Energy
US agency calls for ban on controversial coal mine ‘self-bonds’
The nonpartisan Government Accountability Office is urging Congress to make coal mining companies pay for environmental clean-up and reduce the risk to taxpayers
Documents shed light on BP’s failures in the Great Australian Bight
A major oil spill in the region would have covered up to 750km of beaches and disrupted whale migration, reveal government documents BP tried to suppress
Shell threatened with climate lawsuit in the Netherlands
Friends of the Earth has warned it will take the oil giant to court unless it overhauls its business plan in line with international climate goals
Coal tycoon governor Jim Justice uses loophole to leave mines and workers idle
Companies owned by WV governor exploited a supposedly temporary status to defer environmental clean up and leave miners in limbo, in some cases for decades
What happens to the land after coal mines close?
Across the country, mining land has been reclaimed at low cost, leaving communities with few alternatives to rebuild their economies
Crackdown on coal mine ‘self-bonds’ stalls under Trump
Regulators have almost wiped out risky practice since 2015-16 wave of bankruptcies, but some coal companies still insure themselves
Obama official: Trump cuts will leave coal clean-up agency unable to function
The number of mine site inspections is falling and proposed budget cuts at the federal regulator will further erode oversight, a former top official warns
Why and how we investigated the coal industry’s clean-up funds
The Reclaiming Coal investigation involved six months of crunching data from state and federal agencies, coupled with travel across the country
Reclaiming coal: US mines’ clean-up cash – all our data
All of our data on the US coal industry’s reclamation bonds, compiled nationally and published here for the first time
US coal hasn’t set aside enough money to clean up its mines
Schemes that favour coal companies in Appalachia have left a national shortfall experts said was ‘one of the biggest public failures that has gone under the radar’
France’s Macron pledges €700m to solar energy push
The French president announced extra finance to help developing countries adopt clean energy at the International Solar Alliance launch in New Delhi
China has long been captivated by the promise of coal
For centuries, notions of abundant coal have fed China’s sense of its place among the great nations of the world. Now it is being asked to give it up
Coal India report finds renewables will ‘substantially decrease’ coal demand
The falling cost of solar power and batteries is having a “significant impact” on the coal sector, says national mining company in Coal Vision 2030 consultation
Documents reveal UK push to water down EU biomass regulations
Brexit-bound UK won big concessions for power stations that burn wood, while new research claims the technology will undermine carbon cuts for half a century
Tasmania to reach 120% renewable electricity in five years, Labor pledge
An election policy from the state opposition would provide a boost to rooftop solar and see more clean energy shipped to the mainland
International Solar Alliance to launch 121 projects at New Delhi summit
India and France are leading a push to roll out solar power, with an event next month to focus on water pumps, affordable finance and mini-grids
Ibiza, Mallorca launch 100% renewable power plan, defying Madrid
The Balearic Islands government is setting out to prove the holiday destination can run on cheap, clean electricity with a proposed climate law
Standard Chartered ‘breaching climate policy’ with Vietnam coal plant investment
The London-based bank plans to co-finance Nghi Son 2 power plant, which NGOs say uses dirty old technology, against company and OECD guidelines
As China counts its emissions, has growth shaken free of carbon?
As the economy surged in 2017, experts are divided over whether emissions stayed flat. It could mean pollution has peaked more than a decade earlier than expected
EU subsidies to a massive gas pipeline clash with climate goals
The European Investment Bank approved a €1.5 billion loan to the Trans Adriatic Pipeline last week. This is why it matters