| Climate Projections Legally Threaten Species: A US appeals court ruled that federal agencies can list species as threatened based on projections of how climate change will impact their habitats. Oil companies and Alaska natives had challenged the National Marine Fisheries Service’s decision to list a seal species as threatened because of sea ice loss, but the court upheld the decision. “The service need not wait until a species’ habitat is destroyed to determine that habitat loss may facilitate extinction,” Judge Richard A. Paez wrote. (LA Times $, AP, The Hill, Arctic Daily News, Gizmodo, IB Times$, Climate Home)
Renewables Ruled in 2015: There was a record amount of new renewable energy installations globally in 2015, with 500,000 solar panels installed every day. According to the International Energy Agency, total clean power capacity increased by 153 gigawatts, overtaking coal for the first time. The agency also raised its five-year forecast for renewable energy by 13 percent and now expects renewables to be 42 percent of global energy capacity by 2021. (Guardian, Reuters, Politico Pro $, Financial Times$, Bloomberg, PV Magazine, San Diego Union-Tribune, CNBC, BusinessGreen $)
CO2 Levels Passed Key Threshold in 2015: Carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere averaged 400 parts per million (ppm) in 2015 for the first time on record, ushering in a “new era of climate change reality,” according to the World Meteorological Organization. The CO2 concentration in 2015 was 144 percent above pre-industrial levels. The organization also projects that CO2 levels will stay above 400 ppm for the rest of 2016 and “not dip below that level for many generations.” (TIME, Deutsche Welle, IB Times $, The Hill, Mashable, Christian Science Monitor, Wired, CNBC)
Shipping Industry Targets Climate Reform: The International Maritime Organization’s meeting this week in London will consider several policies that could help curb emissions from the international shipping industry. A measure requiring large ships to begin collecting data on fuel use is expected to be approved, and the meeting could deliver a long-term strategy for the sector’s ‘fair share’ of emissions reductions. Last week, 51 shipping organizations, including industry giants Maersk and Cargill, called for “ambitious action” at the meeting to align with the Paris Agreement goals. (Climate Central, Climate Home, Hellenic Shipping News, Marine Log, Platts, Ship & Bunker, CBC, Carbon Pulse $) |
