ambition – Tom Burke

Britain needs to walk its talk if we are going to lead at COP26 – Channel 4 News

On February 1, 2020February 2, 2020 By admin

I think the issue is that there was a feeling beginning to emerge, both more broadly within Whitehall, but also amongst other governments that we weren’t putting enough oomph into it. And that it needed somebody in charge of the process, leading it, who was seen to have the ear […]

The Politics of Climate Change

On January 17, 2020January 17, 2020 By admin

This article was first published by the Oracle Partnership as one of a series of essays on climate change. 2019 is the year the global conversation on the climate changed. The children’s climate strikes, the arrival of Extinction Rebellion, the EU’s Green New Deal and the importance of climate change […]

Is the UK emissions target for 2050 achievable? – BBC World News

On June 12, 2019June 13, 2019 By admin

. . Climate change is a bit like diabetes, it’s a progressive disease. The earlier you do something about it, the better your chances are. I think that if we are still burning a lot of fossil fuels after 2050, then we are in very serious trouble. The prosperity and […]

ON THE BREAKING OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROMISES

On October 16, 2017May 29, 2018 By admin

There are a great many champions of the environment in Britain. Between them, our environmental bodies have several times the membership of all the political parties in Britain combined. They probably know rather more about the will of the people than the political leaders who somehow managed not to […]

What Paris means for fossil fuels

On December 17, 2015December 17, 2015 By admin

As the dust settles after the historic adoption of the Paris 2015 agreement, E3G shares a short blog series exploring what Paris means to different sectors, regions and constituencies. For a long time the fossil fuel industries have lived in a comfort zone. It was built on three […]

FRAMING THE PARIS END-GAME BY NICK MABEY

On December 7, 2015 By admin

Much of the media reporting of the Paris climate change talks in Paris is still characterising the bargain as being between rich and poor countries. This is a lazy and outdated view of what is really happening. This excellent article by my colleague Nick Mabey paints a much more […]

Sky News – Discussing COP21 and progress so far

On November 29, 2015 By admin

Sky News: Let’s talk to Tom Burke an Environmentalist and former Government advisor. Let’s be blunt. People have been droning on about climate change and global warming for so many years now, but nothing ever gets agreed and nothing ever happens, is that why we’re switching off? […]

Energy Transition Commission – some considerations

On September 29, 2015September 29, 2015 By admin

Shell and McKinsey have just launched a global initiative called the Energy Transition Commission. Doubts have been raised about whether the Commission as currently constructed has the integrity to make a positive contribution to the debate on how to keep the climate safe. There is a risk that this […]

Obama’s climate plan on Sky News – 03/08/15

On August 4, 2015August 4, 2015 By admin

It is really important that America has now set itself out to lead on climate, and to demonstrate leading by taking action. It has been a laggard, and therefore other countries have been able to hide behind it, that shield has now been removed. I suspect […]

G7 fossil fuel pledge is a diplomatic coup for Germany’s ‘climate chancellor’ – The Guardian

On June 9, 2015June 9, 2015 By admin

I was quoted extensively in an article in The Guardian by Karl Mathiesen on why the plan outlined by the G7 on Monday to phase out fossil fuels by the end of the century is, for some member countries, not quite as ambitious as it sounds. Tom […]