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Wolfgang Obergassel

@obergassel.bsky.social
552 followers 132 following 374 posts

Husband, father of three, Co-Head Research Unit Global Climate Governance at the Wuppertal Institute

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Reposted by Wolfgang Obergassel
Prof. Stefan Rahmstorf @rahmstorf.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Big Oil remains the most significant obstacle to reducing emissions and limiting climate harms. It’s important to understand the long history of that.
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Reposted by Wolfgang Obergassel
Paul Lehmann @plehmann.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Caution, roof-top solar is contagious! Peer solar photovoltaic adoption increases household electricity conservation efforts as well as the uptake of solar PV and electric vehicles. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
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Wolfgang Obergassel @obergassel.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
So #Trump's tilting at #wind mills is apparently a quixotic battle, and very much in the original meaning of the word to boot
reneweconomy.com.au
Trump unable to stop clean energy revolution, as wind and solar output surges and coal shrinks
Trump administration appears to have bet on the wrong horse, with renewables surging and coal power shrinking despite his bluster and conspiracy theories.
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Reposted by Wolfgang Obergassel
ACCLIMATE @acclimateproject.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Our new research article "Climate hazard screening in energy access planning for sub-Saharan Africa" was just published in the Sustainable Futures journal! Read the full article here: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
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Reposted by Wolfgang Obergassel
ACCLIMATE @acclimateproject.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
ACCLIMATE colleagues are participating in the ECPR contributing to the panel “Climate Clubs and the Paris Agreement: Complementary or Conflicting Governance?” 📅 Thursday, 10 September 2026 ⏰️ 09:00–10:45 CEST
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Leo Hickman @leohickman.carbonbrief.org · 26/08/2026
A whole generation of children, now entering into adulthood, were basically knowingly treated as guinea pigs to be exploited then? Harms – that were so obvious to many parents right from when these platforms took hold – that can never be undone... www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cy...
bbc.co.uk
Meta agrees to pay up to $18bn to settle claims its platforms harm children
The Facebook and Instagram owner, which denies wrongdoing, says the agreement builds on its "longstanding efforts to empower parents and support teens".
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Reposted by Wolfgang Obergassel
Thorsten Sterk @thorstensterk.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
In 2026, South Korea created something that had never before existed at national level: a permanent, legally established Climate Citizens’ Assembly. #CitizensAssembly
mehr-demokratie.de
The citizens’ assembly that Is here to stay
In 2026, South Korea created something that had never before existed at national level: a permanent, legally established Climate Citizens’ Assembly.
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Reposted by Wolfgang Obergassel
Jon Owen @anotherjon.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
An investigation by @propublica.org and @drilledmedia.bsky.social has found that the same modelers who overestimated the potential of CCS repeatedly underestimated solar power - one of the energy technologies that would allow more oil to remain in the ground. projects.propublica.org/why-carbon-c...
Two line charts are depicted. At the top, the line chart is labeled "Carbon Capture Capacity." The y-axis is "megatons" and the x-axis is years (2010-2040). More than a dozen blue lines show a steady increase from the left edge of the chart to the right edge of the chart. Some of the blue lines exceed 4,000 megatons between years 2030 and 2040. The blue lines are labeled "Projections". A maroon line is at around 0 megatons from 2010 to 2025. The maroon line is labeled "Actual carbon storage". 

The second chart is labeled "Solar Power". The y-axis is "terawatt-hour" and the x-axis is years (2010-2040). Dozens of blue lines increase from around 0 on the left side of the chart, showing moderate growth from 2010 to 2040. The blue lines are labeled "Projections". A maroon line starts at 0 in 2010 and rises sharply to over 2,000 in 2024. The maroon line is obviously increasing much faster than the blue lines. The maroon line is labeled "Actual solar electricity production."
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Ketan Joshi @ketanjoshi.co · 17/08/2026
Just reinforcing this. There is a noticeable resurgence in despair; likely associated with the various summer catastrophes Nothing wrong with warning of dangers, but far too many big accounts make helplessness and inevitability their main message, and that VERY DIRECTLY helps fossil fuel companies
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Reposted by Wolfgang Obergassel
Jan Rosenow @janrosenow.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
I call myself an energy transition optimist. 30 years ago renewables were niche and EVs barely existed. Sceptics keep underestimating the pace of change. Globally we're too slow but regionally, the shift is real. Optimism isn't naive. It drives change. janrosenow.substack.com/p/why-im-an-...
janrosenow.substack.com
Why I'm an energy transition optimist
The case for energy transition optimism has never been stronger.
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Greenpeace Luxembourg @greenpeacelux.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
Big Oil is literally burning the planet for profit. We are not mad enough. Governments must finally make big polluters pay for the damage they are causing. #MakePollutersPay
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Leo Hickman @leohickman.carbonbrief.org · 12/08/2026
"This is gaslighting of the highest order. The truth is, it requires dedicated ideological belief to argue against the scientific evidence that net-zero is needed to stop ever more expensive and destructive warming." @pilitaclark.bsky.social in today's FT giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...
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Yale Environment 360 @yalee360.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
In a first, Germany drew more power from wind and solar than from fossil fuels last year.
e360.yale.edu
In Germany, Wind and Solar Overtake Fossil Fuels
Together, wind and solar generated 44 percent of Germany’s electricity, while fossil fuels generated roughly 43 percent, according to data from the Energy Institute, a think tank based in London. The figures represent a major milestone for the German “Energiewende,” or “energy turnaround,” a national push to ramp up renewable energy and phase out gas, coal, and nuclear power. 
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Leo Hickman @leohickman.carbonbrief.org · 25/07/2026
This is a former editor of the Murdoch-owned Sun newspaper commenting over on Twitter...
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Reposted by Wolfgang Obergassel
Alexandra Endres @alexandraendres.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
Extreme Hitze, wie sie im Juni in Deutschland herrschte, gefährdet vor allem Kinder, Alte, Kranke. Eigentlich eine Binse. Aber was der Satz im wahren Leben bedeutet, macht eine aktuelle Umfrage des Paritätischen Gesamtverbandes deutlich. In Kitas war die Luft so heiß, ... (1/x)
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Center for International Environmental Law @ciel.org · 15/07/2026
When did States know enough to act on climate change? That question is no longer just historical. It's increasingly a legal one. Our 🆕 report provides evidence that many governments knew about fossil fuel-driven climate change far before they admitted: www.ciel.org/reports/what... 🧵
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Bill McKibben @billmckibben.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
If you think it's hot where you are, it's 127 degrees Fahrenheit in Iran
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Damian Carrington @dpcarrington.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
Why don't most Europeans have air conditioning? Dumb? Woke? No - WE DID NOT NEED IT UNTIL FOSSIL FUEL BURNING CAUSED THE CLIMATE CRISIS More info 👇 www.carbonbrief.org/eight-facts-...
carbonbrief.org
Eight facts about air conditioning amid an overheated global debate - Carbon Brief
Carbon Brief explains why AC rates in parts of Europe are relatively low and clarifies some of the misleading claims about the technology.
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Prof Lisa Schipper 🌍🍉💪 @lisaschipper.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
Read this. Spot on. And so scary
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Simon Evans @drsimevans.carbonbrief.org · 02/07/2026
Did you know? Renewables have just overtaken coal as the world's largest source of electricity 34% – global renewable share, up 2x in 20yrs 48% – EU 37% – China 26% – US 24% – India
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Jan Rosenow @janrosenow.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
NEW RESEARCH: One German tabloid coined one word. "Heizungshammer" spread to 1,100+ articles and helped to effectively kill Germany's heating law. We analysed 333 BILD articles to trace how tabloid framing became legislation. Out today, open access: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
sciencedirect.com
Heating up the headlines: How tabloid framing reshaped Germany's Buildings Energy Act
Media has become a decisive force in shaping climate and energy policy, influencing not only which issues gain attention but also how they are framed …
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Abbey @abbeyarletto.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
When reality surpasses fiction! Top: fictional forecast for August 2050, broadcast by French TV in 2014 to warn about the consequences of global warming. Bottom: Real French forecast for yesterday, June 22, 2026.
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Prof Lisa Schipper 🌍🍉💪 @lisaschipper.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
We are suffering in the European heatwave now. And we *should* have all the tools and policies in place to not suffer under this heat. People are drowning in France in an effort to cool off. Students are unable to learn in schools. We must not let climate change slip from our political priorities!
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Wolfgang Obergassel @obergassel.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
Indeed an all-star team of authors
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Reposted by Wolfgang Obergassel
Jan Rosenow @janrosenow.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
Africa is becoming an EV growth story. The FT reports that the energy crisis has supercharged African demand for electric motorbikes and buses. Start-ups rolling out charging infrastructure are raising record sums. The transition isn’t just a Europe, US and China story anymore.
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Brent Toderian @brenttoderian.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
If someone chooses to live in a smaller home in the inner city in part to avoid a long commute, they generally don’t pressure society to build them a bigger house with more stuff. So if you choose a bigger stuff-filled house in the suburbs, don’t expect society to build you a fast car commute.
A highway filled with gridlocked cars.
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Reposted by Wolfgang Obergassel
Maxine Joselow @maxinejoselow.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
Scoop: The Trump administration is backing off its plan to dismantle a $368 million ocean monitoring system crucial to understanding climate change, after a bipartisan backlash in Congress. www.nytimes.com/2026/06/18/c...
nytimes.com
Trump Administration Backs Off Plan to End Ocean Monitoring
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Christian Stöcker @christianstoecker.de · 18/06/2026
Well, at least they‘re honest: Screw the planet, screw your children‘s future, our loss-making, billions-burning business model is more important. Quick! More gas! Like a con man creating time pressure. Meanwhile the heat is escalating like never before. #AI #Climateemergency
AWest Antarctica Is Missing Way Too Much Ice
Temperatures have climbed up to 45 degrees Fahrenheit above normal, stopping ice from forming in the dead of Antarctic winter.
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Reposted by Wolfgang Obergassel
Kate Mackenzie @katemac.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
This might be one of the funniest chart about energy scenarios I’ve seen. You can hardly see “actual” for gas
Winners and Losers
The IEA overestimated gas growth in Asia and underestimated solar

Gas
• Forecast 547 TWh
• Actual 17 TWh

Solar
• Forecast 465 TWh
• Actual 1,333 TWh

Note: Shows expected growth in Asian power generation between 2018 and 2025, based on actual 2018 generation, actual 2025 generation, and the 2018 World Energy Outlook's Current Policies Scenario estimates for 2025. Actual 2025 generation figures are from Ember.
Source: International Energy Agency, Ember, Bloomberg Opinion calculations
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Matt Ford @mford.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
It must be so cool to live in a functional republic.
theguardian.com
Jair Bolsonaro’s son sentenced to four years in jail for seeking US interference in father’s Brazil coup trial
Brazil supreme court finds that Eduardo Bolsonaro – who resides in the US - tried to get sanctions put on judges trying ex-president over coup plot
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Reposted by Wolfgang Obergassel
ACCLIMATE @acclimateproject.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
📍Call for papers - Constructing futures through climate modelling. Submission deadline: 30/6 This special issue invites short communications (up to 3,000 words) on how climate models shape futures, policy, and public debate. More info 👇
sciencedirect.com
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Glen Peters @glenpeters.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
The Paris Agreement is about "well below 2C" & pursuing 1.5C, it is not about avoiding 4-5C. This is somewhat lost in the RCP8.5 debate. The science said keep well below 2C, & RCP8.5 is not needed to make that case. Other scenarios were. www.theguardian.com/environment/...
theguardian.com
When is rare good news on climate science actually bad? When News Corp misrepresents it | Temperature Check
The worst-case scenario for a high-emissions scenario has been revised downward – but the best-case option is now implausible
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Niklas Höhne @niklashoehne.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
Our latest @climateactiontracker.org briefing: current energy crisis can tip transformation over the edge, but many governments so far cling to the past and let opportunity for change pass. The market has decided for cheap, reliable, secure renewables and electrification. When will all governments?
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James Dyke @jamesgdyke.info · 06/06/2026
Like taking the batteries out of a smoke alarm that keeps sounding.
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Jan Rosenow @janrosenow.bsky.social · 05/06/2026
The German AfD is meeting Kremlin associates and pushing to reopen Nord Stream. This is what is often missed about the backlash against net zero: It is about who controls Europe's energy and vested interest groups want to drive us back towards dependency on Russian gas.
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ACCLIMATE @acclimateproject.bsky.social · 03/06/2026
📍 The ACCLIMATE Project Meeting and Summer School are officially underway in Paris, hosted by our colleagues at IDDRI! All 20 partners from Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas have come together to review our latest scientific results, exchange ideas and map out the next steps!
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Wolfgang Obergassel @obergassel.bsky.social · 01/06/2026
You want to do yourself a favour, you watch this video.
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Jan Rosenow @janrosenow.bsky.social · 01/06/2026
NEW @iea.org data: clean energy investment is now more than double fossil fuels. $2,155bn vs $1,008bn in 2025. The crossover happened around 2016. Since then the gap has only widened. What was a narrow lead a decade ago is now a >2-to-1 split.
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Andreas Sieber @andreassieber.bsky.social · 30/05/2026
As the #Iran war disrupts #oil and #gas supplies, the #fossilfuel crisis has become a development crisis. That is why #COP31 matters and here is what they need to do. My new piece for @climatechangenews.com www.climatechangenews.com/2026/05/29/c...
climatechangenews.com
COP31 must persuade countries to make fossil fuel transition plans
As the Iran war disrupts oil and gas supplies, the UN climate summit should tackle fossil fuel dependency, energy affordability and energy access - national roadmaps are a good start
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Bloomberg News @bloomberg.com · 28/05/2026
Cambridge University has started pulling hundreds of millions of pounds away from institutions that finance fossil fuels.
bloom.bg
HSBC, Barclays Among Banks Set to Lose Cambridge University Cash
Barclays Plc and HSBC Holdings Plc are among UK banks set to lose cash holdings from Cambridge University as it starts pulling hundreds of millions of pounds away from institutions that finance fossil fuels.
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Stefan C. Aykut @stefanaykut.bsky.social · 27/05/2026
"What is insidious about the 'technology will save us' narrative is not that it underestimates the scale of the problem - it does - but that it politically disarms us with regards to the struggles to come"
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Dave Jones @cleanpowerdave.bsky.social · 22/05/2026
A NEW TWIST in Africa's soaring solar story: It's now manufacturing its own panels. The factories use imported Chinese cells, which are 40% of the value of panels, keeping much of the value domestically. 9 GW of cells+wafers in Mar/Apr alone🧵
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ACCLIMATE @acclimateproject.bsky.social · 21/05/2026
📢 New publication featuring ACCLIMATE colleagues: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞-𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐲-𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐦𝐲 𝐦𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬. It explores the limits of climate modelling in assessing equity and justice. 🔗https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0016328726000923
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ceej @ceej.online · 20/05/2026
one of my favorite facts about the US coal industry is that it employs less people than Broadway
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Isabella M. Weber @isabellamweber.bsky.social · 20/05/2026
Germany is conducting a nationwide experiment on whether austerity and neoliberal reforms really fuel the rise of the extreme right. So far it’s confirming the state of the literature. A new poll has the AfD at 28 percent, a comfortable 6 percent ahead. Chart via @patrickkaczmarczyk.bsky.social
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Leo Hickman @leohickman.carbonbrief.org · 18/05/2026
Had a chat with a taxi driver last week - as you do - and it was striking how he spent whole journey singing praises of his EV. Since Iran conflict started, his fellow drivers who still drive an ICE have all been asking him for monthly cost comparisons. They are now desperate to switch, he said
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Dr. Aaron Thierry @thierryaaron.bsky.social · 15/05/2026
#Climate politics in the US is often presented as: Republicans = oil Democrats = climate action Then you look at the production data and realize that whoever is in charge, oil keeps winning. We’re not going to get anywhere on climate until liberals are willing to confront that reality too.
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Stefan C. Aykut @stefanaykut.bsky.social · 13/05/2026
After 4 years of work on this book — countless hours of discussion, endless rewritings — and after 20 years of collaboration with Amy Dahan, first as her PhD student and later as co-authors, it is finally here: yesterday we presented La Mutation Climatique at the Sciences Po bookstore in Paris.
Shelf with many books,.including La Mutation Climatique
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ACCLIMATE @acclimateproject.bsky.social · 12/05/2026
ACCLIMATE at SB 64 as part of a side event at the Bonn Climate Change Conference - The Pulling Power of Paris: Raising and Safeguarding Climate Ambition in a Fragmented World! 🗓️ Monday, 8 June 2026 🕒 15:00 – 16:15 📍 Berlin more info: seors.unfccc.int/reports/even...
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