Energy

Germany’s conservative CDU picks coal industry supporter Armin Laschet as leader

The premier of Germany’s coal mining heartland could be chosen as the country’s conservative alliance candidate for chancellor in a general election in September

Keystone XL cancellation: ‘Wake-up call’ for Canada to address oil and gas blind spot

Joe Biden is set to revoke permits for the controversial Canada-US oil pipeline expansion, putting Justin Trudeau in an awkward position

Inner Mongolia pursues coal-led recovery, defying Beijing’s climate goals

China’s biggest coal-producing province, Inner Mongolia, approved power plants and industrial installations in 2020 with an annual coal demand equivalent to Germany’s

Colombia banks on forest economy to deliver climate ambition leap

Since the end of a 50-year civil war, Colombia has seen a spike in forest clearance, that the government now hopes to reverse with agroforestry initiatives

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

China launches world’s largest carbon market for power sector

China’s national emissions trading scheme could become a significant lever for climate action, but experts warn that it will do little to curb emissions in the short term

UK net zero commitment questioned, as government allows new coal mine

The UK government has been accused of “rank hypocrisy” for letting a new coal mine go ahead while seeking to lead on climate as hosts of Cop26 summit

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

Shell faces Dutch court in case testing how Paris climate goals apply to businesses

Climate campaigners say Shell is violating human rights by continuing to invest billions in fossil fuels, calling for a much faster shift to clean energy

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

Energy

Renewable Energy

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

Guterres tells India coal business ‘going up in smoke’ as investors back clean tech

UN chief urges Narendra Modi not to expand India’s coal sector, warning of harmful consequences for human health, the environment and the economy

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Green shift urged to revive Brazil’s economy and shield Amazon forests

President Bolsonaro could rebuild the economy faster after Covid-19 by making low-carbon growth a pillar of recovery, international study says

Renewable energy

Fossil Fuels

Why the hydrogen bubble could burst in Europe’s face

The EU’s enthusiastic embrace of hydrogen risks undermining the clean energy transition and its newly-minted 2030 greenhouse gas target

We have set an end date for oil and gas production. The world should follow

We, Costa Rica and Denmark, are moving beyond oil. To meet the goals of the Paris Agreement, we encourage friends and allies to do the same

Czech commission calls for coal phase-out by 2038

Environmental groups, which urged the commission to endorse a 2033 end date, slammed the decision as ‘absurdly late’, while studies show a 2030 exit is feasible

Denmark to phase out oil and gas production by 2050 in “watershed” decision

The EU’s largest oil producer has agreed to cancel new oil and gas licences and wind down production, in a bid for climate leadership

China’s environment ministry floats ‘ban’ on coal power investment abroad

A Chinese government-commissioned report proposes stricter environmental standards for “belt and road” investments, but it needs buy-in from financial institutions

Coal, oil and gas production to blow climate targets despite pandemic dip, report warns

UN-backed Production Gap report projects a 2% annual rise in global fossil fuel output this decade, when 6% cuts are needed in line with a 1.5C warming limit

Russia resists tougher climate targets in dash for Arctic gas

Russia has no plans to end its contribution to climate change before the end of the century and is aggressively expanding Arctic gas production for the Asian market

Asian net zero wave leaves Australia’s Scott Morrison isolated

While China, Japan and South Korea set net zero emissions targets and polls show strong support for Australia to follow, Morrison is standing by the coal industry

Fossil Fuels

Nuclear energy

UN development chief calls for green shift away from ‘irrational’ oil dependence

Governments, at a fork in the road because of the Covid-19 pandemic, should ‘insert the DNA’ of a low-carbon future into stimulus packages, says Achim Steiner

Japan’s woeful climate plan amounts to science denial

Japan reiterates past pledges for 2030 rather than mapping out a radical overhaul needed by the world’s fifth largest greenhouse gas emitter

Campaigners urge African Union to stop fossil fuel proliferation on continent

In a communique, African civil society called on leaders meeting in Ethiopia to ‘rapidly initiate a transition to clean and safe renewable sources of energy’ for all

In depth: The EU’s plan to become the first climate-neutral continent

CHN’s media partner EURACTIV takes a look at the ‘king of policies’ that will define Europe’s future, just as the EU finally looks ready to adopt it

As rich countries slow walk green finance, Putin offers Africa an alternative

Two summits in one week presented a choice for African leaders: stalled promises of climate finance in Paris or business deals in Sochi

Hungary wants end to coal power by 2030

‘Sky-rocketing’ EU carbon prices could mean Hungary is the first country in eastern Europe to set an exit date for the most polluting fossil fuel

Brexit: Avoiding the nuclear fallout

UK government report card on replacing the EU’s atomic energy community shows progress, but no deal on March 29 still threatens power and medical supply

UK offers green assurances for no-deal Brexit

London says it will carry over EU emissions rules for cars, coolants and industrial plants even if it crashes out in March with no negotiated deal

Nuclear Energy

Efficiency

Ships to get free pass on emissions until 2030, under compromise proposal