Nov 2, 2021Are we missing a roadmap to 1.5C for agriculture?By Dr. Helena Wright, FAIRR Earlier this year, FAIRR released a statement calling on all G20 nations to set effective targets for greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions in agriculture within or alongside their National Determined Contributions (NDCs) commitments at COP26. …Climate Change5 min read
Dec 21, 2020Why a net zero portfolio does not necessarily mean a net zero worldBy Helena Wright & Jon Dennis In the lead up to the UN Climate Conference at COP26, there have been increasing calls for financial institutions to make commitments to net zero greenhouse gas emissions. …Climate Change6 min read
Dec 3, 2020What infrastructure will we need in a circular economy?Disclaimer: The views in this article are not attributable to any organisation. Infrastructure — such as for energy and transport — currently makes up 60% or more of greenhouse gas emissions. …Climate Change5 min read
Aug 10, 2020Why emission reduction and resilience are two sides of the same coinBy Helena Wright & Saleemul Huq Disclaimer: The views in this article are not attributable to any organisation. Under the UN, reduction of emissions(mitigation) and resilience (adapting to climate change impacts) are often treated as two discrete areas. But as the world is already experiencing the impacts of climate change…Climate Change4 min read
Apr 7, 2020Green economic stimulus: Priority actions for central banksBy Adrian Fenton and Helena Wright With the Covid-19 pandemic bringing global healthcare systems to near collapse, the trauma, ongoing loss of life and wider economic and social impacts could affect an entire generation. Governments will need to halt the spread of the virus and then rebuild our economy. …6 min read
Oct 11, 2019Why individual choices do matter for climate actionThe high-profile decision by Greta Thunberg to travel to New York by boat for the UN Climate Action Summit highlights a stark reality. Our individual decisions, such as flying or eating meat, do make a collective difference in terms of climate impact. Recently, some scientists have argued that climate action…Climate Change5 min read
Jul 19, 2019Do we really have 12 years to save the planet?By Helena Wright When the landmark report by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) came out in 2018, there was widespread media coverage of the headline that we have 12 years to avert climate catastrophe. Where does the ‘12 years’ headline come from? This is based on the…Climate Change5 min read
May 8, 2019Energy efficiency: Are development banks missing a trillion-dollar opportunity?By Helena Wright, E3G and Glenn Pearce-Oroz, SEforAll Image: Niall Kennedy, Flickr NOTE: A version of this article was originally published by Asia Times If we are to successfully stabilize the world’s climate and get to a 1.5ºC world, energy efficiency will play a crucial role. As leaders attend the…Climate Change3 min read
Nov 28, 2018Are we insuring our homes more than we insure the planet?While the IPCC report focused on the impacts of 1.5°C of warming, we have to face facts — we are headed for a more extreme scenario based on current commitments. This year the world saw extreme cyclones in the Pacific, US and Japan, and temperature records broken in Japan, Korea…Climate Change5 min read
Sep 6, 2018Why the World Bank’s private sector arm must close its coal loopholesBy Dr Helena Wright, E3G & Nezir Sinani, BIC Europe Last year, the World Bank Group led the way on greater climate action with a commitment to end upstream oil and gas finance, a step which several groups had been calling for. …Environment5 min read