Articles

Tackling climate change requires a shift to a resource efficient, low carbon and green economy

Gülcin KARADENIZ — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 09:00:00 +0100

Climate change is happening. The current global average temperature is already about 0.7-0.8 degree Celsius above the pre-industrial level. Even if greenhouse gas (GHG) concentrations had stabilized in the year 2000, temperatures are predicted to increase by 1.2 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial level by the end of the 21st century.

Not just hot air — global diplomacy and the search for a successor to the Kyoto Protocol

Marie Jaegly — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 09:00:00 +0200

Every winter the gates of Copenhagen's famous Tivoli Gardens, an old-world amusement park in the city centre, open to officially mark the beginning of the extended Christmas period. This December the twinkling lights of Tivoli will most likely be outshone by COP 15 — the most important global climate change meeting ever — as thousands of diplomats, politicians, business people, environmentalists, media and climate experts from around the globe flock to the Danish capital.

The time is ripe for green accounting

Marie Jaegly — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 17:29:08 +0200

The shortcomings of GDP as a measure of economic and social wellbeing have been recognised for decades. Now the economic and environmental crises have created the political momentum for a radical revision of national accounting methods.

Cities of the future — how will European cities adapt to new climate conditions?

Ann Dom — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 16:26:04 +0200

Cities and towns are highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and will need to find innovative ways to adapt. Now is the time to start rethinking urban design and management — yet few have taken concrete action.

Urban frontrunners — cities and the fight against global warming

Ann Dom — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 10:00:00 +0200

Barcelona is becoming a leader in solar energy use, Malmö is developing a carbon neutral residential area and London is setting ambitious greenhouse gas reduction targets. Cities are joining in the fight against climate change.

If the well runs dry — climate change adaptation and water

Marie Jaegly — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 14:00:00 +0200

'Our water is shut off once or twice a month, sometimes more,' says Baris Tekin from his apartment in Besiktas, an historic district of Istanbul, where he lives with his wife and daughter. 'We have about 50 litres of bottled water in the apartment for washing and cleaning, just in case. If the water is off for a really long time we go to my father's place or to my wife's parents,' says Baris, an economics professor at Marmara University.