UCL-Energy Deputy Director and heads of research groups state hopes for COP21

France is hosting and presiding over the 21st Session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change UNFCCC (COP21), otherwise known as “the 2015 Paris Climate Conference” from November 30th to December 11th 2015. 

COP21 will be a crucial conference, as it aims to achieve a legally binding and universal agreement on climate, with the aim of keeping global warming below 2°C.

Deputy Director of UCL- Energy, Prof Neil Strachan lays out his hopes for COP21:

"Although setting long term targets and agreeing monetary flows to support developing countries is essential, I hope that this 21st COP also focuses on the implementation of decarbonisation pathways. Such pathways are evolving systems and need clear understanding on:

1. Which low carbon technologies are winning or losing, 

2. How society is responding to changes in prices and policies, and 

3. How the new institutions need to manage this transition are performing. 

All three of these elements interact with each other. As such a critical outcome of COP 21 is for a clear monitoring and reporting mechanisms so different countries can learn from each other’s policy actions and can take advantage of international coordination on the best (and most feasible) low carbon energy supply and demand options. I will be watching COP21 unfold with interest." 
 

UCL-Energy Dr Mark Barrett (Senior Lecturer) and Dr Catalina Spataru (Lecturer in Energy Systems and Networks) leaders of the UCL-Energy Energy Space Time Research Group state:

“A major aim of COP21 is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to reduce prospective climate change, and low carbon energy supply is an option . Many commentators emphasise the role of renewable energy coupled with the necessary facilitating storage and transmission. A central aim of The Energy Space Time Group is to carry out research into modelling and designing systems such that renewable energy can be economically matched to demands in space and time. As leaders of this group we will be following COP21 very closely to see what effects there be on the future of renewable energy”

You can follow comments from colleagues across UCL on the UCL platform for COP21.

COP21 Blogs

Throughout COP21 our staff and students will be blogging on climate change and sustainability. 

Peter Mallaburn: Paris – outside looking in

Steve Pye: Ratcheting up the ambition level: Implementing deep decarbonisation pathways

Tristan Smith: Shipping under scrutiny in Paris at COP 21

Peter Mallaburn: The Paris Agreement – second time lucky?

Steve Pye: The ground-breaking Paris Agreement leaves no room for delay in cutting emissions

Bob Lowe: In the aftermath of the Paris COP Agreement – grounds for optimism or pessimism?

In the media

The Conversation: Two crucial omissions that could jeopardise Paris climate hopes

The New York Times: Building Greener Ships, to Keep the Sea From Rising

The Huffington Post: China Acts to Control Shipping Air Pollution and Greenhouse Gas Emissions

The Conversation Why we need a ‘space race’ approach to saving the planet

Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide 9 Reasons 2015 Was a Green Year in Shipping

ClimateHome Paris climate deal must tackle shipping emissions, say experts