Energy

Nations seek compromise on fossil fuel phase-out ahead of Cop28

21 March 2023

Governments will hold consultations on whether to call for a phase out of fossil fuels at the Cop28 climate talks in November

A crew of oil and gas workers at the vaca muerta oil and gas fields in Argentina

Argentina secures funding boost to kickstart gas exports from ‘carbon bomb’

16 March 2023

President Alberto Fernández is seeking funding for an export pipeline that would channel Vaca Muerta’s gas to neighbouring countries

Chinese coal boom a ‘direct threat’ to 1.5C goal, analysts warn

14 March 2023

Energy security fears prompted Beijing to rapidly accelerate coal power plans last year, raising concerns about the country’s impact on greenhouse gas emissions

Vietnam’s energy transition deal is a ‘black box’, partner warns

13 March 2023

A Vietnam government partner suggested that even Hanoi is unaware of the details of the energy transition package

EU agrees diplomatic push for fossil fuel phase out ahead of Cop28

10 March 2023

The bloc has made achieving a global phase out of coal, oil and gas “well ahead of 2050” a priority of its climate diplomacy

COP28 boss urges Big Oil to join fight against climate change

7 March 2023

Cop28 president and oil and gas executive Sultan al-Jaber urged energy conference participants in Houston to do more faster to limit global warming

mozambique hydro project threatens to displace farming communities

World Bank backs mega dam threatening to displace thousands in Mozambique

6 March 2023

The World Bank argues the project will accelerate the energy transition in southern Africa, but people facing displacement say their voices are not being heard

Canada sets out green investments guide amid complaints of industry capture

3 March 2023

The process to create Canada’s first guide for green investiments has been accused of being undemocratic and extending the life of polluting fuels.

Finance key climate issue for new Nigerian president

2 March 2023

Without climate finance from rich nations, “we are not going to comply with your climate change” said Bola Tinubu

Japan’s ‘green transformation’ would derail the energy transition in Asia

2 March 2023

Japan plans to prolong fossil fuels across Southeast Asia, by promoting carbon capture, gas and the co-firing of ammonia at coal power plants.

Energy

Renewable Energy

Greta Thunberg protests wind farm “violating human rights” in Norway

Thunberg said the wind farm violates the rights of indigenous Sami people to herd their reindeer, as the sight and sound of the turbines scares the animals

Cables become cool – Climate Weekly

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Coal communities fear South Africa’s clean energy transition

Almost 80% of the more than 80,000 residents working in Ermelo are employed by Eskom and Transnet, the state-owned energy and transport companies

A rocket launched from French Guiana in Europe's corner of the Amazon.

France seeks EU loophole for French Guiana to power space sector with biofuels

Campaigners have warned the exemption risks setting an incentive for increased logging in Europe’s corner of the Amazon forest.

German CO2 cuts stall as coal, oil use cancel out renewable gains

In a pivot away from Russian gas, Germany cut energy consumption to its lowest level since the Berlin Wall fell – but increased coal burning

Industrial complex on the Meghna river, Bangladesh

AIIB finds gas plant in Bangladesh compatible with Paris goals

AIIB’s fast-tracking of a 600MW LNG plant could set a precedent for more development finance to fossil gas projects, campaigners warn

wind turbines and construction equipment on green hills

‘Unparalleled in the world’: Australian grid operator maps path to 100% renewables

From 2025, the entire country is expected to run on 100% clean electricity for hours then days at a time, raising new engineering challenges

Rich nations, banks pledge $20bn for Indonesia’s coal-to-clean switch

The US and Japan led on mobilising finance to retire Indonesian coal plants and scale up renewables, in a deal announced in Bali

Renewable energy

Fossil Fuels

Total escapes court censure over East African oil pipeline

The court said campaigners arguments against the East African crude oil pipeline had changed too much – they are considering an appeal

Study: IPCC asks emerging countries to drop coal faster than rich nations did

A new study has found that most energy transition models ask nations like China, India and South Africa to cut coal use twice as fast as developed countries ever did.

DR Congo delays rainforest oil auctions

After a series of multinational oil companies ruled themselves out of the controversial projects, the government pushed back bidding at the last minute

WoodMac wins: The consultancy giving cover to fossil fuel projects

Wood Mackenzie research was used to justify UK support for a gas megaproject in Mozambique and a new coal mine, in government and in court

Climate Home’s five must-read climate change stories from 2022

The hype machine behind a $70,000 carbon credit, fossil fuel fights in Sharm el-Sheikh and other essential journalism

Germany considers €1 billion in support for 10 fossil fuel projects overseas

German support for any of the projects would breach a pledge made last year to stop funding coal, oil and gas projects overseas from 1 January

UK coal mine approval sparks global fury and hypocrisy claims

The decision to allow a new coking coal mine goes against official climate advice and the UK’s international rhetoric on fossil fuels

Cop28 will be held at the Dubai Expo site

UAE plans to have it both ways as Cop28 climate summit host

The Gulf oil and gas exporter is going big on renewable energy investment and food security, while expanding hydrocarbon production

Fossil Fuels

Nuclear energy

Nuclear fusion: Why Silicon Valley is betting on man-made star power

Students at MIT have found a way to make nuclear fusion reactors smaller and cheaper, but the tech is a long way from commercial operation

Clean energy jobs overtake fossil fuel sector but wages lag behind

Employment is booming in electric vehicle production, building insulation and renewable power sectors, the International Energy Agency reports

EU set to use ‘green’ label for gas, nuclear investments after parliamentary vote

Climate campaigners accused EU lawmakers of “betrayal” and some member states are preparing legal challenges to the sustainable taxonomy

Macron promises to abandon gas, oil and coal, but will he deliver?

The re-elected French president performed poorly on climate in his first term and is relying too heavily on nuclear, experts say

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

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

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

Nuclear Energy

Efficiency