Quick Dips
Curated topical articles on the Blue Economy

Offshore wind farms could help capture carbon from air and store it long-term – using energy that would otherwise go to waste

David Goldberg, The Conversation Energy Solutions

Human activities have pumped so much carbon dioxide into the atmosphere that we will also have to remove carbon dioxide from the air and lock it away permanently.

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New Technique Boosts Efficiency, Sustainability of Large-Scale Perovskite Solar Cells

Matt Shipman, NC State Energy Solutions

The technique is low-cost, simple, energy-efficient, and should pave the way for creating perovskite solar cells.

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North Sea Fossil Fuel Companies Plan to Invest More in Wind than Oil Drilling

Yale Environment 360 Energy Solutions

Exciting developments and interests in offshore wind sector for Scottland. 

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World’s largest coal port to be 100% powered by renewable energy

Royce Kurmelovs, The Guardian Energy Solutions Shipping & Ports

Port of Newcastle says move is part of plan to decarbonise the business by 2040 and ‘we don’t really have a choice’.

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Tidal Energy has the Potential to Become a Viable and Reliable Renewable Energy Source

Offshore Source Energy Solutions

UK government to invest in tidal stream electricity in hopes of growing this emerging energy source. 

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Why 24/7 clean energy beats carbon offsetting

Luiz Avelar & Ynse De Boer, World Economic Forum Energy Solutions

Post COP26, more companies will feel the pressure to decarbonize operations and one increasingly popular claim is 100% renewable energy – but so is the word ‘greenwashing’.

Read more → (6 minute read)


3 ways policymakers can make EV batteries more sustainable

Benedikt Sobotka & Mathy Stanislaus, World Economic Forum Energy Solutions

The Global Battery Alliance brings together public-private stakeholders to enable battery scale up that contributes positively to climate goals.

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Old Planes to Be Transformed Into 100-Passenger Electric Planes by 2026, Startup Announces

Paige Bennett, EcoWatch Energy Solutions

The aviation industry is responsible for about 2.5% of global emissions, and its climate impact is about 3.5% of all anthropogenic global warming.

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5 Examples of Best Practice to Sustainably Finance the Marine Renewable Energy Sector

UNEP FI Energy Solutions

COP26 today focuses on accelerating the global transition to clean energy. The blue (ocean) economy offers many opportunities for private finance to lend and invest in a sustainable and nature-positive way.

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World leaders announce plan to make green tech cheaper than alternatives

Damian Carrington, The Guardian Energy Solutions

A plan to coordinate the global introduction of clean technologies in order to rapidly drive down their cost has been agreed at the Cop26 summit by world leaders representing two-thirds of the world’s economy.

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Nature-Based Solutions High on the Agenda for Glasgow Climate COP

Thomas Hickey, The Pew Charitable Trusts Energy Solutions

Protecting coastal wetlands is a ‘triple win’ for planet and people—and a model for future climate action.

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We mapped every large solar plant on the planet using satellites and machine learning

Lucas Kruitwagen, The Conversation Energy Solutions

We built a machine learning system to detect these facilities in satellite imagery and then deployed the system on over 550 terabytes of imagery using several human lifetimes of computing.

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Cop26: ‘World conflict and chaos’ could be the result of a summit failure

Fiona Harvey, The Guardian Energy Solutions

Top climate official issues strong warning on effect of unchecked greenhouse gases ahead of summit.

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The energy transition needs metals. But it needs social awareness too

El-Shahat, S. et al., World Economic Forum Energy Solutions

Increased interest in ESG investing means metals extraction must take into account its social risks.

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Students’ solar-powered camper van turns heads on 1,800-mile road trip

Weronika Strzyżyńska, The Guardian Energy Solutions

Dutch team designed and built two-person van with kitchen, bed, shower, loo and range of up to 450 miles a day.

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‘False choice’: is deep-sea mining required for an electric vehicle revolution?

Karen McVeigh, The Guardian Energy Solutions

Deep sea mining firms claim their rare metals are necessary to power clean tech – but with even major electric car firms now backing a moratorium, critics say there is an alternative.

Read more → (9 minute read)


What are blue carbon credits and how to maximise their impact

Whitney Johnston, World Economic Forum Energy Solutions Fisheries & Aquaculture

As demand grows for blue carbon credits, the businesses driving this growth have a responsibility to ensure returns are net positive for nature and people.

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Blue Carbon: A new frontier for ocean conservation

Dan Crockett, Blue Marine Foundation Energy Solutions

In June this year, immediately ahead of the G7, Blue Marine Foundation (BLUE) held a one-day Blue Carbon Conference.

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The world’s biggest carbon-sucking machine is switching on in Iceland

Tim McDonnell, Quartz/WEF Energy Solutions

We have to start removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to have any chance of averting the worst impacts of global warming, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change said last month.

Read more → (3 minute read)


3 steps towards making aviation and marine fuel cleaner

Anjan Ray, World Economic Forum Energy Solutions Shipping & Ports

On the current trajectory, sustainable fuels will only supply a small percentage of aviation and shipping needs. Favourable government policies are needed to increase production and adoption of sustainable fuels in both sectors.

Read more → (5 minute read)