Energy

Germany, Italy push G7 into watering down pledge to end overseas gas finance

G7 leaders pledged to end overseas public finance for fossil fuels but made exceptions for temporary gas investments deemed “necessary” to address the energy crisis

Indonesia is learning lessons from South Africa’s tough energy transition deal talks

Talks between donor countries and South Africa on a coal-to-renewables finance deal have been slow and difficult. Indonesia wants to do things differently

EU and UK will end investment protection for fossil fuels in 10 years

Under the reform, the EU will end protection for new fossil fuel infrastructure. But existing ones will remain protected for 10 years and some gas projects for even longer

Germany, Japan must not water down G7 commitment to end fossil fuel finance

There are worrying signs from Berlin and Tokyo of backsliding on a pledge to end public finance for fossil fuel projects overseas by the end of the year

Japanese and Korean industry push gas on Vietnam amid campaigner crackdown

An InfluenceMap report spells out foreign pro-gas lobbying in Vietnam as environmental activists face mounting threats for speaking out against the government

Data exclusive: The ‘junk’ carbon offsets revived by the Glasgow Pact

Analysis for Climate Home identifies hundreds of problematic projects that could be used to greenwash national and corporate climate plans

EU lawmakers form cross-party coalition to block gas and nuclear from green taxonomy

From the Greens and left to the centre-right, MEPs object to gas and nuclear investments getting a “green” label

US solar installers ‘breathe sigh of relief’ as Biden eases protectionism

Joe Biden has suspended import tariffs on solar panels produced in four southeast Asian nations for two years to reboot stalled solar installations

Climate lawyers challenge EU support for gas pipelines

Client Earth is arguing the European Commission’s infrastructure priorities are not compatible with climate goals

Billionnaire activist forces Australia’s biggest polluter into climate-friendly U-turn

AGL had planned to split in two and keep burning coal for another two decades or more, before Mike Cannon-Brookes led a shareholder revolt

Energy

Renewable Energy

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

Renewable energy

Fossil Fuels

Europe should use its Putin-proofing energy plans to reinvigorate climate action

Many of the actions being taken for Europe’s energy security will cut emissions – so why not submit a stronger climate target to the UN?

African nations’ dash for gas exposes division at the UN and ‘hypocrisy’ in Europe

The UN chief says it is “madness” to explore for more fossil fuels, while top Nigerian UN officials support African leaders’ gas-fuelled development plans

Extinction Rebellion inspires Shell safety consultant to jump ship

After seeing Extinction Rebellion protest at Shell headquarters, Caroline Dennett decided to end her 11-year working relationship with the oil major

EU unveils €300bn plan to quit Russian fossil fuels by 2027 and boost clean energy

The European Commission proposes increased ambition for renewables and energy efficiency, while seeking alternative oil and gas supplies in the short term

Leak: EU mulls investment treaty exit as Japan blocks green reforms

Internal committee minutes show EU frustration with Japan’s protection of fossil fuel interests under the Energy Charter Treaty, as a decision deadline looms

Campaigners take Canada to court over oil extraction project

An NGO co-founded by environment minister Steven Guilbeault is challenging the approval of Equinor’s plan to drill millions of barrels of oil offshore Newfoundland

Mexico’s oil gets even dirtier as flaring continues to soar

Since president Andrés Manuel Lopez-Obrador was elected in 2018, oil companies have burned more and more gas as a byproduct

Governments risk $340bn in legal claims for limiting oil and gas projects, study finds

Investors could use obscure treaties to lock countries into polluting energy systems and delay climate action, researchers warn

Fossil Fuels

Nuclear energy

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

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

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

Nuclear Energy

Efficiency