Claes Belfrage

‘Change course now’: humanity has missed 1.5C climate target, says UN head Exclusive: ‘Devastating consequences’ now inevitable but emissions cuts still vital, says António Guterres in sole interview before Cop30

www.theguardian.com/environment/...

The Guardian view on the IMF’s warning: Britain’s economy runs hot for profits, cold for pay | Editorial Editorial: Labour is misreading the economics – leaving it unable to deal with the G7’s worst inflation and flat living standard

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

The World Has Too Much Steel, but No One Wants to Stop Making It

Very interesting. Steel in the new world order: www.nytimes.com/2025/07/25/b...

Is this our new reality? A re-elected Trump, confident and without shackles.

Trump refuses to rule out using military to take Panama Canal and Greenland Remarks likely to set off alarm bells around the world as Trump prepares to return to the White House this month

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

More than 6m homes at risk of flooding in England, says Environment Agency Report says rivers, the sea and surface water endangering properties and that number could hit 8m by 2050

Under water...

www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Liverpool City assigned the first accelerator city by the UN. The hard work continues to speed up the Green Transition!

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Net zero U-turns will hit UK infrastructure, say government advisers Sir John Armitt urges ministers to act swiftly or risk impeding growth and jeopardising climate targets

A damning review!

www.theguardian.com/environment/...

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Britain Is Cutting Taxes Again. Why Now? www.nytimes.com/2024/03/07/b...

Private or public solutions to funding the Green Transition?

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Neoliberal financialisation has reduced margins to the extent that household debt is increasing rapidly in Sweden. I and Markus Kallifatides have been writing about this process and its emergent consequences for some time. Take a look, if you are curious.

www.dn.se/ekonomi/skul...

Interesting legal developments in relation to the emission considerations for granting permission to drill for oil and gas.

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

It also appears as if hydrogen is a way in which the Global North envisages getting OPEC countries onboard (see IRENA reports).

With regards blue and maybe green hydrogen, oil producing countries see it as a greenwashing opportunity, but also perhaps a way to expand their portfolio and maybe also transitioning away from fossil fuels, that is if they can't avoid it altogether.

Thanks for your reflections on this. We have been reading about the political economy of hydrogen (of all colours) and think that you are very right about this. It appears to be very much the agenda for the EU and its neighbourhood policy.

This is wild and disturbing, but when you think about it not surprising.

#wasteful capitalism
#circular economy

www.nytimes.com/2024/01/15/u...

Trump winning Iowa caucus this straightforwardly seems to be further evidence if US hegemonic decline (in case we needed further such...).

#UShegemonicdecline
#polycrisis

www.theguardian.com/environment/...

The "human behavioural crisis", caused by "deliberate exploitation of human behaviour" by corporations vying for consumers' attention, has resulted in "ecological overshoot". We require resources equivalent to 1.7 earths causing Earth to become uninhabitable and threatens peaceful human relations.

Appalling, whatever the reason may be.

www.theguardian.com/environment/...

www.esa.int/Applications....

But the picture is of course more complex than new trees versus old growth forests with regards CO2 absorption. While treelings cannot absorb so much CO2 yet, it appears as if middle-aged trees (50-140 years) absorb more CO2 than old trees (in which CO2 is already stored).

‘Forests are not renewable’: the felling of Sweden’s ancient trees Forests cover 70% of the country, but many argue the Swedish model of replacing old-growth forests with monoculture plantations is bad for biodiversity

This data may not consider reforestation. Yet, reforestation cannot replace the ecological systems of old-growth forests and their related social relations. Sweden is interesting. Despite reforestation, old growth forests are being destroyed at a high rate. Also, young trees absorb much less CO2.

I like this little navigation by Federico Savini of the concepts circulating in discussions on how to tackle climate change in cities.

"If combined with degrowth, ... the circular economy concept can offer a powerful trajectory for material reduction"

ontgroei.degrowth.net/post-growth-...