Kevin Anderson | Lightnews

Matthew Jee @freedomforall.net · 3d

It was good you spoke truth to the R4 audience. It was disappointing that Amol failed to dig into the ideas you put forward regarding the centrality of equity. That last bit felt rushed. I think were he to interview you for his "Radical" podcast, there could be time to elucidate the reality we face.

Kevin Anderson @kevinclimate.bsky.social · 3d

Many thanks for the kind comment - really appreciated.

Mike Page @mikepage.bsky.social · 3d

A very pleasant surprise to hear you on my radio this morning, Kevin. A tremendous contribution, as always.

Mike Page @mikepage.bsky.social · 3d

A very pleasant surprise to hear you on my radio this morning, Kevin. A tremendous contribution, as always.

deborahbehrman.bsky.social @deborahbehrman.bsky.social · 4d

Brilliant interview. Such a relief to hear the situation spelt out so clearly - both the climate problem and social inequalities.

Kevin Anderson @kevinclimate.bsky.social · 4d

Short interview on the BBC Today programme with Amol Rajan, discussing the upcoming Brazil COP and how the so-called “cost of living crisis” is being (mis)used by leaders and high emitters to avoid taking meaningful action on climate change.

Starts at 2.36.30. www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

Today - 07/11/2025 - BBC Sounds

News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.

www.bbc.co.uk

Charlotte Loukes @charlotte-art.bsky.social · 4d

Important message on inequity and entitlement from @kevinclimate.bsky.social on #radio4 #Today this morning. It’s so pertinent this morning as we hear about the shareholder vote at a car company.

Rachael Unsworth @leedstours.bsky.social · 4d

Climate crisis is an *equity* crisis.

Strong main message from @kevinclimate.bsky.social
Professor of Energy & Climate Change, University of Manchester

#R4Today: www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
at 2:36:35 in the 3-hour programme

Today - 07/11/2025 - BBC Sounds

News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.

www.bbc.co.uk

Elkeblom @ellyblom.bsky.social · 4d

Absolutely fantastic contribution by @kevinclimate.bsky.social on Radio4's Today program this morning.
Pointing out that tackling the climate challenge without tackling social and economic inequity -both on a national and international level- is an illusion.
Expensive, futile window dressing.

Kevin Anderson @kevinclimate.bsky.social · 21d

Interesting to see those plots for a nation’s total carbon footprint, including consumption-based emissions & international aviation/shipping. It’s often claimed the UK has halved its emissions since 1990, but add these other sources & that drop falls to just 20%, or around 0.6% per year on average.

National Emergency Briefing @nebriefing.bsky.social · 23d

15,000 scientists warn of socio-economic collapse. Yet nearly half of Brits think climate change won’t affect them.

This gulf in perception is why we’re staging the National Emergency Briefing on the #climate & #nature crisis.

Has your MP confirmed they’ll be there? #TimeToStepUp #NEB

National Emergency Briefing on climate & nature

An unfiltered assessment of the latest threats to UK food supply, health and national security from eight leading experts to an invitation-only audience - also covering positive solutions. Westminster...

www.nebriefing.org

Richard Douglas @maitrereynard.bsky.social · 24d

“The importance of viewing climate denial as a defence of modernity is to understand that anti-environmentalists have got something right: there is something fundamentally incompatible between the idea of environmental limits and foundational aspects of the modern world-view.” My piece in Resilience

Richard Douglas @maitrereynard.bsky.social · 26d

Climate denial and the defence of modernity www.resilience.org/stories/2025...

Climate denial and the defence of modernity

What we are lacking is an inspiring vision of our lives, collective futures, and spiritual reality in a world in which we cannot keep growing forever. As much as we need policy wonks, scientists, and ...

www.resilience.org

Kevin Anderson @kevinclimate.bsky.social · 28d

In general they pore over the data & draw their conclusions from it. There are inevitably areas of disagreement, uncertainty, choice of boundaries, etc, but I suggest most are doing an intellectually challenging job with care & diligence. Thankfully science is broadly apolitical, unlike mitigation.

Kevin Anderson @kevinclimate.bsky.social · 28d

Thanks for your support.

Attached was my reply; though no doubt his ad hominem attacks will continue.

Kevin Anderson @kevinclimate.bsky.social · 28d

I typically turn to @robinlamboll.bsky.social for solid insight into the remaining carbon budgets. Robin takes a careful, unbiased approach to the climate science and communicates it clearly. That said, he will no doubt be swamped with work, so may not be able to reply directly to your post.

RadReduction (Larry Edwards) @radreduction.bsky.social · 28d

That's fate. Things can't go on as they are.

RadReduction (Larry Edwards) @radreduction.bsky.social · 28d

It seems what you are saying is that distance will increasingly have consequences for those who don't take it into account in their life planning. That seems a fair read of the climate situation.

Barry McMullin @autofac.bsky.social · 28d

It's a huge literature: but this is a good entry point: "Is Green Growth Possible?"
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

Is Green Growth Possible?

The notion of green growth has emerged as a dominant policy response to climate change and ecological breakdown. Green growth theory asserts that continued economic expansion is compatible with our...

www.tandfonline.com

Kevin Anderson @kevinclimate.bsky.social · 29d

Who am I “sponsored by"?

I work ~35–40 hours a week for an annual pre-tax salary of £27k from the University of Manchester. I take no income from consultancy, legal work, or writing - & often cover my own travel costs. No paid side gigs. No corporate largesse. Independence matters.

Kevin Anderson @kevinclimate.bsky.social · 29d

The hard numbers do paint a very different picture to the optimistic & upbeat claptrap that typically masquerades as reasoned debate. I made the point about 2°C & Covid in climateuncensored.com/talk-at-the-... - though used the 7% figure there which is from the start of 2025 (rather than 2026).

Talk at the Tyndall Centre Conference: Our Critical Decade for Climate Action - Climate Uncensored

Venue: UEA. 8th September 2025

climateuncensored.com

Kevin Anderson @kevinclimate.bsky.social · 29d

I see context as being critical here. In isolation, news is neither good nor bad; such judgments require context.

Often, context is deliberately omitted by those trying to promote a particular viewpoint or agenda, that is, by those who prefer to mislead rather than inform the debate.

Ben Johnson @benjgeo.bsky.social · 29d

Feel massively conflicted about telling "good news" stories about climate tbh. Renewables surpassing coal for electricity is amazing, but it's not nearly enough.

Kevin Anderson @kevinclimate.bsky.social · 29d

Short comment on 'carbon trading' climateuncensored.com/what-role-fo...

Paris 1.5°C needs >20% cuts in global emissions every year - starting now!
For Paris 2°C, it’s ~8%.
Which country/company/institution can exceed these rates?
Only those that do have any real “emission space” for carbon trading.

Ben Johnson @benjgeo.bsky.social · 29d

Feel massively conflicted about telling "good news" stories about climate tbh. Renewables surpassing coal for electricity is amazing, but it's not nearly enough.

Kevin Anderson @kevinclimate.bsky.social · 29d

Short comment on 'carbon trading' climateuncensored.com/what-role-fo...

Paris 1.5°C needs >20% cuts in global emissions every year - starting now!
For Paris 2°C, it’s ~8%.
Which country/company/institution can exceed these rates?
Only those that do have any real “emission space” for carbon trading.

What role for carbon trading? - Climate Uncensored

I was recently contacted by a senior civil servant who asked me to provide a short comment on the concept of emissions trading schemes in general, and on the

climateuncensored.com

Brett Christophers @brettchristophers.bsky.social · 29d

When you see the cold numbers -- 8% cuts in emissions needed per year, every year, from now -- it's clear that even 2° is a fantasy

(Emissions only fell 5% during covid, when much of the world economy shut down)

Kevin Anderson @kevinclimate.bsky.social · 29d

Short comment on 'carbon trading' climateuncensored.com/what-role-fo...

Paris 1.5°C needs >20% cuts in global emissions every year - starting now!
For Paris 2°C, it’s ~8%.
Which country/company/institution can exceed these rates?
Only those that do have any real “emission space” for carbon trading.

What role for carbon trading? - Climate Uncensored

I was recently contacted by a senior civil servant who asked me to provide a short comment on the concept of emissions trading schemes in general, and on the

climateuncensored.com

Kevin Anderson @kevinclimate.bsky.social · 29d

Short comment on 'carbon trading' climateuncensored.com/what-role-fo...

Paris 1.5°C needs >20% cuts in global emissions every year - starting now!
For Paris 2°C, it’s ~8%.
Which country/company/institution can exceed these rates?
Only those that do have any real “emission space” for carbon trading.

What role for carbon trading? - Climate Uncensored

I was recently contacted by a senior civil servant who asked me to provide a short comment on the concept of emissions trading schemes in general, and on the

climateuncensored.com

Kevin Anderson @kevinclimate.bsky.social · 29d

Haven't flown since 2004 ... so not sure of your point?

RadReduction (Larry Edwards) @radreduction.bsky.social · Oct 10

See 👆 — Conclusion on aviation: "Rather than gambling on future breakthroughs that may never materialise, policymakers should pursue immediate demand-reduction strategies & support a just transition …"

@kevinclimate.bsky.social @stucap.bsky.social @cityatlas.bsky.social @parkewilde.bsky.social

RadReduction (Larry Edwards) @radreduction.bsky.social · Oct 10

Just published, in Journal of the Academy of Social Sciences:

"Flight from reality: sustainable aviation, Jet Zero, and the technofix"

Open access:
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

Screen shot:

Flight from reality: sustainable aviation, Jet Zero, and the
technofix

Gareth Dale, Josh Moos and Alistair Bernal Holmes

ABSTRACT

This paper argues that rising aviation emissions, which are disproportionally driven by the wealthy, pose a serious threat to climate goals. Using the UK’s Jet Zero strategy as a case study, it explores how policymakers and industry promote speculative technologies—efficiency gains, electric and hydrogen aircraft, sustainable aviation fuels, carbon capture, and offsetting—to justify continued aviation growth. We critically assess these claims: electric aircraft are limited to short routes; hydrogen faces major storage and infrastructure barriers, and green hydrogen remains scarce. SAFs, often derived from land-intensive crops, risk deforestation, biodiversity loss, and higher net emissions. Second generation SAFs, such as used cooking oil, are scarce, and power-to-liquid is speculative and prohibitively expensive. Carbon capture is unproven at scale, and offsetting enables airlines to claim reductions without cutting actual emissions. These “solutions” align with a political agenda that prioritises economic growth and airport expansion. We argue that this techno-optimism delays real action. Rather than gambling on future breakthroughs that may never materialise, policymakers should pursue immediate demand-reduction strategies and support a just transition—ending frequent-flyer incentives, shifting short-haul flights to rail, removing aviation fuel subsidies, and retraining workers for low-carbon sectors.

Kevin Anderson @kevinclimate.bsky.social · Oct 10

See: www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.... - also points to a wealth of other literatures that demonstrate the frequent flyer issue.

You mentioned Stanstead - checkout: www.caa.co.uk/media/fyum5p... -note mean household income in 2018 was -£34k. Also Stansted & Luton are not typical of UK airports.

How socially just are taxes on air travel and ‘frequent flyer levies’?

Policies to reduce air travel demand, including in the tourism sector, are urgently required as air travel’s climate impact keeps growing while low-carbon aviation remains a distant perspective. Po...

www.tandfonline.com

Kevin Anderson @kevinclimate.bsky.social · Oct 9

So is climate change. The choice of our leaders & us wealthy hi-emitters to ignore the evidence & continue to live & promote our hi-CO2 & hi-consumption norms has left society in this almost impossible position. We now need profound & fair changes that us wealthy hi-emitters are unwilling to accept.

Kevin Anderson @kevinclimate.bsky.social · Oct 9

This still doesn’t really answer the question: are below-average-income EU citizens truly the ones driving frequent flyer numbers? Or is frequent flying largely concentrated among a relatively affluent minority? The data suggests the latter - and significantly so.

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