Renewables
China plans huge wind and solar power rollout in Gobi desert
The goal is to install 450GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030, more than twice the US’ installed wind and solar generating fleet
Swap Russian gas for renewables, EU tells member states
Green spending could be funded by taxes on energy firms’ windfall profits, Brussels proposes, to cut the bloc’s Russian gas use by two thirds this year
Saudi energy minister touts pink hydrogen made by “emancipated young ladies”
Saudi Arabia wants to become a leading exporter of hydrogen from both clean and dirty sources as part of an economic diversification plan
As EU seeks to rival China’s infrastructure offer, Africans are sceptical
Brussels is promising green infrastructure investment for African countries, but Beijing has a better reputation on the continent
A rush to mine the deep ocean has environmentalists worried
Tiny Nauru is behind a push to fast-track talks on mining rules for the deep seabed, which could see fragile habitats opened to exploitation as early as 2023
Governments are overlooking a key piece in the climate puzzle: community energy
Failure to engage people in local energy projects risks slowing down the transition to a low-carbon future at a time when leaders need to speed it up
IEA: End fossil fuel expansion now for net zero energy emissions by 2050
The International Energy Agency has mapped a path to net zero emissions for the first time – and it involves ending investment in new coal, oil and gas production today
South Africa sets out to tighten 2030 emissions target
South Africa’s economy is shifting from heavy industry to service sectors, allowing for deeper carbon cuts, but coal lingers in the energy mix
China makes no shift away from coal in five-year plan as it ‘crawls’ to carbon neutrality
Beijing set out incremental increases in climate targets to 2025, allowing for continued expansion of “clean” coal, to the disappointment of climate watchers
Fragile countries call for investment in rooftop solar to expand energy access
War-torn states struggle to attract funding for small-scale renewable projects, which leaders say are cheaper, cleaner and less vulnerable to conflict than fossil fuels
It’s time to end subsidies for burning wood from forests
Trees are worth much more to humanity alive than dead, say 500 scientists in an open letter to leaders in the EU, US and East Asia
Why Grenada had to nationalise its electricity for $60m to pursue renewables
A one-sided privatisation deal and flawed World Bank advice landed Grenada with a hefty legal bill to reform its electricity sector and cut reliance on polluting diesel
South Korea 2050 net zero pledge spurs renewables investment
As the world’s fourth-largest importer of coal, South Korea needs to rapidly change its energy mix to achieve net zero emissions by 2050
Green growth champion: Focus on jobs helps poorer nations raise climate ambition
The Global Green Growth Institute is working with governments including Colombia, Peru and Indonesia on “green new deal” plans
Pakistan signals coal power exit, in potential model for China’s belt and road
Imran Khan announced his government would not approve any more coal power plants and pivot to renewables, contrary to the grid operator’s forecast of a coal boom
Philippines declares moratorium on new coal power plants
The move could scrap 8GW of planned coal projects which haven’t been fully approved, sending a strong signal to investors in the region coal is out of favour
Mayan communities are suing the Mexican government over a million solar panel megaproject
Indigenous communities say they did not give consent for a Total-backed solar megaproject on their land
Poland’s largest utility announces pivot from coal to renewables
PGE has announced a strategy to go 100% renewable by 2050, but it depends on passing responsibility for coal mines to another Polish state-owned entity
France seeks German collaboration on hydrogen in EU green recovery
The EU’s biggest economies are investing billions of euros in building clean hydrogen fuel capacity to decarbonise heavy industry and transport
Countries promise green recovery at Japanese virtual summit, keep quiet on fossil bailouts
Ministers from China, EU and other major economies outlined plans to build back better after the coronavirus pandemic at a meeting convened by Japan