Norwayâs Supreme Court Makes Way for More Arctic Drilling
The top court ruled against environmental groups Tuesday, saying the right to a clean environment did not bar the government from drilling for offshore oil.
Offshore oilfield platforms in the North Sea off Norway.Credit.Ints Kalnins/Reuters
Dec. 22, 2020
Norwayâs Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected an effort, based on the countryâs constitutional right to a clean environment, to invalidate licenses for new oil exploration in the Arctic, allowing drilling to continue and signaling to environmental groups that it would not interfere in climate politics.
In its decision, the court ruled 11 to 4 in favor of the state, a victory for Norwayâs formidable oil industry. The court concluded that a set of oil drilling permits in the Arctic, given in 2016, were not in breach of either the Norwegian Constitutionâs right to a clean environment or the European Convention on Human Rights. The judges said that the r
Banks pressured to divest from fossil fuels and deforesters ahead of COP26
MPs, trade bodies and the UN s Environment Programme are urging banks to unify their response to the net-zero transition ahead of COP26 next November and commit to time-bound phase-outs for fossil fuel finance.
Green finance has been a major topic amid the events of 2020
The call to action is being made by Bankers for Net-Zero – an initiative convened by the APPG on Fair Business Banking, along with Volans and Re:Pattern.
Bankers for Net Zero was formed shortly after the UK set its net-zero target in law and was confirmed as COP26 co-host along with Italy. Now, members have developed a commitment framework which is hoped to garner the support of all major banks ahead of the summit in November 2021.
Governors Wind Energy Coalition
Climate wars sweep courts as Biden eyes bold emissions cuts Source: By Jennifer Hijazi, E&E News reporter • Posted: Monday, December 21, 2020
The appointment of Justice Amy Coney Barrett to the U.S. Supreme Court remains a concern for climate activists. They view her past comments on global warming as troubling. Ken Cedeno/UPI/Newscom
Courtroom battles over climate change raged across the country and around the world as legal experts continue to grapple with the role of the judiciary in addressing rising global temperatures.
Climate litigation shows no sign of slowing, even as the United States prepares to welcome a president to the White House who is expected to usher in policies aimed at reducing emissions of planet-warming gases.
UK institute issues report on Taiwan’s carbon tax options
By Lin Chia-nan / Staff reporter
Taiwan and the UK have joined hands to launch a report, titled
Carbon pricing options for Taiwan, and would further collaborate on climate action, the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) said, as the nation prepares to collect a levy on carbon emissions.
The report was the result of its cooperation with the British Office Taipei, the EPA said in a news release on Friday.
The two sides commissioned the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at the London School of Economics and Political Science to evaluate carbon pricing systems for Taiwan, it said.
More opportunities for green cooperation as China, Europe lead fight against climate change (Xinhua) 09:18, December 14, 2020 LONDON, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) World leaders, who took part in a virtual climate summit on Saturday, recognized the importance of tackling climate change, in the process of which China and European countries are finding more common ground and opportunities for cooperation. On Saturday, dozens of leaders from both developed and developing countries and international organizations as well as business leaders attended the virtual Climate Ambition Summit, which aims to make new commitments to tackling climate change and delivering on the Paris Agreement. New commitments were outlined at the summit, which is co-convened by the United Nations, Britain and France in partnership with Chile and Italy.