Kemi Badenoch has said it is “impossible” for the UK to meet its net zero target by 2050 – a goal set by a previous Conservative government. In a speech, Badenoch…Continue readingNet zero by 2050 ‘impossible’ for UK, says Badenoch
Tag: emissions
The latest deadline for countries to submit plans for slashing the greenhouse gas emissions fueling climate change has passed. Only 15 countries met it—less than 8% of the 194 parties currently…Continue readingOnly 15 countries have met the latest Paris agreement deadline. Is any nation serious about tackling climate change?
The natural process of locking away carbon dioxide (CO2) appears to be in decline—and climate change will accelerate as a result, a University of Strathclyde study warns. Researchers found that the…Continue readingClimate change ‘will accelerate’ owing to decline in natural carbon storage, says study
Green energy stocks have fallen back to levels last seen five years ago ahead of an environmental, social and governance frenzy that pushed them to record highs, as uncertainty over political…Continue readingGreen energy stocks fall back to levels last seen 5 years ago
U.N. officials have for several years reminded countries of a crucial looming opportunity to improve the planet’s climate trajectory — by submitting new national-level plans for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The…Continue readingMost of the world’s big polluters just blew off a major climate deadline
During the traditional 40-day period that runs before, during and after the holidays, some nine billion interprovincial passenger trips, on all forms of transport combined, are expected to be made, according…Continue readingMillions in China head home for Lunar New Year in ‘record high’ migration
California officials are withdrawing their final requests to enforce their nation-leading electric vehicle rules, days before President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration. State officials told U.S. EPA on Monday they wouldn’t seek federal…Continue readingCalifornia withdraws requests to enforce pollution rules ahead of Trump
A climate activist who graffitied the word “liar” on the federal environment minister’s office has stood by his highly publicised actions, urging the public to stand up for their beliefs. The…Continue readingClimate activist who graffitied Tanya Plibersek’s office says he stands by his actions
Climate breakdown drove the annual global temperature above the internationally agreed 1.5˚C target for the first time last year, supercharging extreme weather and causing “misery to millions of people”. The average…Continue readingHottest year on record sent planet past 1.5˚C of heating for first time in 2024
The world has endured a “decade of deadly heat”, with 2024 capping 10 years of unprecedented temperatures, the UN has said. The UN’s climate and weather agency, the World Meteorological Organisation…Continue readingWorld endures ‘decade of deadly heat’ as 2024 caps hottest years on record
“The east African crude oil pipeline is ongoing,” Uganda’s energy minister Ruth Nankabirwa told the Financial Times at the COP29 climate summit in Baku, Azerbaijan. “We have invested a lot of…Continue readingUganda targets 2027 start for world’s longest heated oil pipeline
Saudi Arabia has been working to foil any agreements that renew a pledge to transition away from fossil fuels, according to negotiators, says the New York Times. Negotiators say it’s part…Continue readingSaudi Arabia is a ‘wrecking ball’ in global climate talks
Donald Trump’s nomination for energy secretary has connections to fracking operations for gas in the Beetaloo basin in the Northern Territory. Chris Wright is the chief executive of Liberty Energy, a…Continue readingTrump’s new energy tsar linked to fracking in Australia’s Beetaloo basin
Although many countries have explicitly promised to reduce fossil fuel subsidies to combat climate change, this has proven difficult to accomplish. As a result, fossil fuels remain relatively inexpensive, and their…Continue readingCountries spend huge sums on fossil fuel subsidies
As the COP29 summit in the Azerbaijani capital of Baku begins its second week, representatives from Vanuatu and Tuvalu have called on Australia to stop approving new fossil fuel developments, including…Continue readingAustralia accused of ‘exporting climate destruction’ on tiny Pacific neighbours with massive gas expansion plans
Relying on natural carbon sinks such as forests and oceans to offset continued fossil fuel emissions will not stop global heating, the scientists who developed net zero have warned. Each year,…Continue readingCountries could use nature to ‘cheat’ on net zero targets, scientists warn
Global carbon emissions from fossil fuels have reached a record high in 2024, according to new research by the Global Carbon Project science team. The 2024 Global Carbon Budget projects fossil…Continue readingFossil fuel CO₂ emissions increase again in 2024
Australia and Turkey are vying to host COP31, and the Australian government hopes Turkey will exit the race in time for an announcement before next week. The hypocrisy of Australia’s bid…Continue readingClimate criminal Australia competes to host Climate-COP
With less than a month before the annual U.N. Climate Change Conference, China is so far defying pressure to set ambitious climate targets early and to do more to help poor…Continue readingChina resists mounting pressure to do more on climate change
New global findings in the 8th annual indicator report of The Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change reveal that people in every country face record-breaking threats to health and survival…Continue readingExperts call for trillions of dollars spent on fossil fuels to be redirected
The concentration of planet-heating pollutants clogging the atmosphere hit record levels in 2023, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has said. It found carbon dioxide (CO2) is accumulating faster than at any…Continue readingPlanet-heating pollutants in atmosphere hit record levels in 2023
Oxfam’s research shows that that the richest 1%, made up of 77 million people including billionaires, millionaires and those earning $310,000 ($140,000 PPP) or more a year, accounted for 16% of…Continue readingCarbon emissions of richest 1% increase hunger, poverty and deaths
The world’s energy watchdog has signalled a new energy era in which countries have access to more oil, gas and coal than needed to fuel their economic growth, leading to lower…Continue readingFossil fuels could become cheaper and more abundant, says IEA
Foreign aid for fossil fuel projects quadrupled in a single year, a report has found, rising from $1.2bn in 2021 to $5.4bn in 2022. The report found the top five funders…Continue readingForeign aid for fossil fuel projects quadrupled in a single year
A major new study reveals that carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from forest fires have surged by 60% globally since 2001, and almost tripled in some of the most climate-sensitive northern boreal…Continue readingGlobal CO₂ emissions from forest fires have increased by 60% since 2001
The boreal forests here in the Sami homeland take so long to grow that even small, stunted trees are often hundreds of years old. It is part of the Taiga –…Continue readingWhat happens to the world if forests stop absorbing carbon? Ask Finland
We are seeing unprecedented rapidly intensifying tropical storms such as Hurricane Helene in the eastern United States and Super Typhoon Yagi in Vietnam. Unprecedented fires in Canada have destroyed towns. Unprecedented…Continue readingUnprecedented peril: Disaster lies ahead as we track towards 2.7°C of warming this century, researchers warn
An international coalition led by Oregon State University scientists concludes in its annual report published in BioScience that the Earth’s worsening vital signs indicate a “critical and unpredictable new phase of…Continue readingClimate report warns of escalating crisis, urges immediate action as UN summit nears
Many of Earth’s “vital signs” have hit record extremes, indicating that “the future of humanity hangs in the balance”, a group of the world’s most senior climate experts have said. More…Continue readingEarth’s ‘vital signs’ show humanity’s future in balance
Wildfires are burning through the carbon budget that humans have allocated themselves to limit global heating, a study shows. The authors said this accelerating trend was approaching – and may have…Continue readingWildfires are burning through humanity’s carbon budget
Rationing of goods such as meat and fuel can both effectively and fairly reduce consumption with high climate impact. Almost 40% of the public say they could accept such measures. These…Continue readingStudy finds about 40% of public supports rationing measures to fight climate change
The Western Australian government has lifted a ban preventing onshore gas producers from exporting any of their gas. The current WA premier, Roger Cook, said the state needed “a secure supply…Continue readingWestern Australia’s decision to lift gas export ban will drive up emissions, conservationists say
At this time of year, as the sun rises over Antarctica, a “hole” opens up in Earth’s ozone layer. But the hole will continue to open each year for at least…Continue readingThe ozone hole above Antarctica will keep opening up each spring for decades to come: Why that still matters
Passenger traffic at European airports reached pre-Covid levels in the first half of this year, according to industry data, driven by a rise in leisure and family travel. “Flight shame is…Continue reading‘Flight shame is dead’: concern grows over climate impact of tourism boom
Eni has started gas production from the Argo Cassiopea field, the most important gas development project in Italy. The gas, coming from one of the four subsea wells drilled in recent…Continue readingEni starts gas production from Argo Cassiopea field in Strait of Sicily
The time has come to accept that climate policy has failed, and that the 2015 landmark Paris agreement is dead. We let it die by pretending that we could both continue…Continue readingThe overshoot myth: you can’t keep burning fossil fuels and expect scientists of the future to get us back to 1.5°C
Australia is one of the world’s largest exporters of fossil fuels. While this coal and gas is burned beyond our borders, the climate-warming carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions affect us all. My…Continue readingDug up in Australia, burned around the world—exporting fossil fuels undermines climate targets
The study found that compact cities, characterized by high density, mixed land use, and efficient public transportation, produce significantly lower carbon emissions. “Contrary to what we might initially think, more compact…Continue readingResearchers highlight the carbon-saving potential of compact cities
US oil and gas facilities are pumping out four times more planet-warming methane gas than estimated by regulators. Data published by the Environmental Defense Fund on Wednesday estimates leaks, flaring and…Continue readingUS emissions of planet-warming gas far exceed estimates
Global emissions of methane, a powerful planet-heating gas, are “rising rapidly” at the fastest rate in decades, requiring immediate action to help avert a dangerous escalation in the climate crisis, a…Continue readingGlobal methane emissions rising at fastest rate in decades
A proposal to create Germany’s biggest motorway has sparked a backlash, with critics fearful the “monstrosity” will increase climate-damaging emissions, worsen noise pollution and harm biodiverse habitats. The recommendation suggests widening…Continue readingHighway to hell? Plan for Germany’s biggest motorway sparks anger
May 2024 was the warmest May on the books, marking a full year of record-high monthly temperatures, NASA scientists found. Average global temperatures for the past 12 months hit record highs…Continue readingNASA analysis confirms a year of monthly temperature records
The world faces a “staggering” surplus of oil equating to millions of barrels a day by the end of the decade, as oil companies increase production the International Energy Agency has…Continue readingWorld faces ‘staggering’ oil glut by end of decade, energy watchdog warns
Some of the world’s most profitable – and most polluting corporations – have invested in carbon offset projects that have fundamental failings and are “probably junk”, suggesting industry claims about greenhouse…Continue readingCorporations invested in carbon offsets that were ‘likely junk’, analysis says
In announcing Australia’s support for fossil gas all the way to 2050 and beyond, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has pushed his government’s commitment to net zero even further out of reach.…Continue readingSleight of hand: Australia’s Net Zero target is being lost in accounting tricks, offsets and more gas
Climate campaigners have accused Scottish ministers of being “inept” and “short-termist” after they scrapped Scotland’s target to cut carbon emissions by 75% by 2030. Màiri McAllan, the Scottish net zero secretary,…Continue reading‘Reprehensible retreat’: fury as Scottish ministers scrap carbon emissions pledge
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 of plant…Continue readingWorld’s coal power capacity rises despite climate warnings
On 18 March, 2022, scientists at the Concordia research station on the east Antarctic plateau documented a remarkable event. They recorded the largest jump in temperature ever measured at a meteorological…Continue reading‘Simply mind-boggling’: world record temperature jump in Antarctic raises fears of catastrophe
Australia’s main carbon offsets method is a failure on a global scale and doing little if anything to help address the climate crisis. Research by 11 academics found the most popular…Continue readingAustralia’s carbon credits system a failure on global scale
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 real world,…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 any, on…Continue readingNations Are Undercounting Emissions, Putting UN Goals at Risk
Big Oil used an industry conference this week to argue against a rapid transition to green energy, as fossil fuel companies are emboldened by high demand and record profits despite rising…Continue readingOil executives talk down rapid shift to green energy as profits boom
Six leading international datasets used for monitoring global temperatures and consolidated by WMO show that the annual average global temperature was 1.45 ± 0.12 °C above pre-industrial levels (1850-1900) in 2023.…Continue readingWMO confirms that 2023 smashes global temperature record
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 Agency said…Continue readingMethane emissions from energy sector rose in 2023: IEA
Three people have been charged after climate activist Deanna “Violet” Coco and others allegedly used a truck to cause traffic chaos on Melbourne’s West Gate Bridge. Extinction Rebellion members allegedly parked…Continue readingThree charged after climate activist Deanna ‘Violet’ Coco and others block traffic on Melbourne’s West Gate Bridge
The world is off track to meet its climate goals and the public is to blame, Darren Woods, chief executive of oil giant ExxonMobil, has claimed. As the world’s largest investor-owned…Continue readingFury after Exxon chief says public to blame for climate failures
Energy-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions rose to a record level in 2023. CO2 emissions from energy rose by 1.1% in 2023, increasing by 410 million tonnes to a record 37.4 billion…Continue readingEnergy-related carbon dioxide emissions hit record levels in 2023: IEA
Scientists analysed 300 years of ocean temperature records from marine sponges and discovered global warming has increased by 0.5˚C more than was previously estimated. In the study, published in Nature Climate…Continue readingMarine sponges reveal global warming has already exceeded 1.5 degrees
Limiting average global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, or 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit, above preindustrial levels has been the gold standard for climate action since at least the 2015 Paris Agreement. A…Continue readingNew study says the world blew past 1.5˚C four years ago
The president of the COP28 climate summit will continue with his oil company’s record investment in oil and gas production, despite coordinating a global deal to “transition away” from fossil fuels. Sultan Al…Continue readingCOP28 president says his firm will keep investing in oil
A climate activist has been jailed for six months after pleading guilty to taking part in a peaceful slow march protest on a London road. The sentence handed to Stephen Gingell,…Continue readingJust Stop Oil activist jailed for six months for taking part in slow march
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 nations would…Continue readingCoal use hits record in 2023, Earth’s hottest year
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 from fossil…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 passed its…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 people, including…Continue readingDubai summit adopts world-first ‘transition’ from fossil fuels
New analysis finds the last time the air contained 420 parts per million (ppm) of carbon dioxide was between 14-16 million years ago, when there was no ice in Greenland and…Continue readingCurrent carbon dioxide levels last seen 14 million years ago
Rishi Sunak, David Cameron and King Charles are just three of the more than 70,000 delegates from nearly 200 countries at the latest UN climate summit in Dubai, COP28. But they…Continue readingWhy are people still flying to climate conferences by private jet?
The COP28 climate talks have been flooded with announcements hyping controversial carbon credits before rules for them have been hammered out, with environmental groups fearing “greenwashing” on a massive scale. The…Continue readingControversial carbon credits flood COP28, yet still no rules
Many of the gravest threats to humanity are drawing closer, as carbon pollution heats the planet to ever more dangerous levels, scientists have warned. Five important natural thresholds already risk being…Continue readingEarth on verge of five catastrophic climate tipping points, scientists warn
Saudi Arabia is driving a huge global investment plan to create demand for its oil and gas in developing countries, an undercover investigation has revealed. Critics said the plan was designed…Continue readingRevealed: Saudi Arabia’s grand plan to ‘hook’ poor countries on oil
Saudi Arabia’s energy minister has slammed the door shut to agreeing to phase down fossil fuels at the UN’s COP28 climate talks, setting the stage for difficult negotiations in Dubai. A…Continue readingSaudi Arabia says ‘absolutely not’ to oil phase down at COP28
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, pumping 1.1%…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 Guardian and…Continue readingCOP28 president says there is ‘no science’ behind demands for phase-out of fossil fuels
Total global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in 2020 were 54.5GtCO2e, and grew to 57.4 in 2022. The emissions gap for 2030 is defined as the differencebetween the estimated total global GHG…Continue readingEmissions Gap Report 2023
Germany’s finance minister, withdrew his party’s support for a crucial agreement between the governing parties to phase out the nation’s coal-burning power plants by 2030. “Until it is clear that energy…Continue readingShifting Political Winds Threaten Progress on Europe’s Green Goals
Germany’s top court has ruled the government broke the law with a €60bn off-budget fund, throwing Berlin’s plans for financing its energy transition and climate policy into disarray. The judges said…Continue readingGerman top court strikes down €60bn climate funding
According to a new paper by scientists from a dozen institutions, the world’s average temperature will surpass 1.5°C above preindustrial times within the next several years—much faster than most existing forecasts.…Continue readingWorld temperatures will blow past Paris goals this decade
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 humanity’s future…Continue reading‘Insanity’: petrostates planning huge expansion of fossil fuels
The remaining budget for a reliable chance (83%) of not exceeding 1.5˚C global warming has been expended – After making all these changes, our best (50%) RCB estimate starting from 2022…Continue readingRemaining Carbon Budget
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 emissions. Moreover,…Continue readingGrowing environmental footprint of plastics driven by coal combustion
Most coastal communities will encounter 100-year floods annually by the end of the century, even under a moderate scenario where carbon dioxide emissions peak by 2040, a new study finds. And…Continue readingCentury’s end may bring annual 100-year floods
Two women climbed in the dark down the banks of the Greenbrier River in West Virginia on Thursday morning and locked themselves to a massive drill, stopping work on a controversial…Continue readingUS climate scientist risks felony by chaining herself to pipeline drill
Greenhouse gas concentrations, global sea level and ocean heat content reached record highs in 2022, according to the 33rd annual State of the Climate report. “People are causing the largest known…Continue readingInternational report confirms record-high greenhouse gases, global sea levels in 2022
The pace at which the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere has jumped three-fold in five decades. Annual growth in global mean carbon dioxide averaged across the last decade has tripled…Continue readingPace of increase in CO₂ concentration has increased three-fold
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 capacity. One…Continue readingChina continues coal spree despite climate goals
U.S. oil production — already the highest in the world — is on track to set a new record this year, and will probably rise even more in 2024. U.S. oil…Continue readingThe U.S. is pumping oil faster than ever. Republicans don’t care.
The “crazy” extreme weather rampaging around the globe in 2023 will become the norm within a decade without dramatic climate action, the world’s leading climate scientists have said. The heatwaves, wildfires…Continue readingDramatic climate action needed to curtail ‘crazy’ extreme weather
Demand reached an all-time high of 103mn barrels a day in June driven by better than expected economic growth in OECD countries, strong summer air travel and surging oil consumption in…Continue readingGlobal oil demand hits record and may move higher, says International Energy Agency
EasyJet’s strong third-quarter financial performance, which beat analysts’ expectations, was boosted by a 22 per cent rise in ticket yields year on year, as passengers continue to pay high fare prices…Continue readingEasyJet predicts record summer profits as travel boom continues