🌍 The Grumpy Optimists 2023!
Renewables growth, climate law grows in power and trees are even better than we thought!
Happy Monday 👋
Welcome back to The Grumpy Optimists for 2023. A year where we're true to our name, frustrated by the path we're on and the fact that there are less than 7 years to avoid climate catastrophe, but still optimistic that we have the opportunity to cut emissions, limit warming and create a more fair and just society.
It now makes economic and political sense to adopt climate-friendly policies. There is a lot of work to do and a lot of uncertainty, but there is also potential to decarbonise. Renewables are growing, corporate climate reporting is becoming more important, and new technologies are emerging to help us reduce energy consumption.
The one phrase that we will be taking into 2023 is that “It's now cheaper to save the planet than it is to destroy it”. This is the narrative that we hope will dominate climate action.
This year we’ll be bringing more news summaries as well as sharing our thoughts on what’s happening in the world of climate action. For now, we’d love to know one thing you’re grumpy about and one that you’re optimistic about heading into 2023. Let us know in the comments.
Enjoy!
👀 Articles to read
💨 Wind generated a record amount of electricity in 2022. In 2022 the kgCO2e per kWh (how we measure the emissions of the national grid) fell by 5% to 0.177kgCO2e per kWh ads wind generation increased by 24%. Interestingly, between Christmas and the New Year, for a brief period, the UK was meeting more than 100% of its electricity demand from renewables AND exporting to Europe.
At its lowest, the grid was producing just 0.54kgCO2e per kWh. To put it into perspective, that's well below the target for 2030.
💭 The takeaway? There are reasons to feel worried about the situation we're facing, but I'm also optimistic we'll continue to see more trends like this emerge in 2023 and beyond.
⚖️ 2022 was a great year for climate legislation. From holding oil companies accountable to taking legal action against governments for setting inadequate net zero goals and not protecting indigenous groups, 2022 was a successful year for lawyers defending our climate. We are highly optimistic about this trend continuing in 2023.
⚡Hertz finds electric cars to be good for business. Rental car company Hertz found that electric vehicles are between 50-60% cheaper to maintain, boosting profits by 12%. This is a positive signal for the adoption of electric cars, as well as for climate action at a corporate level more generally.
🌡️ 2022 is the UK’s warmest year on record. With an average temperature of above 10°C for the first time, 2022 was the warmest year on record in the UK. Unfortunately, it’s just a sign of things to come.
🏂🏻 Snow shortages in Europe provide a glimpse of climate impacts to come. With temperature records being broken across Europe and some areas experiencing temperatures above their summer average, it's clear that climate change is already having an impact. Nowhere is this more evident than on ski slopes without any snow; some have even had to close.
🏠 MPs push for a war effort to insulate UK’s leaky homes. UK homes are some of the most poorly insulated in Europe. As somebody who is in an E-rated home with an ice rink for a kitchen floor, I can attest to this. Now, MPs are calling for 2.5 million homes to be upgraded each year. The government has been criticised for their poor response to energy efficiency. Insulating homes will help save energy and money for homes across the UK, creating a win-win situation.
🌳 UK’s forest store twice as much carbon as previously thought. A new study that uses laser and 3D scans highlighted the importance of woodland and particularly old trees in storing carbon. The study will likely have serious consequences for woodland preservation, a big win.
The Grumpy Optimists 💚