Energy

Norway eyes expansion of oil and gas industry under policy proposal

The government wants to hand out more exploration licences – ignoring modelling that shows fossil fuel expansion must end now to meet global climate goals

Tar sands companies aim for ‘net zero’ by 2050 – with no plan to extract less oil

The alliance of Canadian oil producers makes no mention of winding down oil production, which modelling shows is necessary to achieve global climate goals

Elections dash Mexican President’s hopes for dirty energy reform

Amlo does not have the two thirds majority in Mexico’s parliament to pass proposed constitutional reforms in favour of state-owned coal and gas power generation

The EIB won’t become a climate bank until it fully stops supporting fossil fuels

The bank has committed to end fossil fuel financing by the end of the year but has handed out billions in support for companies wedded to the industry

UK calls on Indonesia to set out roadmap to net zero emissions

During a three-day visit to southeast Asia’s largest economy, Alok Sharma met with a host of ministers to discuss how to transition the nation from coal to renewables

Paris deal enters boardrooms – Climate Weekly

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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

G7 commits to end unabated coal finance in 2021 to ‘keep 1.5C within reach’

After initial resistance, Japan agreed to the ministers’ statement, leaving China isolated as the last significant coal funder overseas

Fossil fuels on notice – Climate Weekly

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Shell’s net zero plan will be judged on science, not spin

Shell’s net zero plan is better seen as a defence of its core oil and gas business, which it is planning to expand, than a genuine energy transition

Energy

Renewable Energy

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

Renewable energy

Fossil Fuels

UK calls on countries to ‘consign coal to history’ at Cop26

As a global shift away from coal gathers momentum, the UK government is putting it at the heart of its the vision for this year’s UN climate talks in Glasgow

Indonesian utility pledges to stop building coal plants beyond existing pipeline

State-owned electricity company PLN said it will finish building 20GW of planned coal capacity before turning to renewables

Youth activists prank Standard Chartered in critique of coal lending policy

Fridays for Future activists donned false moustaches in a stunt to put pressure on Standard Chartered to stop financing fossil fuels

Tar sands executive named as Canadian ‘climate champion’ ahead of Cop26

Suncor’s chief sustainability officer is one of 26 people praised for moving Canada towards net zero emissions, despite the oil company expanding production

California is the biggest producer in the world planning to go beyond oil

Governor Gavin Newsom has ordered a plan to phase out oil and gas production in California by 2045, but the industry won’t go down without a fight

Putin sounds methane alarm, under satellite surveillance and EU pressure

The Russian president has raised concern about the warming impact of methane emissions, calling for research collaboration but making no policy promises

Saudi, US net zero oil producer initiative meets sceptical response

Five countries responsible for 40% of oil and gas production have launched an unprecedented climate alliance – but leaving fuel in the ground is not on the agenda

US pledges to double international climate finance at Earth Day summit

Joe Biden made a start on restoring US climate credibility after four lost years, with finance and emissions pledges, but campaigners say more is needed

Fossil Fuels

Nuclear 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

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

Nuclear Energy

Efficiency

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