Taking the temperature shows that the NHS is a long way from reducing its energy consumption to meet the government’s target of reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions to 20 per cent below 1990 levels by 2010 and 60 per cent by 2050.
As the report reveals, the sheer scale of the NHS, with 1 million patient contacts every 36 hours, means the organisation has a considerable carbon footprint, but also the potential to promote positive change
This is a New Economics Foundation's (nef's) paper, more...

'Chinadependence: the second UK Interdependence report, published in association with the Open University, released to mark the day that the world as a whole goes into ecological debt, reveals the many ways in which Britain is becoming increasingly dependent on the rest of the world to fuel our high-consuming lifestyles. In particular, Chinadependence reveals a striking rise in our dependence on a wide range of Chinese imports. And, because the greenhouse gas pollution that results from their m more...

'Congestion pricing is the most effective way to reduce air travel delays and congestion at New York-area airports, according to a new Reason Foundation study. The report systematically debunks the arguments that airlines try to use against congestion pricing and details exactly how airport pricing would impact each of the three major New York airports.'

'Trends in Sustainable Development, is a colorful compilation of maps and graphs devoted to the discussion of interrelated challenges being addressed at the 14th session of the Commission on Sustainable Development (May 1-12, 2006). The four areas are: energy for sustainable development, industrial development, atmosphere and air pollution, and climate change.'

Beijing, 12 August 2008 - Beijing's air quality significantly improved over the last two days, with the sky clearly visible today after rains on 10 and 11 August washed away the pollution across the city. In what could be a sign that the measures taken by the Beijing authorities are working, official data measured an Air Pollution Index (API) of 32 on 12 August. This is far below the benchmark set by the Chinese authorities, whereby an Air Pollution Index of 50 and below is considered excellent. more...

Shenyang, capital of the Liaoning Province in northeast China, reached a best-ever air quality record, with 323 days of clean air in 2007. According to the Xinhua News Agency, the regional environmental protection department published figures showing that Shenyang citizens enjoyed clean air most days of last year.

Qinhuangdao has implemented serious standards for improving its air quality by the Olympic Games. In order to ensure excellent air in August, various industrial and transportation sectors of the city will be held to the highest environmental standards.

Tianjin is an industrial city with 10 million people and is located 100 kilometres southeast of Beijing. The city will be hosting part of the Olympic football tournament. In 2001, Tianjin launched the 'Blue Sky Project' to curb its air pollution and be at par with the national standards. Recently, the Tianjin Government approved suggestions for the implementation of the Blue Sky Project in 2008. The suggestions emphasized on striving to guarantee air quality which is above level 2 during the Oly more...

Beijing's air pollution varies a great deal from day to day. The fact that it seems worse is probably due to unfortunate weather conditions - high temperature and humidity, and low winds that would otherwise dissipate the smog. Contrary to popular perception, Beijing's air pollution problem is not primarily due to increases in personal vehicle use. The real causes of Beijing's air quality woes lie elsewhere.

Speaking to Turkey's business and political elite at the Turkish Business Council for Sustainable Development's recent biennial congress, EMBARQ-Istanbul Project Director Sibel Bulay noted that 45% of Istanbul residents spend at least two hours each day commuting, drastically reducing overall efficiency in the city. Bulay warned that this serious traffic congestion, along with transport-related air pollution and green house gas emissions, is undermining Istanbul's economic vitality and quality more...