One year after taking office as Chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Jim Skea is amazed at one thing in particular: how much interest there is in climate issues among the public despite the many other problems. In this interview, he talks about the magical 1.5 limit, doubts the point of radical protests, and explains how he wants to make the IPCC tanker more modern and diverse.
The Scotsman Skea is now receiving support for his work from London again: the new (and former) climate minister Ed Miliband will negotiate for the new Labour government at COP29 and has ambitious goals: Britain is back! On the other hand, the news that African oil statesare settingup their own bank to finance new oil and gas projects is ambiguous: A step backwards for the energy transition – or proof that more and more big banks are pulling out of the dirty business?
In California, on the other hand, one of the reasons fires are currently spreading so quickly is because it rained so much in winter. Sounds strange, but we have the explanation. And another piece of news gives us food for thought: Almost 60 percent of Germans have no idea what the EU’s Green Deal is.
As you can see: There is still a lot for us to do.
Your Bernhard Pötter
Feature
IPCC chief Jim Skea: ‘Desperation prevents action’
Jim Skea, Chairman of the IPCC.
Mr. Skea, you have been familiar with the IPCC process for decades, but you have been IPCC Chairman for a year now. Did anything else surprise you in this position?
I had expected to have a lot of contact with the media. But it was even more than I ever thought. I was really surprised by how high the expectations are for this position.
‘The 1.5-degree limit has a lot of political symbolism’
We see record heat over the twelve months and a new debate on whether the 1.5-degree limit can be maintained. Does this debatefrom your point of view? Or does it distract from what needs to be done in climate policy?
The 1.5-degree limit has a lot of political symbolism. It is an important debate in the UN negotiations. But from a scientific point of view, we have always emphasized that there is no clear breakpoint to 1.5 degrees. Every tenth of a degree is important, below or above 1.5 degrees. There is always a reason for ambitious climate protection, no matter where we are.
According to the latest calculations, the global budget for 1.5 degrees only contains around 200 gigatons of CO2 – i.e. around five years at current emissions. Some scientists despair about this. How do you feel?
My personal view is that despair is not a good approach because it discourages people. And it prevents us from taking the necessary action to minimize the worst consequences of climate change. In the IPCC reports, we also look at the positive signals such as falling costs for renewables, expansion of renewables, and zero emissions targets, which now account for 90 percent of the global economy. The data is very worrying, but we have also made progress. We need to use the tools we have.
‘This activism is more of a deterrent’
But we don’t use the instruments very much. This leads to frustration among many scientists. Can you understand when scientists become activists?
There is an objective question: does climate activism really move the needle towards progress? We have already examined this in the last IPCC report. On the one hand, activism has kept the issue in the public eye. But it tends to put people off because they are disturbed by these activities – when ambulances are obstructed, for example. We don’t know which effect is greater. But it worries me a little that the people we need to convince are put off.
You want to make the IPCC more inclusive and diverse. What does that mean for your work?
First of all, it’s a question of numbers – we need a good balance of women and men. We are now at 40 percent women in the Secretariat, which is not perfect, but we are on the way. Then we need more people from developing countries, especially the least developed countries, to join the IPCC so that we have a broader base of perspectives. We are making progress here, but we also need more balance within the regions – so that one or two countries do not dominate a region.
Why do we still need the IPCC? Don’t we know enough?
There are areas where there is enough data for politicians to take action. This is not the case in others. So in the next IPCC cycle, at the request of governments, we will be looking more at adaptation to climate change, where there are still major gaps.
‘Disappointed that climate skepticism is back’
Another data problem is fake news, which is also spreading in the area of climate. How worried are you about this?
It’s disappointing that this form of climate skepticism is coming back, which we thought was settled a few years ago. All we can do is continue with our knowledge-based work. The evidence is clear that climate change is man-made.
You can even see it in the UNFCCC process: countries like Saudi Arabia, which wanted to keep any reference to the IPCC reports out of the negotiations. Can you do anything about this?
We never talk about individual countries. When I am in negotiations, many people say that we have to act on the basis of the IPCC reports. We think that we can make a difference at a conference like this [the SB60 Intergovernmental Climate Change Conference in Bonn, editor’s note].
How political is your job? You are scientists, but the IPCC is an interface between politics and science.
I’m not a politician, although I was part of an election campaign to become chairman [laughs]. So we are not politicians, but we need political antennae to understand where our reports end up. In that sense, we are political.
‘Difference between academic work and hard decisions’
Sometimes governments sign the IPCC reports and then act in exactly the opposite way. Can this be prevented?
The power of the IPCC reports is that everything we decide is a consensus between scientists and governments. That gives them this unique power and influence, for example in the UNFCCC process. Of course, we have robust discussions when we adopt the reports. I’ve sat on the panels that have adopted the reports for three cycles, and at all points we ask the scientists: is this consistent with the science – otherwise it won’t be adopted.
In Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum has now become president for the first time as a climate scientist. Do you expect this to change the country’s politics?
I would expect that any person with a leading policy role would need a very pragmatic approach. I have chaired a commission on just transition in my home country of Scotland and I know very well the difference between pure academic work and the hard decisions that have to be made. I am delighted that in Claudia Sheinbaum we have a political leader who is academically informed and understands the issue. But every political decision is based in part on science, on values, and on political realities.
Sir James (“Jim”) Ferguson Skea has been Chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) since July 2023. The Scotsman worked as Professor of Sustainable Energy at Imperial College London until 2023.
UNFCCC
African oil states found own bank
The oil industry in Africa needs investment: An engineer works on a plant.
The African Petroleum Production Organization (APPO) wants to play a more active role in the energy industry on the continent. To this end, it has provided the Africa Energy Bank (AEB) with seed capital of five billion dollars to finance energy projects throughout Africa. The capital is subscribed by APPO member states, national oil and gas companies and other unnamed investors.
At the 45th extraordinary meeting of the APPO Council of Ministers in Abuja, it was also announced that the bank would be based in Lagos. APPO founded the AEB with the support of Afreximbank in order to solvethe financing difficulties that the African oil and gas industry is increasingly facing as a result of the energy transition.
European banks withdraw from the market
Under pressure from public opinion in their home markets, many European and American commercial banks are no longerfinancing projects in the fossil fuel industry. Multilateral and national development banks from the Global North are also pursuing a similar lending policy.
This has made it more difficult for companies in the African oil and gas sector to finance new projects, even if they make a positive contribution to the fight against climate change.
The AEB is said to be similar to other specialized development finance institutions. Although the bank claims to focus on the oil and gas industry, it is also open to investments in other forms of energy, including renewable energy.
Closing the financing gap
The launch of the AEB in Nigeria is a sign of a potentially transformative development in Africa’s energy sector, Katlong Alex, energy analyst at the African Energy Council, told Table.Briefings. With increasing disinvestment in oil and gas due to the energy transition and ESG requirements, the AEB’s seed capital of five billion dollars could help close the financing gap that is hindering energy projects across Africa.
“This financial boost could drive the development of critical infrastructure and lead to better access to electricity and increased energy security“, Alex continued. “While the Bank recognizes the importance of oil and gas, its openness to renewable energy solutions also allows African nations to take a more balanced approach. This flexibility is crucial to adapt to the global energy transition and diversify the energy mix.”
Nigeria’s position strengthened
Nigeria hosting the AEB headquarters could strengthen the country’s position as a regional energy leader and potentially give it more influence in shaping energy policy and attracting investment, Alex said.
“In addition, the AEB could facilitate the transfer of knowledge and technology in the energy sector, especially with regard to renewable energies, and thus accelerate the introduction of clean energy solutions in Africa”, says the energy expert.
Jide Pratt, Country Manager at Trade Grid, told Table.Briefings that the Africa Energy Bank will increase energy security in Nigeria. Africa as a continent is about to take a big leap with the establishment of the bank. “The bank reduces credit risk on the continent and helps to remove the stigma or disengagement of Europe in terms of fossil fuel financing in Africa”, Pratt added.
Start-up capital will not be enough
However, Alex says several challenges need to be overcome for the AEB to succeed. Although five billion dollars is a considerable amount, he believes that the equity may not be enough to meet Africa’s enormous energy needs in the long term.
“Therefore, AEB’s success depends on attracting further capital and efficient management“, says Alex. “In addition, the bank’s framework for financing high-risk projects must be carefully considered. Balancing risk with effective project selection will ensure AEB’s effectiveness.”
According to Alex, strong leadership and transparent processes are also crucial for AEB to gain trust and attract investment. Clear guidelines and control mechanisms are essential to ensure the responsible use of funds.
“Overall, the establishment of the AEB represents a promising opportunity for Africa“, Alex concluded. “But its success depends on overcoming these challenges and utilizing its resources efficiently.”
Erdgas
News
Constitutional complaints against Climate Protection Act
President Frank-Walter Steinmeier signed the amendment to the Climate Protection Act (KSG) on Monday. As announced, five German environmental associations are now responding by filing a total of three constitutional complaints against the new version of the KSG. The Bundestag had already passed the amendment to the Act at the end of April. The examination by the Federal President’s Office took an unusually long time. For the environmental organization BUND, the Federal President is legitimizing a “breach of the law” with his signature.
There had already been a lot of criticism of the amended KSG in the run-up to the amendment because it removesthe binding sector emissions targets. For the transport sector in particular, which has never achieved its climate targets to date, this reduces the pressure to reduce emissions. BUND argues that with the weakened KSG, Germany will not be able to make its contribution to meeting the 1.5-degree target. It is lodging its constitutional complaint together with Solarenegie Förderverein e.V. and four other individual plaintiffs.
In addition to BUND, both Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH) and Greenpeace, together with Germanwatch, had previously announced their own constitutional complaints against the KSG. These complaints are now also to be submitted. The content of the three constitutional complaints is said to be similar. DUH intends to announce details of its complaint today, Tuesday. kul
Klimaklagen
What Germans expect from EU climate policy
According to a recent survey, a majority of Germansbelieve that the European Unionshould invest more in renewable energies, especially in solar and wind farms. Almost half would like the EU to provide more financial support for replacing fossil fuel heating systemswith heat pumps. And a large proportion (39%) believe that Europe should do much more to protect the climate in the future. These are the results of a representative survey of more than 1,000 people conducted by the Focaldata Institute after the EU elections.
Selected results in detail:
39% of respondents believe that the EU should do much more to protect the climate. 30% believe it is doing exactly the right thing, and 16% say it is doing too much. 15% have no opinion.
Among Green voters, the proportion of those who want a more ambitious climate policy is highest at 87%. But even among SPD and BSW voters, the largest groups still agree with the call for more climate action, at 60% and 40% respectively. At 50%, FDP voters largely believe that the EU is doing exactly the right thing for climate action. The largest group among AfD voters, also 50%, believe that the EU should do much less for climate protection.
59% of respondents say the EU should invest more in renewable energies, 14% are against it. 63% are in favor of building new solar parks, and 55% are in favor of expanding wind power.
At 49%, just under half are in favor of the EU providing financial supportfor the replacement of fossil fuel heating systems with heat pumps, while 19% are against it. The European Commission has postponed its heat pump action plan until after the elections.
39% are against a ban on the sale of new gas heating systems combined with the obligation to replace them with heat pumps. 31% are in favor.
50% are against a ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles, and 24% are in favor.
47% think that farmers should be obliged toreduce the use of nitrogen fertilizers. 20% are against this.
At 59%, a majority of respondents are not familiar with the Green Deal. CDU voters in particular are unfamiliar with it. Only 14% know about the Green Deal and support it.
For 72% of respondents, climate policy was important for their voting decision, especially for supporters of the Greens, SPD, and CDU. At 82%, migration policy played an even greater role, especially for AfD and CDU voters. Overall, 22% hope that the EU will do more for environmental and climate protection in the coming years – for 15%, however, this is not a hope but a fear. ae
EU-Klimapolitik
Acceleration of climate change and species extinction
In a new report (“Navigating New Horizons”), the UN Environment Program (UNEP) warns of “eight critical global changes” that are accelerating climate change, species extinction, and pollution of the planet.
Many of the eight changes can be traced back to climate change or are directly related to it:
Humanity is exploiting natural resources, especially fossil fuels, almost unchecked. The resulting global warming is also causing the permafrost soil to thaw. This has already led to the release of anthrax spores from ancient organisms in Siberia, for example, which have affected dozens of people and killed thousands of reindeer. In addition, subsidies for fossil fuels could slow down the energy transition, warns the UNEP.
Armed conflicts and climate change are making regions uninhabitable. Almost 120 million people were displaced from their homes in 2023 – a record figure and six times more than in 1990. Climate change and environmental consequences such as water scarcity are a major driver of this migration. In the next 50 years, up to three billion people could be living in regions where climate conditions are far outside the norm in which humanity has lived for the last 6,500 years, according to the UNEP.
In some regions, climate damage could lead to real estate and agriculture becoming uninsurable.
Climate disasters can lead to depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress. The UNEP speaks here of an “emerging crisis that is taking place in secret”.
The UNEP also warns of solar geoengineering, corruption, and irregularities in carbon offsetting mechanisms. Furthermore, environmental goods such as clean air could becomea consumer good for the wealthy, and environmental enclaves could emerge that would exclude many people from access to environmental goods. UNEP also includes artificial intelligence, misinformation, and global competition for critical raw materials among the eight global changes – all of these factors would therefore have an environmental impact. nib
Klimakrise
CO2 certificates: Searches on suspicion of fraud
Following indications of possible fraud in climate action projects (Upstream Emissions Reductions, UER), with which mineral oil companies want to improve their carbon footprint, police have searched companies in North Rhine-Westphalia and Bavaria. Numerous documents were confiscated from the premises of companies in Kerpen, Cologne and Langenbach last Friday, according to the Berlin public prosecutor’s office.
According to a spokesperson, the authorities are investigating 17 employees on suspicion of joint commercial fraud. The target is the managing directors of the companies as well as employees of inspection bodies. According to the public prosecutor’s office, there is suspicion that false information was provided to the German Emissions Trading Authority (DEHSt). As things stand at present, five projects are affected. Damage of more than €1.12 million is said to have been incurred.
Projects in China affected
The German Environment Agency (UBA) filed a complaint with the public prosecutor’s office at the end of May. The authority had previously investigated information from whistleblowers about projects in China. The petroleum industry aims to meet statutory climate protection requirements with projects to reduce emissions. They are certified by German testing institutes and approved by the UBA. A falsification of the projects could mean, for example, that the climate balance of the German transport sector is even worse than previously assumed.
After ZDF reported on the suspected cases of fraud, the UBA initially spoke of an internal investigation. A spokesperson for the agency stated at the end of May that administrative assistance had been requested from the Chinese authorities. “We have to do this because we have no sovereign rights in China.” The charges were filed with the public prosecutor’s office for all possible offenses relating to the projects carried out in China. Compared to the UBA, the public prosecutor’s office has completely different possibilities to investigate. dpa
CO2-Kompensationen
New NATO report: Russia destabilizes Europe with disinformation about energy transition
Climate-related disinformation from Russia is exacerbating the challenges facing NATO. This is the conclusion of NATO’s new climate change and security impact assessment, which was published on Tuesday. “Russian state media are increasing uncertainty around climate change and downplaying it as exaggerated or even positive”, says the 32-page report.
Especially since the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, disinformation in connection with the European green energy transition has increased. The reasons for Russia’s denial of man-made climate change are links between the fossil fuel industry and the government, as well as its dependence on fossil fuels as the most important source of state revenue.
NATO’s credibility also important on climate issues
Doug Weir, head of the British non-governmental organization Conflict and Environment Observatory (CEOBS), welcomed in an interview with Table.Briefings that the paper discusses how conflicts contribute to the climate crisis, and not just how climate change could affect national security. These components of climate security have received far less attention to date. However, he cautions that “the Alliance can only make recommendations to contributing countries on emissions tracking and reporting and cannot force its members to decarbonize”.
So far, the commitment and progress on decarbonization within the NATO states has varied greatly. “Some countries are driving the agenda forward, others still need to be convinced. If this gap is not closed, NATO’s credibility in the area of climate security will increasingly suffer.”
The annual report entitled “Secretary General’s Annual Climate Change and Security Impact Assessment” examines the effects of climate change on each of the five NATO operational areas: Sea, land, air, space, and cyberspace. It also looks at the climate impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The assessment is part of the Climate Change Action Plan, which the NATO heads of state and government adopted at their 2021 summit in Brussels. asc
Klimawandel
Early forest fires in California cause concern
The fire department in California has already had to fight more than 3,500 forest fires this year up to mid-July. Together, they have burned around 220,000 hectares of land. That is more than five times the usual amount for this period. Last weekend alone, around 20,000 hectares fell victim to the fires. As it is still quite early in the fire season, Joe Tyler from the Californian Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said last week: “We are not just in a fire season, we are in a fire year“.
Due to heat waves, many regions in California have dried out and fires can spread particularly well there. The fact that the previous wet winter helped vegetation to grow well also plays a role: This has now dried out over the past few months, providing a breeding ground for the fires, reports the British Guardian newspaper. At the weekend, the fires led to more than 1,000 evacuations. The first death of the forest fire season was reported on Friday.
Although man-made climate change does not ignite forest fires, it does accelerate their spread due to heat and drought. The fact that temperatures have risen more at night than during the day as a result of climate change also plays a special role. Relatively cool nights with high humidity actually acted as a kind of protective shield against the fires, but this effect is now diminishing and the forest fires are also spreading more strongly at night. kul
Klimakrise
London museum ends sponsorship by oil company Equinor
Because the oil company Equinor is not reducing its CO2 emissions sufficiently, a London-based science museum has terminated its sponsorship contract with the company. This was reported by several Britishmedia outlets. Equinor had been sponsoring the interactive “Wonderlab” exhibition at London’s Science Museum since 2016. The Science Museum is now ending the collaboration because it has committed to ensuring that its sponsors do everything necessary to meet the 1.5-degree limit stipulated in the Paris Climate Agreement, which Equinor is not doing.
As the Times reports, the sponsorship deal was controversial because Equinor owns the largest undeveloped oil and gas field, Rosebank, in the North Sea. The British government approved the development of the deposits last year. According to the Daily Telegraph, Equinor had “also inserted a clause in the contract prohibiting employees from making comments that could be seen as ‘discrediting or damaging to the reputation or standing’ of the company”. ae
Klima & Umwelt
Climate: Why China’s emissions may have peaked
Almost two-thirds of all wind and solar energy capacity currently under construction is being built in China. In other words, China currently creates almost twice as many alternative energy sources as the rest of the world combined. This is according to a study by the US think tank Global Energy Monitor (GEM). The share of coal in Chinese power generation has accordingly fallen to a record low, although it still accounts for more than half of the electricity mix at 53 percent.
According to GEM, China is currently building 339 gigawatts (GW) of wind and solar energy. This corresponds to 64 percent of total global capacity and is more than eight times the projects in the second-placed USA, which is building 40 GW. The study’s authors conclude that China’s pace is bringing the global goal of tripling renewable energy capacity by the end of 2030 within reach, even without more hydropower. The authors urge Beijing to raise its targets in its climate pledges to the United Nations next year.
Transmission lines must be expanded quickly
They also see China well on the way to achieving its own 2030 goal of installing 1,200 GW of wind and solar energy – six years ahead of schedule. However, the transmission lines in China’s coal-centered grid need to be expanded more quickly, says Aiqun Yu from GEM. A year ago, coal still accounted for 60 percent of electricity generation. The trend indicates that the country’s carbon emissions may have peaked last year.
The share of solar power in electricity generation climbed to twelve percent and the share of wind power to eleven percent in May. Hydropower (15), nuclear power (five) and biomass (two) made up the rest of non-fossil energy generation. The increase in electricity generation from renewable energies also led to a 3.6 percent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions from the electricity sector, which accounts for around 40 percent of China’s total emissions.
However, China’s total energy consumption rose by around 4.2 percent in the second quarter, while GDP grew by 4.7 percent. The pattern of energy-intensive growth thus continued. Nevertheless, energy expert Lauri Myllyvirta from the Asia Society Policy Institute also believes in a trend reversal. “It seems clear that the clean energy boom is finally bending China’s emissions path,” Myllyvirta wrote at X. rtr/grz
Energie
Power
Solar
Wind power
Billions in funding for hydrogen infrastructure
Federal and state economics ministers have handed over funding decisions for 23 German hydrogen projects with a total volume of €4.6 billion. This was announced by the Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs (BMWK) on Monday. The projects were part of the so-called Hy2Infra wave of the IPCEI Hydrogen (Important Projects of Common European Interest), which was approved by the EU Commission on February 15, 2024. There had previously been two further funding waves.
Hy2Infra provides funding:
Hydrogen production by electrolyzers with 1.4 gigawatts
Storage for an energy content of 370 gigawatt-hours
Pipelines up to 2000 kilometers long as part of the hydrogen launch network
Use of liquid organic hydrogen carriers (LOHC) for the transport of 1800 tons of hydrogen per year
According to the BMWK, the infrastructure should enable use in energy-intensive industries (e.g. steel, chemicals) and create connections to neighboring countries such as the Netherlands. IPCEI is a framework under state aid law for the approval of national subsidies. However, part of the €4.6 billion will flow from European funds from the NextGenerationEU program. Applications and approvals in the IPCEI procedure had dragged on for years. A reform of technology funding has therefore been initiated at the EU level. ber
Grüner Wasserstoff
Heads
Ed Miliband – British climate minister becomes chief negotiator at COP29
Ed Miliband, the UK’s new climate minister.
Ed Miliband will negotiate for the UK at the next climate conference (COP29) in Azerbaijan. The 54-year-old was appointed Minister for Energy Security and Carbon Emissions in the new Labour government on July 5 and will lead the British delegation. The decision will give the UK more weight at the climate conference. At recent COPs, junior ministers have often been in charge of negotiations or key ministers have neglected the negotiations. At COP28 in Dubai, the then climate minister and chief negotiator, Graham Stuart, left early and before the critical negotiation phase in order to fulfill his duties as an MP, as was reported at the time.
The Labour veteran Miliband wants to set a new course in climate policy. At the weekend, he gave the green light for three major solar projects in the east of England. These projects had been held up under the Tory government. Miliband also wants to “trigger asolar roof revolution” and put millions of solar panels on the roofs of the UK, as he recently said. Builders and homeowners should be “encouraged in every possible way”. Miliband wants to reduce Britain’s dependence on fossil fuel imports, also in order to get a grip on rising electricity costs for households. By 2030, all British electricity is to be produced CO2-free. In his career to date, Miliband has often pursued a left-wing, welfare state-oriented policy. One of his priorities is to improve the insulation of British homes in order to reduce energy consumption and costs.
Among NGOs, Miliband is considered a good choice as climate minister. In his first term of office, “Miliband has strongly advocated ambitious measures to avert the worst consequences of climate change”, says Jamie Peters, Climate Change Coordinator at Friends of the Earth UK. Miliband was Climate Change Minister in Gordon Brown’s Cabinet between 2008 and 2010. During his time in office, Parliament passed the Climate Change Act, which aims to reduce British emissions by 80 percent by 2050. Miliband alreadyled the British delegationat the World Climate Conference in Copenhagen.
Miliband completed his Master’s degree at the London School of Economics and has worked for the Labour Party since 1993. His brother David Miliband was Foreign Secretary under Tony Blair. The two brothers competed against each other for the Labour leadership in 2010 – Ed won. He is married and has two sons. Nico Beckert
One year after taking office as Chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Jim Skea is amazed at one thing in particular: how much interest there is in climate issues among the public despite the many other problems. In this interview, he talks about the magical 1.5 limit, doubts the point of radical protests, and explains how he wants to make the IPCC tanker more modern and diverse.
The Scotsman Skea is now receiving support for his work from London again: the new (and former) climate minister Ed Miliband will negotiate for the new Labour government at COP29 and has ambitious goals: Britain is back! On the other hand, the news that African oil statesare settingup their own bank to finance new oil and gas projects is ambiguous: A step backwards for the energy transition – or proof that more and more big banks are pulling out of the dirty business?
In California, on the other hand, one of the reasons fires are currently spreading so quickly is because it rained so much in winter. Sounds strange, but we have the explanation. And another piece of news gives us food for thought: Almost 60 percent of Germans have no idea what the EU’s Green Deal is.
As you can see: There is still a lot for us to do.
Your Bernhard Pötter
Feature
IPCC chief Jim Skea: ‘Desperation prevents action’
Jim Skea, Chairman of the IPCC.
Mr. Skea, you have been familiar with the IPCC process for decades, but you have been IPCC Chairman for a year now. Did anything else surprise you in this position?
I had expected to have a lot of contact with the media. But it was even more than I ever thought. I was really surprised by how high the expectations are for this position.
‘The 1.5-degree limit has a lot of political symbolism’
We see record heat over the twelve months and a new debate on whether the 1.5-degree limit can be maintained. Does this debatefrom your point of view? Or does it distract from what needs to be done in climate policy?
The 1.5-degree limit has a lot of political symbolism. It is an important debate in the UN negotiations. But from a scientific point of view, we have always emphasized that there is no clear breakpoint to 1.5 degrees. Every tenth of a degree is important, below or above 1.5 degrees. There is always a reason for ambitious climate protection, no matter where we are.
According to the latest calculations, the global budget for 1.5 degrees only contains around 200 gigatons of CO2 – i.e. around five years at current emissions. Some scientists despair about this. How do you feel?
My personal view is that despair is not a good approach because it discourages people. And it prevents us from taking the necessary action to minimize the worst consequences of climate change. In the IPCC reports, we also look at the positive signals such as falling costs for renewables, expansion of renewables, and zero emissions targets, which now account for 90 percent of the global economy. The data is very worrying, but we have also made progress. We need to use the tools we have.
‘This activism is more of a deterrent’
But we don’t use the instruments very much. This leads to frustration among many scientists. Can you understand when scientists become activists?
There is an objective question: does climate activism really move the needle towards progress? We have already examined this in the last IPCC report. On the one hand, activism has kept the issue in the public eye. But it tends to put people off because they are disturbed by these activities – when ambulances are obstructed, for example. We don’t know which effect is greater. But it worries me a little that the people we need to convince are put off.
You want to make the IPCC more inclusive and diverse. What does that mean for your work?
First of all, it’s a question of numbers – we need a good balance of women and men. We are now at 40 percent women in the Secretariat, which is not perfect, but we are on the way. Then we need more people from developing countries, especially the least developed countries, to join the IPCC so that we have a broader base of perspectives. We are making progress here, but we also need more balance within the regions – so that one or two countries do not dominate a region.
Why do we still need the IPCC? Don’t we know enough?
There are areas where there is enough data for politicians to take action. This is not the case in others. So in the next IPCC cycle, at the request of governments, we will be looking more at adaptation to climate change, where there are still major gaps.
‘Disappointed that climate skepticism is back’
Another data problem is fake news, which is also spreading in the area of climate. How worried are you about this?
It’s disappointing that this form of climate skepticism is coming back, which we thought was settled a few years ago. All we can do is continue with our knowledge-based work. The evidence is clear that climate change is man-made.
You can even see it in the UNFCCC process: countries like Saudi Arabia, which wanted to keep any reference to the IPCC reports out of the negotiations. Can you do anything about this?
We never talk about individual countries. When I am in negotiations, many people say that we have to act on the basis of the IPCC reports. We think that we can make a difference at a conference like this [the SB60 Intergovernmental Climate Change Conference in Bonn, editor’s note].
How political is your job? You are scientists, but the IPCC is an interface between politics and science.
I’m not a politician, although I was part of an election campaign to become chairman [laughs]. So we are not politicians, but we need political antennae to understand where our reports end up. In that sense, we are political.
‘Difference between academic work and hard decisions’
Sometimes governments sign the IPCC reports and then act in exactly the opposite way. Can this be prevented?
The power of the IPCC reports is that everything we decide is a consensus between scientists and governments. That gives them this unique power and influence, for example in the UNFCCC process. Of course, we have robust discussions when we adopt the reports. I’ve sat on the panels that have adopted the reports for three cycles, and at all points we ask the scientists: is this consistent with the science – otherwise it won’t be adopted.
In Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum has now become president for the first time as a climate scientist. Do you expect this to change the country’s politics?
I would expect that any person with a leading policy role would need a very pragmatic approach. I have chaired a commission on just transition in my home country of Scotland and I know very well the difference between pure academic work and the hard decisions that have to be made. I am delighted that in Claudia Sheinbaum we have a political leader who is academically informed and understands the issue. But every political decision is based in part on science, on values, and on political realities.
Sir James (“Jim”) Ferguson Skea has been Chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) since July 2023. The Scotsman worked as Professor of Sustainable Energy at Imperial College London until 2023.
UNFCCC
African oil states found own bank
The oil industry in Africa needs investment: An engineer works on a plant.
The African Petroleum Production Organization (APPO) wants to play a more active role in the energy industry on the continent. To this end, it has provided the Africa Energy Bank (AEB) with seed capital of five billion dollars to finance energy projects throughout Africa. The capital is subscribed by APPO member states, national oil and gas companies and other unnamed investors.
At the 45th extraordinary meeting of the APPO Council of Ministers in Abuja, it was also announced that the bank would be based in Lagos. APPO founded the AEB with the support of Afreximbank in order to solvethe financing difficulties that the African oil and gas industry is increasingly facing as a result of the energy transition.
European banks withdraw from the market
Under pressure from public opinion in their home markets, many European and American commercial banks are no longerfinancing projects in the fossil fuel industry. Multilateral and national development banks from the Global North are also pursuing a similar lending policy.
This has made it more difficult for companies in the African oil and gas sector to finance new projects, even if they make a positive contribution to the fight against climate change.
The AEB is said to be similar to other specialized development finance institutions. Although the bank claims to focus on the oil and gas industry, it is also open to investments in other forms of energy, including renewable energy.
Closing the financing gap
The launch of the AEB in Nigeria is a sign of a potentially transformative development in Africa’s energy sector, Katlong Alex, energy analyst at the African Energy Council, told Table.Briefings. With increasing disinvestment in oil and gas due to the energy transition and ESG requirements, the AEB’s seed capital of five billion dollars could help close the financing gap that is hindering energy projects across Africa.
“This financial boost could drive the development of critical infrastructure and lead to better access to electricity and increased energy security“, Alex continued. “While the Bank recognizes the importance of oil and gas, its openness to renewable energy solutions also allows African nations to take a more balanced approach. This flexibility is crucial to adapt to the global energy transition and diversify the energy mix.”
Nigeria’s position strengthened
Nigeria hosting the AEB headquarters could strengthen the country’s position as a regional energy leader and potentially give it more influence in shaping energy policy and attracting investment, Alex said.
“In addition, the AEB could facilitate the transfer of knowledge and technology in the energy sector, especially with regard to renewable energies, and thus accelerate the introduction of clean energy solutions in Africa”, says the energy expert.
Jide Pratt, Country Manager at Trade Grid, told Table.Briefings that the Africa Energy Bank will increase energy security in Nigeria. Africa as a continent is about to take a big leap with the establishment of the bank. “The bank reduces credit risk on the continent and helps to remove the stigma or disengagement of Europe in terms of fossil fuel financing in Africa”, Pratt added.
Start-up capital will not be enough
However, Alex says several challenges need to be overcome for the AEB to succeed. Although five billion dollars is a considerable amount, he believes that the equity may not be enough to meet Africa’s enormous energy needs in the long term.
“Therefore, AEB’s success depends on attracting further capital and efficient management“, says Alex. “In addition, the bank’s framework for financing high-risk projects must be carefully considered. Balancing risk with effective project selection will ensure AEB’s effectiveness.”
According to Alex, strong leadership and transparent processes are also crucial for AEB to gain trust and attract investment. Clear guidelines and control mechanisms are essential to ensure the responsible use of funds.
“Overall, the establishment of the AEB represents a promising opportunity for Africa“, Alex concluded. “But its success depends on overcoming these challenges and utilizing its resources efficiently.”
Erdgas
News
Constitutional complaints against Climate Protection Act
President Frank-Walter Steinmeier signed the amendment to the Climate Protection Act (KSG) on Monday. As announced, five German environmental associations are now responding by filing a total of three constitutional complaints against the new version of the KSG. The Bundestag had already passed the amendment to the Act at the end of April. The examination by the Federal President’s Office took an unusually long time. For the environmental organization BUND, the Federal President is legitimizing a “breach of the law” with his signature.
There had already been a lot of criticism of the amended KSG in the run-up to the amendment because it removesthe binding sector emissions targets. For the transport sector in particular, which has never achieved its climate targets to date, this reduces the pressure to reduce emissions. BUND argues that with the weakened KSG, Germany will not be able to make its contribution to meeting the 1.5-degree target. It is lodging its constitutional complaint together with Solarenegie Förderverein e.V. and four other individual plaintiffs.
In addition to BUND, both Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH) and Greenpeace, together with Germanwatch, had previously announced their own constitutional complaints against the KSG. These complaints are now also to be submitted. The content of the three constitutional complaints is said to be similar. DUH intends to announce details of its complaint today, Tuesday. kul
Klimaklagen
What Germans expect from EU climate policy
According to a recent survey, a majority of Germansbelieve that the European Unionshould invest more in renewable energies, especially in solar and wind farms. Almost half would like the EU to provide more financial support for replacing fossil fuel heating systemswith heat pumps. And a large proportion (39%) believe that Europe should do much more to protect the climate in the future. These are the results of a representative survey of more than 1,000 people conducted by the Focaldata Institute after the EU elections.
Selected results in detail:
39% of respondents believe that the EU should do much more to protect the climate. 30% believe it is doing exactly the right thing, and 16% say it is doing too much. 15% have no opinion.
Among Green voters, the proportion of those who want a more ambitious climate policy is highest at 87%. But even among SPD and BSW voters, the largest groups still agree with the call for more climate action, at 60% and 40% respectively. At 50%, FDP voters largely believe that the EU is doing exactly the right thing for climate action. The largest group among AfD voters, also 50%, believe that the EU should do much less for climate protection.
59% of respondents say the EU should invest more in renewable energies, 14% are against it. 63% are in favor of building new solar parks, and 55% are in favor of expanding wind power.
At 49%, just under half are in favor of the EU providing financial supportfor the replacement of fossil fuel heating systems with heat pumps, while 19% are against it. The European Commission has postponed its heat pump action plan until after the elections.
39% are against a ban on the sale of new gas heating systems combined with the obligation to replace them with heat pumps. 31% are in favor.
50% are against a ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles, and 24% are in favor.
47% think that farmers should be obliged toreduce the use of nitrogen fertilizers. 20% are against this.
At 59%, a majority of respondents are not familiar with the Green Deal. CDU voters in particular are unfamiliar with it. Only 14% know about the Green Deal and support it.
For 72% of respondents, climate policy was important for their voting decision, especially for supporters of the Greens, SPD, and CDU. At 82%, migration policy played an even greater role, especially for AfD and CDU voters. Overall, 22% hope that the EU will do more for environmental and climate protection in the coming years – for 15%, however, this is not a hope but a fear. ae
EU-Klimapolitik
Acceleration of climate change and species extinction
In a new report (“Navigating New Horizons”), the UN Environment Program (UNEP) warns of “eight critical global changes” that are accelerating climate change, species extinction, and pollution of the planet.
Many of the eight changes can be traced back to climate change or are directly related to it:
Humanity is exploiting natural resources, especially fossil fuels, almost unchecked. The resulting global warming is also causing the permafrost soil to thaw. This has already led to the release of anthrax spores from ancient organisms in Siberia, for example, which have affected dozens of people and killed thousands of reindeer. In addition, subsidies for fossil fuels could slow down the energy transition, warns the UNEP.
Armed conflicts and climate change are making regions uninhabitable. Almost 120 million people were displaced from their homes in 2023 – a record figure and six times more than in 1990. Climate change and environmental consequences such as water scarcity are a major driver of this migration. In the next 50 years, up to three billion people could be living in regions where climate conditions are far outside the norm in which humanity has lived for the last 6,500 years, according to the UNEP.
In some regions, climate damage could lead to real estate and agriculture becoming uninsurable.
Climate disasters can lead to depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress. The UNEP speaks here of an “emerging crisis that is taking place in secret”.
The UNEP also warns of solar geoengineering, corruption, and irregularities in carbon offsetting mechanisms. Furthermore, environmental goods such as clean air could becomea consumer good for the wealthy, and environmental enclaves could emerge that would exclude many people from access to environmental goods. UNEP also includes artificial intelligence, misinformation, and global competition for critical raw materials among the eight global changes – all of these factors would therefore have an environmental impact. nib
Klimakrise
CO2 certificates: Searches on suspicion of fraud
Following indications of possible fraud in climate action projects (Upstream Emissions Reductions, UER), with which mineral oil companies want to improve their carbon footprint, police have searched companies in North Rhine-Westphalia and Bavaria. Numerous documents were confiscated from the premises of companies in Kerpen, Cologne and Langenbach last Friday, according to the Berlin public prosecutor’s office.
According to a spokesperson, the authorities are investigating 17 employees on suspicion of joint commercial fraud. The target is the managing directors of the companies as well as employees of inspection bodies. According to the public prosecutor’s office, there is suspicion that false information was provided to the German Emissions Trading Authority (DEHSt). As things stand at present, five projects are affected. Damage of more than €1.12 million is said to have been incurred.
Projects in China affected
The German Environment Agency (UBA) filed a complaint with the public prosecutor’s office at the end of May. The authority had previously investigated information from whistleblowers about projects in China. The petroleum industry aims to meet statutory climate protection requirements with projects to reduce emissions. They are certified by German testing institutes and approved by the UBA. A falsification of the projects could mean, for example, that the climate balance of the German transport sector is even worse than previously assumed.
After ZDF reported on the suspected cases of fraud, the UBA initially spoke of an internal investigation. A spokesperson for the agency stated at the end of May that administrative assistance had been requested from the Chinese authorities. “We have to do this because we have no sovereign rights in China.” The charges were filed with the public prosecutor’s office for all possible offenses relating to the projects carried out in China. Compared to the UBA, the public prosecutor’s office has completely different possibilities to investigate. dpa
CO2-Kompensationen
New NATO report: Russia destabilizes Europe with disinformation about energy transition
Climate-related disinformation from Russia is exacerbating the challenges facing NATO. This is the conclusion of NATO’s new climate change and security impact assessment, which was published on Tuesday. “Russian state media are increasing uncertainty around climate change and downplaying it as exaggerated or even positive”, says the 32-page report.
Especially since the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, disinformation in connection with the European green energy transition has increased. The reasons for Russia’s denial of man-made climate change are links between the fossil fuel industry and the government, as well as its dependence on fossil fuels as the most important source of state revenue.
NATO’s credibility also important on climate issues
Doug Weir, head of the British non-governmental organization Conflict and Environment Observatory (CEOBS), welcomed in an interview with Table.Briefings that the paper discusses how conflicts contribute to the climate crisis, and not just how climate change could affect national security. These components of climate security have received far less attention to date. However, he cautions that “the Alliance can only make recommendations to contributing countries on emissions tracking and reporting and cannot force its members to decarbonize”.
So far, the commitment and progress on decarbonization within the NATO states has varied greatly. “Some countries are driving the agenda forward, others still need to be convinced. If this gap is not closed, NATO’s credibility in the area of climate security will increasingly suffer.”
The annual report entitled “Secretary General’s Annual Climate Change and Security Impact Assessment” examines the effects of climate change on each of the five NATO operational areas: Sea, land, air, space, and cyberspace. It also looks at the climate impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The assessment is part of the Climate Change Action Plan, which the NATO heads of state and government adopted at their 2021 summit in Brussels. asc
Klimawandel
Early forest fires in California cause concern
The fire department in California has already had to fight more than 3,500 forest fires this year up to mid-July. Together, they have burned around 220,000 hectares of land. That is more than five times the usual amount for this period. Last weekend alone, around 20,000 hectares fell victim to the fires. As it is still quite early in the fire season, Joe Tyler from the Californian Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said last week: “We are not just in a fire season, we are in a fire year“.
Due to heat waves, many regions in California have dried out and fires can spread particularly well there. The fact that the previous wet winter helped vegetation to grow well also plays a role: This has now dried out over the past few months, providing a breeding ground for the fires, reports the British Guardian newspaper. At the weekend, the fires led to more than 1,000 evacuations. The first death of the forest fire season was reported on Friday.
Although man-made climate change does not ignite forest fires, it does accelerate their spread due to heat and drought. The fact that temperatures have risen more at night than during the day as a result of climate change also plays a special role. Relatively cool nights with high humidity actually acted as a kind of protective shield against the fires, but this effect is now diminishing and the forest fires are also spreading more strongly at night. kul
Klimakrise
London museum ends sponsorship by oil company Equinor
Because the oil company Equinor is not reducing its CO2 emissions sufficiently, a London-based science museum has terminated its sponsorship contract with the company. This was reported by several Britishmedia outlets. Equinor had been sponsoring the interactive “Wonderlab” exhibition at London’s Science Museum since 2016. The Science Museum is now ending the collaboration because it has committed to ensuring that its sponsors do everything necessary to meet the 1.5-degree limit stipulated in the Paris Climate Agreement, which Equinor is not doing.
As the Times reports, the sponsorship deal was controversial because Equinor owns the largest undeveloped oil and gas field, Rosebank, in the North Sea. The British government approved the development of the deposits last year. According to the Daily Telegraph, Equinor had “also inserted a clause in the contract prohibiting employees from making comments that could be seen as ‘discrediting or damaging to the reputation or standing’ of the company”. ae
Klima & Umwelt
Climate: Why China’s emissions may have peaked
Almost two-thirds of all wind and solar energy capacity currently under construction is being built in China. In other words, China currently creates almost twice as many alternative energy sources as the rest of the world combined. This is according to a study by the US think tank Global Energy Monitor (GEM). The share of coal in Chinese power generation has accordingly fallen to a record low, although it still accounts for more than half of the electricity mix at 53 percent.
According to GEM, China is currently building 339 gigawatts (GW) of wind and solar energy. This corresponds to 64 percent of total global capacity and is more than eight times the projects in the second-placed USA, which is building 40 GW. The study’s authors conclude that China’s pace is bringing the global goal of tripling renewable energy capacity by the end of 2030 within reach, even without more hydropower. The authors urge Beijing to raise its targets in its climate pledges to the United Nations next year.
Transmission lines must be expanded quickly
They also see China well on the way to achieving its own 2030 goal of installing 1,200 GW of wind and solar energy – six years ahead of schedule. However, the transmission lines in China’s coal-centered grid need to be expanded more quickly, says Aiqun Yu from GEM. A year ago, coal still accounted for 60 percent of electricity generation. The trend indicates that the country’s carbon emissions may have peaked last year.
The share of solar power in electricity generation climbed to twelve percent and the share of wind power to eleven percent in May. Hydropower (15), nuclear power (five) and biomass (two) made up the rest of non-fossil energy generation. The increase in electricity generation from renewable energies also led to a 3.6 percent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions from the electricity sector, which accounts for around 40 percent of China’s total emissions.
However, China’s total energy consumption rose by around 4.2 percent in the second quarter, while GDP grew by 4.7 percent. The pattern of energy-intensive growth thus continued. Nevertheless, energy expert Lauri Myllyvirta from the Asia Society Policy Institute also believes in a trend reversal. “It seems clear that the clean energy boom is finally bending China’s emissions path,” Myllyvirta wrote at X. rtr/grz
Energie
Power
Solar
Wind power
Billions in funding for hydrogen infrastructure
Federal and state economics ministers have handed over funding decisions for 23 German hydrogen projects with a total volume of €4.6 billion. This was announced by the Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs (BMWK) on Monday. The projects were part of the so-called Hy2Infra wave of the IPCEI Hydrogen (Important Projects of Common European Interest), which was approved by the EU Commission on February 15, 2024. There had previously been two further funding waves.
Hy2Infra provides funding:
Hydrogen production by electrolyzers with 1.4 gigawatts
Storage for an energy content of 370 gigawatt-hours
Pipelines up to 2000 kilometers long as part of the hydrogen launch network
Use of liquid organic hydrogen carriers (LOHC) for the transport of 1800 tons of hydrogen per year
According to the BMWK, the infrastructure should enable use in energy-intensive industries (e.g. steel, chemicals) and create connections to neighboring countries such as the Netherlands. IPCEI is a framework under state aid law for the approval of national subsidies. However, part of the €4.6 billion will flow from European funds from the NextGenerationEU program. Applications and approvals in the IPCEI procedure had dragged on for years. A reform of technology funding has therefore been initiated at the EU level. ber
Grüner Wasserstoff
Heads
Ed Miliband – British climate minister becomes chief negotiator at COP29
Ed Miliband, the UK’s new climate minister.
Ed Miliband will negotiate for the UK at the next climate conference (COP29) in Azerbaijan. The 54-year-old was appointed Minister for Energy Security and Carbon Emissions in the new Labour government on July 5 and will lead the British delegation. The decision will give the UK more weight at the climate conference. At recent COPs, junior ministers have often been in charge of negotiations or key ministers have neglected the negotiations. At COP28 in Dubai, the then climate minister and chief negotiator, Graham Stuart, left early and before the critical negotiation phase in order to fulfill his duties as an MP, as was reported at the time.
The Labour veteran Miliband wants to set a new course in climate policy. At the weekend, he gave the green light for three major solar projects in the east of England. These projects had been held up under the Tory government. Miliband also wants to “trigger asolar roof revolution” and put millions of solar panels on the roofs of the UK, as he recently said. Builders and homeowners should be “encouraged in every possible way”. Miliband wants to reduce Britain’s dependence on fossil fuel imports, also in order to get a grip on rising electricity costs for households. By 2030, all British electricity is to be produced CO2-free. In his career to date, Miliband has often pursued a left-wing, welfare state-oriented policy. One of his priorities is to improve the insulation of British homes in order to reduce energy consumption and costs.
Among NGOs, Miliband is considered a good choice as climate minister. In his first term of office, “Miliband has strongly advocated ambitious measures to avert the worst consequences of climate change”, says Jamie Peters, Climate Change Coordinator at Friends of the Earth UK. Miliband was Climate Change Minister in Gordon Brown’s Cabinet between 2008 and 2010. During his time in office, Parliament passed the Climate Change Act, which aims to reduce British emissions by 80 percent by 2050. Miliband alreadyled the British delegationat the World Climate Conference in Copenhagen.
Miliband completed his Master’s degree at the London School of Economics and has worked for the Labour Party since 1993. His brother David Miliband was Foreign Secretary under Tony Blair. The two brothers competed against each other for the Labour leadership in 2010 – Ed won. He is married and has two sons. Nico Beckert
