to extract 38 billion barrels of oil and gas between now and 2085–with significant further reserves that could also be extracted in that time. If all oil producing nations followed such a strategy, the world's carbon budget for 1.5 C would be exceeded many times over.

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Energy Monitor

November 13, 2023

Time is running out to cut fossil fuel production

Every two years, a group of analysts from around the world join together to work through a straightforward calculation. They add up all the planned future production of oil, gas and coal worldwide, add up how much carbon it would emit when burned, and then calculate how far that would push us past the Paris Agreement targets of 1.5 and 2 C of warming. The 2023 version of the Production Gap Report—compiled by five leading research organizations worldwide, including Canada's International Institute for Sustainable Development—is not happy reading. Projections call for more than twice as much fossil fuel production by 2030 as would be consistent with the 1.5 C target, and roughly 70 per cent too much for 2 C of warming.

IISD in the news

Toronto Star

November 10, 2023

Global fossil fuel pipeline double the limit for 1.5 C global warming

The world's major fossil fuel producing countries intend to extract 110 per cent more fossil fuels in 2030 than the limit for keeping global warming to 1.5 C above pre-industrial levels. Coal, in particular, is 460 per cent over the threshold. Even if compared with a higher 2 C warming scenario–which countries globally have pledged to steer well clear of–planned production will still be almost 70 per cent over budget, according to a report published Wednesday.

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Eco-Business

November 9, 2023

Environmentalists release recommendations for next year's budget

Canadian Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland is set to unveil the government's Fall Economic Statement Nov. 21, but some environmentalists are already looking forward to next year's federal budget. On Thursday, the Green Budget Coalition (GBC), comprised of several environmentally-focused non-profit organizations, released its set of five recommendations for the next budget. According to Laura Cameron, a policy advisor at the International Institute for Sustainable Development who wrote the GBC's sustainable jobs recommendation, the feds need to provide financing to support Bill C-50, the government's proposed sustainable jobs legislation, which is currently making its way through the House.

IISD in the news

iPolitics

November 9, 2023

World will overshoot 2030 coal limit to tame warming by twice over

Notwithstanding the global consensus among countries that fossil fuel emissions must be eliminated, a new report says that the governments plan to produce twice as much fossil fuels in 2030 than would be consistent with limiting warming to 1.5°C, and 69% more than would be consistent with 2°C.

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The Hindu

November 9, 2023

Fossil fuel-producing countries ignore climate warnings and plan to increase coal, oil and gas extraction

Despite climate warnings and the increasingly rapid expansion of renewable energies, fossil fuel-producing countries are still planning to increase the production of coal, oil and natural gas in the coming decades. To such an extent that, if these projections come true, it will be impossible to comply with the Paris Agreement, which establishes that, to avoid the most harmful effects of the climate crisis, the rise in global temperatures must be kept between 1.5 C and 2 C. Currently, global warming is 1.2 C above pre-industrial levels.

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EL PAÍS

November 8, 2023

Global Fossil Production Set to Blow Through 1.5°C Climate Limit, New Report Warns

The world's 20 biggest fossil fuel-producing countries are set to extract more than enough oil, gas, and coal in 2030 to defeat any hope of holding global warming to a relatively safe 1.5°C, and Canada is projecting the fourth-largest increase in oil production, according to a new analysis released this morning.

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The Energy Mix

November 8, 2023

Canada, major fossil-fuel producers failing climate targets, jeopardizing transition

Canada and other major fossil-fuel-producing countries are failing to meet targets to keep global warming in check, putting the world's energy transition at risk, a newly released major international report warned Wednesday.

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National Post

November 8, 2023

Canada, major fossil-fuel producers failing climate targets, jeopardizing transition

Canada and other major fossil-fuel-producing countries are failing to meet targets to keep global warming in check, a newly released major international report warned Wednesday, putting the world’s energy transition at risk. The 2023 Production Gap report says the countries are planning to produce 110 per cent more fossil fuels in 2030 than is consistent with keeping global warming to 1.5 C above pre-industrial levels, and 69 per cent more fossil fuels than what’s in line with a 2 C target.

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The Canadian Press

November 8, 2023