Climate Change and Climate Action

Experts react: Von der Leyen outlines vision for Europe’s post-COVID future

By Atlantic Council

Von der Leyen used her first State of the European Union Address to push European leaders to “make change happen by design—not by disaster or by diktat from others in the world.” Atlantic Council experts react to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s speech and its implications for future EU policy.

California’s blackouts and renewable energy: Culprit or imperative?

By Leslie Hayward

In mid-August, California made headlines when several days of rolling blackouts coincided with a massive heatwave, with up to three million residents facing up to four hours of power outages. For Californians, this crisis must prompt an examination of both the grid management practices that contributed to these blackouts, and the optimal way to store or supplement wind and solar power. And while many were quick to blame the blackouts on the states's growing reliance on renewables, the underlying causes for the crisis can only be mitigated with more clean energy.

Adviser on Biden’s foreign policy: Start at home and repair alliances

By David A. Wemer

One of his chief foreign policy advisers said that a future Biden White House would focus its foreign policy on revitalizing the United States at home, rehabilitating frayed alliances, and building a team of democracies to solve the world’s biggest challenges.

Extreme heat: What can be done to stop this “silent killer”?

By Kathy Baughman McLeod

While extreme heat is one of the planet’s clearest signals of global warming—last year was the world’s second hottest since 1880—it remains an invisible threat: a “silent killer” lurking in relatively clear view.

What world post COVID-19?: A conversation with Dr. Joe Mascaro

By Peter Engelke, Anca Agachi

Dr. Joe Mascaro, director of education and research at Planet, discusses the effects of the pandemic on the environment, and its implications for energy transitions and earth sciences research.

What world post COVID-19?: A conversation with Mr. Greg Lindsay

By Peter Engelke, Anca Agachi

Greg Lindsay, director of applied research at NewCities, outlines the implications of the pandemic for the future of cities and shares suggestions for how communities could emerge from this crisis stronger than before.

Evaluating House Democrats’ new climate change report

By Global Energy Center

Against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, an economic downturn, and a renewed movement for racial justice, the report sets out a vision to reach net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050 with recommendations on issues from infrastructure to incentivizing new technologies and creating jobs in the clean energy sector. The report also addresses pollution and environmental justice, the nexus between climate and public health, and conservation.

South Florida Officials, Resilience Experts Deploy First-Ever Mobile Resilience Pod for Rising Seas, Increased Temperatures and Pandemic Relief Efforts

Launch comes with major commitment to provide pods to communities around the nation and the globe, and five additional pods in Miami-Dade County communities MIAMI, FL – JUNE 27, 2020 – Today, the Atlantic Council’s Adrienne Arsht-Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center, with Miami-Dade County and City of Miami leaders, deployed the first-of-its-kind Community Resilience Pod. The pod—which will play […]

Automaker electric vehicle plans ‘progressing at a rapid pace’ despite pandemic, economic downturn

By Julia Pyper

The global electric vehicle (EV) market is going through a rough patch amid the COVID-19 outbreak. The pandemic led to economy-wide lockdowns and supply chain disruptions across the automotive industry. Coupled with a historic decline in oil prices that brought down gasoline prices, these factors are likely to put a significant dent in EV sales in the near term. But automakers are not turning away from the EV market despite recent setbacks. To signal their intent, several major auto industry executives have taken steps to underscore their commitment to vehicle electrification coming out of the pandemic slump.