Quick Dips
Curated topical articles on the Blue Economy

NDC? COP26? A dozen climate buzzwords and why they matter.

• Kari Huus, Climate & Capital Media • Energy Solutions

Your 2021 cheat sheet for the intersection between climate activism and climate finance.

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Decarbonising aviation requires a transition to sustainable fuel. Here’s how governments can help.

• Kevin Soubly & Lauren Uppink, World Economic Forum • Energy Solutions • Tourism

Decarbonising aviation is only possible with the support of both international political leadership and public-private collaboration.

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These tiny plants and giant animals are helping to store vast amounts of CO2 in our oceans

• Katharine Rooney, World Economic Forum • Energy Solutions • Fisheries & Aquaculture

Some of the tiniest life forms in the sea are playing a mighty role in protecting life on Earth.

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End new oil, gas and coal funding to reach net zero, says IEA

• Nina Chestney, Reuters • Energy Solutions

Investors should not fund new oil, gas and coal supply projects if the world wants to reach net zero emissions by mid-century, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said on Tuesday, in the top global watchdog's starkest warning yet to curb fossil fuels.

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Why COP26 is our best opportunity to strengthen the ocean's role in fighting climate change

• Peter Thomson, World Economic Forum • Energy Solutions

A transformative scaling up of public and private financing of ocean-based economic activities will accelerate our advance to a net-zero carbon world by 2050.

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Nasa leads push for electric planes in next frontier of cutting emissions

• Oliver Milman, The Guardian • Energy Solutions

Flying on batteries presents major technological challenges but companies will be demonstrating their best efforts over the next year in California.

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How to spot the difference between a real climate policy and greenwashing guff

• Damian Carrington, The Guardian • Energy Solutions • Plastics & Pollution

Unless actions by governments and corporations cut emissions in the here and now, a dose of scepticism is in order.

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Reshaping the two biggest carbon-emitting sectors to meet new US climate targets

• Bill Prindle, The Hill • Energy Solutions • Shipping & Ports

On Earth Day, President Biden pledged to cut 50 to 52 percent of U.S. carbon emissions from 2005 levels by 2030. A prerequisite for rejoining the Paris Agreement, this commitment reflects scientific assessments of the reductions needed to avoid the worst impacts of climate change.

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This startup grows kelp then sinks it to pull carbon from the air

• Alexis Benveniste, CNN Business • Energy Solutions • Fisheries & Aquaculture

Carbon emissions are a huge contributor to climate change, so companies are getting creative about finding ways to suck the heat-trapping element out of the atmosphere and slow global warming.

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Installing solar panels over California’s canals could yield water, land, air and climate payoffs

• Roger Bales & Brandi McKuin, The Conversation • Energy Solutions

Climate change and water scarcity are front and center in the western U.S. The region’s climate is warming, a severe multi-year drought is underway and groundwater supplies are being overpumped in many locations.

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‘Historic’ German ruling says climate goals not tough enough

• Kate Connolly, The Guardian • Energy Solutions

Germany’s supreme constitutional court has ruled that the government’s climate protection measures are insufficient to protect future generations, after a complaint brought by environmentalist groups.

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Biden announces US will aim to cut carbon emissions by as much as 52% by 2030 at virtual climate summit

• Kate Sullivan & Kevin Liptak, CNN • Energy Solutions

President Joe Biden on Thursday kicked off a virtual climate summit attended by 40 other world leaders by announcing an ambitious cut in greenhouse gas emissions as he looks to put the US back at the center of the global effort to address the climate crisis and curb carbon emissions.

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Changes to giant ocean eddies could have ‘devastating effects’ globally

• Graham Readfearn, The Guardian • Energy Solutions

Swirling and meandering ocean currents that help shape the world’s climate have gone through a “global-scale reorganisation” over the past three decades, according to new research.

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How to scale up blue-carbon projects

• World Ocean Initiative, The Economist Group • Energy Solutions

On Earth Day we recap recent World Ocean Summit sessions highlighting the importance of investing in ocean ecosystems.

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Global CO2 Emissions Set to Surge in 2021 in Post-Covid Economic Rebound

• Yale Environment 360 • Energy Solutions

Energy-related carbon dioxide emissions are projected to increase by 1.5 billion tons this year, the second-largest increase in history, according to a new report from the International Energy Agency.

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Major Opportunities in Decarbonizing Maritime Transport

• Writing Staff, Modern Diplomacy • Energy Solutions • Shipping & Ports

The World Bank today published new research on decarbonizing the maritime transport sector with findings that indicate significant business and development opportunities for countries, including for developing and emerging economies.

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The ocean finally gets its climate solutions moment

• Andrew Freedman, Axios • Energy Solutions

A growing alliance of policy makers, activists, and conservationists are looking to the ocean for climate solutions, from setting aside vast stretches of open water to protecting coastal marshes and mangrove forests.

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Charting a Course for Decarbonizing Maritime Transport

• The World Bank • Energy Solutions • Shipping & Ports

A new series of reports by the World Bank identifies “green fuels” - ammonia and hydrogen - as the most promising zero-carbon bunker fuels within the shipping industry at present.

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5 milestones in green energy

• Victoria Masterson, World Economic Forum • Energy Solutions

Energy accounts for two-thirds of total greenhouse gas, so embracing cleaner sources is key to fighting climate change.

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Why the Market for ‘Blue Carbon’ Credits May Be Poised to Take Off

• Nicola Jones, Yale Environment 360 • Energy Solutions

Seagrasses, mangrove forests, and coastal wetlands store vast amounts of carbon, and their preservation and restoration hold great potential to bank CO2 and keep it out of the atmosphere. But can the blue carbon market avoid the pitfalls that have plagued land-based programs?

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