By the middle of the century, global emissions from plastic production could triple, an analysis has found. The stunning new estimates from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, published on Wednesday,…Continue readingPlastic-production emissions could triple
Tag: coal
A report by Global Energy Monitor found that coal power capacity grew by 2% last year, driven by an increase in new coal plants across China and a slowdown…Continue readingWorld’s coal power capacity rises despite climate warnings
Pointing to the still paltry share of renewable energy in global supply, the head of Saudi Aramco described the current energy transition strategy as a misguided failure. “In the…Continue readingSaudi Aramco CEO calls energy transition strategy a failure
The data supplied to the UNFCCC, and published on its website, are typically out of date, inconsistent, and incomplete. For most countries, “I would not put much value, if…Continue readingNations Are Undercounting Emissions, Putting UN Goals at Risk
Climate activists in four countries are blocking access to North Sea oil infrastructure as part of a coordinated pan-European civil disobedience protest. Blockades have been taking place at oil…Continue readingClimate activists across Europe block access to North Sea oil infrastructure
Germany’s greenhouse gas emissions dropped by one-tenth last year as renewable energy grew in importance, the use of coal and gas diminished and economic pressures weighed on businesses and…Continue readingGerman greenhouse gas emissions dropped sharply last year
Geologists on an international subcommission recently voted down a proposal to formally recognize that we have entered the Anthropocene, a new geological epoch representing the time when massive, unrelenting…Continue readingViewpoint: What the Anthropocene’s critics overlook, and why it really should be a new geological epoch
Planet-heating methane released by the fossil fuel industry rose to near record highs in 2023 despite technology available to curb this pollution at virtually no cost, the International Energy…Continue readingMethane emissions from energy sector rose in 2023: IEA
Oxford university has come under heavy criticism after its £6bn endowment fund increased its investment in fossil fuels just a few years after making a landmark commitment to divestment. About £1…Continue readingOxford under fire for increasing fossil fuel investments
The Queensland government approved the Vulcan South coalmine in the Bowen Basin earlier this month without requiring an environmental impact statement (EIS). But the project still needs approval from…Continue readingTanya Plibersek urged to block ‘climate-wrecking’ Queensland coalmine that would raze koala habitat
Global consumption of coal reached an all-time high in 2023, the IEA energy watchdog said Friday, as Earth experienced its hottest recorded year. The International Energy Agency reported that…Continue readingCoal use hits record in 2023, Earth’s hottest year
The failure of COP28 to call for a phase-out of fossil fuels is “devastating” and “dangerous” given the urgent need for action to tackle the climate crisis, scientists have said. One…Continue readingFailure of Cop28 on fossil fuel phase-out is ‘devastating’, say scientists
Climate agreement may fail to result in falls in oil and gas production. The world’s largest oil producers have saluted the COP28 agreement’s focus on an “orderly” move away…Continue readingBig oil welcomes COP28 call to move away from fossil fuels in ‘orderly’ way
Australia passed breakthrough climate laws in March this year, 10 months after a new centre-left Labor government under Prime Minister Anthony Albanese took office. Even as the Albanese government…Continue readingAustralia is preparing to burn – more fossil fuels
Nearly 200 nations meeting in Dubai on Wednesday approved a first-ever call for the world to transition away from fossil fuels. The biggest-ever COP meeting hosted more than 88,000…Continue readingDubai summit adopts world-first ‘transition’ from fossil fuels
The world is on track to have burned more coal, oil and gas in 2023 than it did in 2022, according to a report by the Global Carbon Project,…Continue readingGlobal carbon emissions from fossil fuels to hit record high
The president of COP28, Sultan Al Jaber, has claimed there is “no science” indicating that a phase-out of fossil fuels is needed to restrict global heating to 1.5˚C, the…Continue readingCOP28 president says there is ‘no science’ behind demands for phase-out of fossil fuels
The vast amount of electricity that India’s growing number of ACs will require presents a significant challenge. Already during peak summertime hours, ACs have accounted for 40% to 60%…Continue reading‘A matter of survival’: India’s unstoppable need for air conditioners
Fine particulate matter, or PM2.5, is a term for fine particulates that are typically the by-product of car exhausts or coal-fired power plants. Their tiny size enables them to…Continue readingAir pollution behind over 250,000 deaths in Europe in 2021: agency
UK-based mining company Anglo American has secured mining lease approval for the expansion of its Lake Lindsay coal mine in Australia. The mining lease for the coal mine expansion…Continue readingAnglo American gets mining lease for Lake Lindsay coal mine expansion
The world’s fossil fuel producers are planning expansions that would blow the planet’s carbon budget twice over, a UN report has found. Experts called the plans “insanity” which “throw…Continue reading‘Insanity’: petrostates planning huge expansion of fossil fuels
Plastics-related carbon footprints of China’s transportation, Indonesia’s electronics industry and India’s construction sector have increased more than 50-fold since 1995. In 2015, plastics caused 4.5% of global greenhouse gas…Continue readingGrowing environmental footprint of plastics driven by coal combustion
Urgewald, a campaign group that tracks global fossil fuel finance, found that the World Bank supplied about $3.7bn (£2.95bn) in trade finance in 2022 that was likely to have…Continue readingWorld Bank spent billions of dollars backing fossil fuels in 2022
China is approving new coal power projects at the equivalent of two plants every week. In 2022 the government approved a record-breaking 106 gigawatts (GW) of new coal-fired power…Continue readingChina continues coal spree despite climate goals
Fossil fuels benefited from record subsidies of $13 million (£10.3m) a minute in 2022, according to the International Monetary Fund, despite being the primary cause of the climate crisis.…Continue readingFossil fuels being subsidised at rate of $13m a minute
Australian Pacific Coal has received a non-binding letter of intent from a major commodities trading firm, for up to $50m in debt funding to support the restart of Dartbrook…Continue readingAustralian Pacific Coal secures $50m funding commitment to restart Dartbrook mine
Carbon emissions from China are growing faster now than before COVID-19 struck, data show, dashing hopes the pandemic may have put the world’s most polluting nation on a new…Continue readingChina is pumping out carbon emissions as if COVID never happened. That’s bad news for the climate crisis
Whitehaven in its statement said: “High-quality thermal coal has an important role to play in providing energy security during the decarbonisation transition.”Continue readingWhitehaven coal wins legal battle for extension of Narrabri underground mine
UN secretary-general António Guterres attacked oil and gas industry attempts to justify fossil fuel expansion with carbon capture technology as “proposals to become more efficient planet wreckers”, in a…Continue readingUN chief attacks oil and gas industry ‘planet wreckers’ over fossil fuel expansion
Trillions of dollars of subsidies for fossil fuels, farming and fishing are causing “environmental havoc”, according to the World Bank, severely harming people and the planet. The “toxic” subsidies…Continue readingVast fossil fuel and farming subsidies causing ‘environmental havoc’
Already, the Beijing office of Greenpeace is sounding the alarm. In the first three months of 2023, provincial governments in China approved more new coal-fired electricity generation than they…Continue readingChina ramps up coal power while pushing for renewables
The United Arab Emirates’ state oil company has been able to read emails to and from the COP28 climate summit office and was consulted on how to respond to…Continue reading‘Absolute scandal’: UAE state oil firm able to read COP28 climate summit emails
The UK government is under attack for investing taxpayers’ money in fossil fuel companies, a hospital in Kenya accused of imprisoning patients who couldn’t pay for treatment, and a…Continue readingUK government under fire for investing overseas aid in fossil fuel firms
United Nations climate chief says while the rapid end of burning coal, oil, and natural gas is urgently needed, the topic may not even reach crucial COP28 negotiations.Continue readingWill fossil fuel phase-out make it onto the UN’s climate agenda?
About USD 2.8 trillion is set to be invested in energy globally in 2023, USD 1.7 trillion of which will go to clean technologies. The remaining roughly USD 1…Continue readingHumanity still investing in fossil fuels
Climate experts criticised the G7 group of advanced economies for failing to commit to tougher action on fossil fuels after Germany and Japan prevailed on the continued use of…Continue readingG7 disappoints on climate progress without deadlines on gas and coal use
“The Albanese government has to make decisions in accordance with the facts and the national environment law – that’s what happens on every project, and that’s what’s happened here,”…Continue readingAlbanese government approves first new coalmine since taking power
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The proposed mandate requires existing power plants to start limiting their carbon dioxide emissions in 2030, introducing restrictions that would become more stringent over time. Any new gas power…Continue readingThe EPA tightens pollution standards for power plants, with a big loophole for coal and gas
Huawei said the new methods had increased output per shift by almost a third. According to official figures, China had 4,400 coal mines at the end of 2022. But…Continue reading‘Smart mines’ show coal deeply embedded in China’s future
Local governments in energy-hungry Chinese provinces approved at least 20.45 gigawatts (GW) of coal-fired power in the first three months of 2023, Greenpeace said. That is more than double…Continue readingChina approves coal power surge despite emissions pledge: Greenpeace
An annual report on fossil fuel financing by a coalition of campaign groups organised by the Rainforest Action Network found that RBC extended $42.1bn in funding to fossil fuel…Continue readingRoyal Bank of Canada becomes top financier for fossil fuel industry
Communities around the world emitted more carbon dioxide in 2022 than in any other year on records dating to 1900, a result of air travel rebounding from the pandemic…Continue readingCarbon dioxide emissions reached a record high in 2022
A total of 106 GW of new coal power projects were approved in 2022—the equivalent of two large coal plants per week.Continue readingChina ramps up coal plant approvals despite emissions pledge: report
Risks are cascading and underestimated, new climate extremes recorded, and the conclusion.Continue readingFaster, higher, hotter: What we learned about the climate system in 2022: Part 3
2°C degrees is not a point of system stability, we are heading towards 3°C or more, and system-level change and tipping points are happening faster than forecast.Continue readingFaster, higher, hotter: What we learned about the climate system in 2022: Part 2
Record emissions, the 1.5°C target, what about overshooting 1.5°C and cooling back to that level by 2100?, and the likelihood of achieving the 2°C target.Continue readingFaster, higher, hotter: What we learned about the climate system in 2022: Part 1
Financial institutions signed up to GFANZ initiative accused of acting as ‘climate arsonists’.Continue readingBanks still investing heavily in fossil fuels despite net zero pledges – study
Woodside Energy, Santos and BHP among companies who have sponsorship deals with Australian arts, sport, education and community organisationsContinue readingFossil fuel interests revealed to have sponsored more than 500 Australian community organisations
Wealthy nations have offered Vietnam a $15.5 billion package to help pay for its move from coal to renewable energy, the latest in a total of $44 billion in…Continue readingWealthy nations offer Vietnam $15 billion-plus deal to shift from coal
The first coal mine in Britain for 30 years has been given the go-ahead by the government. Michael Gove, the levelling-up secretary, granted approval for the mine in Whitehaven…Continue readingFirst UK coal mine in 30 years gets government go-ahead
The analysis, by the Global Carbon Project, calculates Earth’s “carbon budget“, which is how much CO₂ humans have released, and how much has been removed from the atmosphere by…Continue readingGlobal carbon emissions at record levels with no signs of shrinking
At least 8 coalmining projects in Great Barrier Reef catchments and floodplains have been exempted from requiring environmental impact statements (EIS) by the Queensland government, with 6 already gaining…Continue readingCoal projects in Great Barrier Reef catchments approved without environmental impact statements
Greenhouse Gas Emissions on this site has been updated with newly published data from the Global Carbon Project.Continue readingUpdate to Greenhouse Gas Emissions
The fossil fuel industry is experiencing a remarkable rebound, with sudden momentum behind more than 80 projects that range from coal-fired power plants to hulking gas export terminals, many…Continue readingFossil fuel projects were stalled a year ago. Now they’re making a comeback.
Out of 26 countries, Indonesia accounted for 58.2% of the tropical deforestation directly caused by industrial mining activities. The data covered 26 countries representing 76.7% of the total tropical…Continue readingIndustrial mining in Indonesia accounts for 45% of global tropical deforestation
Germany is relying on highly polluting coal for almost a third of its electricity, as the impact of government policies and the war in Ukraine leads producers in Europe’s…Continue readingGermany turns to coal for a third of its electricity
Norway’s last remaining coal mine on a geopolitically important Arctic archipelago will stay open. Store Norske, the state-owned mining company, said on Friday it had originally planned to close…Continue readingNorway prolongs life of Arctic coal mine
The Queensland government has approved the extension of Carborough Downs coal mine, located 25km east of Moranbah in the Bowen Basin, Australia. The Carborough Downs is an underground metallurgical…Continue readingAustralian Queensland government approves extension of coal mine
Two months of scorching heatwaves and drought plunged China into an energy security crisis. The energy crisis has seen Beijing shift its political discourse and proclaim energy security as…Continue readingChina’s energy crisis sees the world’s top emitter investing in more coal
Woodside Energy, Australia’s largest energy producer, on Tuesday capped a string of bumper results by oil, gas and coal producers. The Perth-based company said its net profit after tax…Continue readingHuge profits for fossil-fuel giants Woodside, Whitehaven and Santos