Wolfgang Obergassel
@obergassel.bsky.social
500 followers 140 following 280 posts
Husband, father of three, Co-Head Research Unit Global Climate Governance at the Wuppertal Institute
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Reposted by Wolfgang Obergassel
nikoecon.bsky.social
Excellent by @spignal.bsky.social, on European politicians using Brussels as a smokescreen and scapegoat.

'[G]iven that national governments form the backbone of the eu, “blaming Brussels” is akin to a ventriloquist haranguing his own puppet for being foul-mouthed.'
“Brussels” is the phantom menace Europe loves to blame
Why bashing the EU is likely to become ever more popular
www.economist.com
obergassel.bsky.social
The weekly fix of #goodnews is in. #Renewables on a roll globally, even in „Trump digs #coal“ country new mines are fetching almost nothing at auction, perceptions of personal safety at an all-time high globally, and more fixthenews.com/p/314-a-stak...
314: A Stake Through The Cold, Dark Heart of King Coal 🪦♥︎. Plus, global safety, the Pacific eliminates rubella, and robotic ballet.
Hidden stories of progress from around the world.
fixthenews.com
obergassel.bsky.social
Factual evidence often doesn’t seem to matter much, even spreading of outright falsehoods is often applauded by party supporters if it advances own agenda and hurts political opponents
obergassel.bsky.social
Seems to me countries with proportional representation generally have the same tendencies of: need to win elections => need to distinguish oneself from political opponents => politics as self-regarding performative act instead of other-regarding deliberation
obergassel.bsky.social
Thank you for this enlightening analysis! First-past-the-post certainly doesn’t help, but isn’t there generally a problem with organizing political systems based on competition for power between different groups?
obergassel.bsky.social
This looks like an excellent analysis of what’s going on in UK #climate politics. It’s truly disheartening, the UK was a lighthouse with its cross-party consensus on climate policy and world-leading institutional setup to enable science-based policy-making. And now it’s falling apart
jacobedenhofer.bsky.social
Some thoughts on the strategic logic behind Kemi Badenoch’s announcement that she’d scrap the Climate Change Act (CCA).
It serves two functions:
1️⃣ It appeals to lukewarm pivotal voters in marginal seats sceptical of costly green measures.
2️⃣ It is designed to
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Kemi Badenoch vows to repeal Climate Change Act
Tory leader says she would replace it with ‘cheap energy’ strategy, ending decades-long consensus on climate
www.theguardian.com
Reposted by Wolfgang Obergassel
acclimateproject.bsky.social
The @cam.ac.uk team is hiring a Research Associate for the ACCLIMATE project. The role focuses on strengthening international climate cooperation and assessing the quality of mitigation commitments.

Applicants need a PhD in a social science relevant to climate governance. More 👇
Research Associate in Climate Governance (Fixed Term)
Applications are invited for a Research Associate in Climate Governance to contribute to an EU-funded research project titled 'Accelerating Climate Action: Navigating towards a Low-Emissions,
www.cam.ac.uk
obergassel.bsky.social
I fully agree that #climate change has been misdiagnosed and that too much emphasis has been put on counting #carbon. I look forward to reading how @greenprofgreen.bsky.social suggests to tackle the problem
greenprofgreen.bsky.social
Today is the day!!! Existential Politics is out in the world!

Read about why we’re doing climate policy wrong (too focused on measuring emissions) & what we should do instead (focus on $$ to constrain fossil asset owners & expand green asset owners). Just in time for #COP30.
Existential Politics
A new way to tackle the real politics of climate change through asset revaluation
press.princeton.edu
Reposted by Wolfgang Obergassel
acclimateproject.bsky.social
Our partners at @iddri.bsky.social lead the Deep Decarbonization Pathways initiative, which has just released a timely new report on how the #ParisAgreement has shaped climate action. The analysis spans 21 countries and offers valuable lessons on what’s working ahead of #COP30.
DDP report 2025
DDP Report 2025 A Decade of National Climate Action:Stocktake And The Road Ahead Ten years on from the Paris Agreement the report “A Decade of National Climate Action: Stocktake and the Road Ahead” an...
ddpinitiative.org
Reposted by Wolfgang Obergassel
wblau.bsky.social
But if you have one EV battery catch fire, it seemingly justifies questioning the entire energy transition.
nytimes.com
A fireball lit up the sky across the Los Angeles area on Thursday night after an explosion at a Chevron refinery in El Segundo, alarming nearby residents who said it felt like an earthquake. The cause of the explosion was not clear. No injuries were reported. nyti.ms/42pPCaW
Reposted by Wolfgang Obergassel
markgongloff.bsky.social
"Spain’s rapid renewables build-out means its power prices were set by fossil generation just 19% of the time, down from 75% in 2019. As a result, wholesale electricity was almost a third cheaper than the EU average"

Imagine having cheaper power

Gift link: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Spain’s Renewable-Energy Boom Loosens Gas’s Grip on Power Prices
Soaring renewables output in Spain is weakening gas’s grip on electricity prices, setting the country apart from much of Europe where fossil fuels still dictate the cost of power.
www.bloomberg.com
Reposted by Wolfgang Obergassel
davidho.bsky.social
This area where the Trump Library is expected to be built is projected to be flooded in about 100 years due to sea level rise, and I'm sad I won’t be around to see it.
Florida Hands Over Prime Miami Property for Trump Library
www.nytimes.com
Reposted by Wolfgang Obergassel
nataliejones.bsky.social
I'm writing today to share some (rare) good climate news!

New research released today by @energy.iisd.org @oilchange.bsky.social @foeus.bsky.social shows that members of the Clean Energy Transition Partnership have cut their international public finance for fossil fuels by up to 78%.
Reposted by Wolfgang Obergassel
acclimateproject.bsky.social
🌍 As attention turns toward #COP30, 𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐟 𝐨𝐟 𝐠𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 2035 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐬 — a milestone that highlights both the growing ambition and the scale of the implementation challenge ahead.
Insightful analysis of the #ClimateSummit2025 outcomes 👇
Analysis: Half of global emissions covered by 2035 climate pledges after UN summit in New York - Carbon Brief
Half of global greenhouse gas emissions are now covered by a 2035 climate pledge following a key UN summit this week, Carbon Brief analysis finds.
www.carbonbrief.org
Reposted by Wolfgang Obergassel
janrosenow.bsky.social
Everyone knows about Norway but few know this:

Nepal has quietly become an EV hot spot.

In 2024, more than 70% of newly imported four-wheeler passenger vehicles were electric, up from just 250 EVs nationwide in 2020 to over 13,000 today.
obergassel.bsky.social
"We need a “two-step” solution precisely because the forces aligned against broader transformative visions will be too well resourced and well positioned to overcome if we do not first undermine the loadbearing foundation of the status quo."
obergassel.bsky.social
"The shareholders of ExxonMobil and the rate of return on the assets managed by BlackRock and Vanguard depend on continued fossil fuel extraction , which they have made clear themselves."
obergassel.bsky.social
"The gargantuan profits that fossil fuel companies have continued to consolidate have been put to work insulating their preferred legislation and legislators from serious democratic challenge—even to the point of fueling authoritarian politics worldwide." www.americanprogress.org/article/thes...
These Fossil Fuel Industry Tactics Are Fueling Democratic Backsliding
As citizens around the world increasingly favor serious policy action to fight climate change, the fossil fuel industry is undermining democratic principles to stem the tide of climate action—spreadin...
www.americanprogress.org
obergassel.bsky.social
This is indeed a very worthwhile read on what #climate policy is up against. "The defeat of #fossilfuel interests is the first step to social justice."
greenprofgreen.bsky.social
@olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social speaks directly to my arguments in Existential Politics, w/ great elegance. He argues a “two step solution” req's means taking on fossil fuel practical constraints seriously (aka politics). I offer ways to do this 🧵

www.bostonreview.net/forum/climate-state-and-utopia/
Climate, State, and Utopia - Boston Review
The defeat of fossil fuel interests is the first step to social justice.
www.bostonreview.net
Reposted by Wolfgang Obergassel
greenprofgreen.bsky.social
@olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social speaks directly to my arguments in Existential Politics, w/ great elegance. He argues a “two step solution” req's means taking on fossil fuel practical constraints seriously (aka politics). I offer ways to do this 🧵

www.bostonreview.net/forum/climate-state-and-utopia/
Climate, State, and Utopia - Boston Review
The defeat of fossil fuel interests is the first step to social justice.
www.bostonreview.net
Reposted by Wolfgang Obergassel
michaelburchert.bsky.social
This is a 'small' lignite mine on the former GDR border, the scar is so deep and wide. With it's own cloud ceiling in the morning. 150Mt CO2 emitted and it still emits by sitting there with exposed, once sequestered carbon.
Burning stuff is the past. Don't live in the past.
Reposted by Wolfgang Obergassel
rahmstorf.bsky.social
What Trump said are the well-worn and often rebutted lies of the fossil fuel lobby, whose lies are the greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world.
If you hear such climate science denial tropes, the answers to all of those can be found at skepticalscience.com