Director of Social Responsibility and Sustainability at the University of Edinburgh. Supporting our efforts to improve our world. Action is eloquence my friend.
May 20, 2022 • 7 tweets • 2 min read
It takes me a while but learned plenty from reading @ChiefExecCCC@theCCCuk briefing on blue carbon. As I understand it, we should start to include sea grass and saltmarsh in inventories but we need a lot more research not least to understand complex land-sea and water column 1/n2/n fluxes. We also need to remember that the inventories are primarily for judging where humans are having an impact so including large carbon stores isn’t necessarily the driver per se. More research needed on ecosystems around the U.K. as activity rates and storage may be
Nov 14, 2021 • 25 tweets • 7 min read
Final thread on #COP26#EdinUniCOP26 from me- after hundreds of tweets over the last 2 weeks I’ll share a few more links then, FWIW, give my thoughts 1/n
Well, the texts and overall package were finally agreed, not without last minute drama on the floor of the plenary over wording on phasing out/down coal 2/n
Nov 13, 2021 • 13 tweets • 6 min read
Looks like an agreement is imminent! #COP26#EdinUniCOP26 1/n@AlokSharma_RDG has adjourned the plenary and says documents will be uploaded shortly 2/n
Nov 13, 2021 • 15 tweets • 5 min read
Another thread #COP26#EdinUniCOP26 - after a lot more huddling ( mostly of men I noticed) the COP President was finally able to start the plenary 1/n
Loss and damage has clearly been a very divisive issue and is intimately linked to the overall lack of fairness and justice that underpins the climate crisis 2/n
Well looks like my thread at 1pm wishing the plenary well was premature! I’ve had time to take the dog for a long walk and get back and the plenary still hasn’t started - although is imminent so another thread #COP26#EdinUniCOP26 1/n
This from @ClimateHome reminds us of some of the key issues 2/n climatechangenews.com/2021/11/12/cli…
Nov 13, 2021 • 9 tweets • 4 min read
Well I can’t spare the time to watch the plenary happening now (the dog demands a walk in the sunshine!) but a short thread on things since my last one at 11am! 1/n
In case you missed it, I think of the most promising things, ok it should have happened along time ago, is the cancelling and closures of coal power plants around the world that is now going to happen -see this excellent analysis from @CREACleanAir 2/n
Morning everyone- yes it’s Saturday but I was always going to be watching out for the new COP texts so here is another thread #COP26#EdinUniCOP26 1/n
Firstly, this animation of the heating of the Artic reminds us why this matters- climate change is now, not some distant prospect 2/n
Well, enough has been happening on the possibly last day of #COP26#EdinUniCOP26 to justify another (!] thread so here goes 1/n
Another country has joined the pledge to no longer fund overseas fossil fuels- Belgium 2/n
So, with the informal stocktake plenary from the Presidency due shortly, there was enough happening to justify another thread (!) 1/n
Sri Lanka joined the countries pledged to stop funding fossil fuels abroad 2/n
So, with the fresh negotiating text emerging this morning, I thought a new thread on the final (or is it?!?) day of COP was warranted. Things will no doubt change during the day, but the text plus a few things caught my eye overnight #COP26#EdinUniCOP26 1/n
Firstly, this series of ‘my day at COP’ is well worth a look, the latest one from Saleemul Huq who what’s attended every COP(!) and was feeling relatively positive on the progress securing recognition of loss and damage in the texts 2/n bbc.co.uk/news/science-e…
Nov 11, 2021 • 21 tweets • 9 min read
So it’s day 11 of COP26 and time for a penultimate thread on a day themed as cities, and sub-national government action but in reality a day when attention and headlines were dominated by the ongoing negotiations 1/n
Cities action and regional action is vital of course but the announcements I spotted were somewhat understated 2/n here gov.uk/government/new… and here businessgreen.com/news/4040078/c…
Nov 10, 2021 • 11 tweets • 5 min read
Second thread of the day on today at COP- it was a long day with lots of sessions and I can’t pretend to have absorbed all the details of the negotiations but I can hopefully give a flavour #COP26#EdinUniCOP26 1/n
As a starter for 10, @CarbonBrief give a great explainer of the major negotiating blocs 2/n here carbonbrief.org/interactive-wh… and here carbonbrief.org/interactive-th…
Nov 10, 2021 • 19 tweets • 11 min read
Two threads today on a busy day at COP and you’ll have to excuse errrors and misunderstandings as it’s been a long day. First, general announcements and things that caught my eye, then a second thread on the negotiations #COP26#EdinUniCOP 1/n
The day started with an overnight publication of the first draft of the agreement from the U.K. presidency (more in a separate thread) and calls from the U.K. Prime Minister for more action 2/n bbc.co.uk/news/world-592… and businessgreen.com
Nov 9, 2021 • 25 tweets • 12 min read
Another thread on developments at COP with the usual caveat it’s my impressions of what is a vast, complex gathering #COP26#EdinUniCOP26 - and starting with the music of protest! 1/n
We need music faced with this hugely sobering report on the impacts on people of just two degrees of warming - and a Tuvalu Minister makes a dramatic gesture reflecting the desperation of small island states 2/n theguardian.com/environment/20… and theguardian.com/world/video/20…
Nov 9, 2021 • 17 tweets • 10 min read
So #COP26#EdinUniCOP26 continues with today’s themes being gender and innovation. I thought I’d tweet on things I noticed over the last 2 days, and more later on today’s developments 1/n
Yesterday’s theme was adaptation, loss and damage and there were *some* announcements and a recognition that prevention is better than loss and that nature and people are vital to climate action 2/n businessgreen.com/news/4039905/l… and bbc.co.uk/news/uk-592021…
Nov 3, 2021 • 25 tweets • 13 min read
I thought I’d do another thread on things that caught my eye today as highlighted by @guardian COP26 and @BusinessGreen@James_BG Remember I’m not physically at COP yet,and I am only giving my impression as the announcements and projects continue to pour out #COP26#EdinUniCOP26
Today was finance day at COP- a lot was announced. I’m no finance expert but I do advise the University on what it means to invest our £500m endowment fund,c£700m treasury funds in a climate friendly and responsible way and have done for 8 yrs so hopefully have some insights 1/n
Nov 2, 2021 • 13 tweets • 4 min read
I’ve been trying to keep up with the huge flurry of #COP26 announcements and here is what I’ve spotted today ( in addition to all my other tweets today!) #EdinUniCOP26 …
Great, substantial commitment to fund indigenous people…theguardian.com/environment/20…
Nov 2, 2021 • 23 tweets • 9 min read
I’ve not been at #COP26 physically yet but I have been watching, reading and reviewing so FWIW my take so far- make of it what you will #EdinUniCOP26
Firstly, it seems disappointing if not surprising that there are long queues- perhaps that will improve now the world leaders’ summit has finished and as the processes are tweaked. I do have some sympathy for the organisers given the complications introduced by COVID
