Fossil Fuel Crisis Offers Chance to Speed up Energy Transition, Ministers Say
The Iran‑triggered fossil fuel crisis has highlighted the volatility of oil and gas, prompting energy and climate ministers at the Petersberg Climate Dialogue to call for an accelerated shift to clean power. Over 30 nations, backed by the UN, are using the crisis as a catalyst to push renewable investment and electrification ahead of COP31 in Antalya. Ministers emphasized that diversification, storage and a clear roadmap to phase out coal, oil and gas are essential for both energy security and climate goals. The dialogue also flagged lagging climate‑plan submissions from more than 40 countries.
To Avoid COP Mistakes, Santa Marta Conference Must Be Shielded From Fossil Fuel Influence
The Santa Marta conference in Colombia will convene dozens of governments to design a comprehensive phase‑out of fossil fuels, marking the first multilateral summit dedicated solely to this goal. Organizers emphasize shielding the talks from fossil‑fuel lobby influence, a criticism...
US Pressure Puts World Bank’s Climate Plan at Risk
The World Bank’s Climate Change Action Plan (CCAP), which earmarks 45% of its budget for climate‑beneficial projects, is set to expire in June. The Trump administration, through Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, is pressuring the bank to drop its climate targets...
Türkiye Sets COP31 Dates and Appoints Australian Cattle Farmer as Youth Champion
Turkey’s environment ministry announced that the COP31 World Leaders’ Summit will be held in Antalya on November 11‑12, 2026, shifting the venue from Istanbul to the coastal resort. Pre‑COP sessions will take place in Fiji and Tuvalu from October 5‑8, reflecting...
How a Global Roadmap Can Meet the Promise to Halt Deforestation
Brazil’s COP30 opened a global consultation on a Roadmap for Halting Deforestation, drawing more than 100 submissions from governments, NGOs, and businesses. The process highlighted urgent demand for a concrete implementation plan, yet the summit failed to secure a binding...
Italy Pushes Coal Exit Back After Gas Prices Rise
Italy’s government has postponed the permanent shutdown of its four remaining coal‑fired power plants to 2038, citing a sharp rise in gas prices triggered by the Middle East conflict. The amendment was attached to a broader energy‑crisis bill and passed...
India Withdraws Bid to Host COP33 Climate Talks
India quietly withdrew its offer to host the 2028 COP33 climate summit, a bid first announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at COP28 in Dubai. The decision was communicated to the UN climate group on April 2, 2026, without public explanation....
Carbon Accounting Can Help Tackle the Hidden Emissions of War
Researchers estimate the US‑Israeli conflict with Iran has already emitted more than 5 million tonnes of CO₂e in just the first two weeks. Using spend‑based accounting, the $11.3 billion U.S. expenditure in the first six days translates to roughly 3.4 million tonnes of...
Ugandan Farmers Use British Court to Try to Stop Oil Pipeline
Ugandan farmers, represented by UK law firm Leigh Day, have filed a letter before action in a British court seeking to halt the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP). They allege the $5.6 billion project, now 80% complete, violates Uganda’s constitution...
India Sets Achievable Green Electricity and Emissions Intensity Targets
India has officially approved its next climate NDC, setting a 47% reduction in greenhouse‑gas emissions intensity by 2035 relative to 2005 levels. The plan also targets non‑fossil electricity capacity of 60% and a carbon‑sink increase of up to 4 billion tonnes...
Iran War Could Boost Fossil Fuel Phase-Out Push, Says Colombian Minister
The Iran‑Israel war has disrupted roughly a fifth of global gas flowing through the Strait of Hormuz, driving oil and gas prices higher and reviving calls for renewable investment. Colombian Environment Minister Irene Vélez Torres says the crisis creates a...
Can New CEO Steer Global Center on Adaptation Back on Course?
The Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) has appointed former Madagascar finance minister Rindra Rabarinirinarison as its new chief executive, tasking her with repairing a damaged reputation and securing urgent funding. The centre is confronting a serious financial shortfall after the...
UK Cuts Support for Climate Action Abroad to Fund Military Instead
The UK government announced it will reduce overseas climate finance by more than 10%, cutting the annual allocation to about £2 billion for the next three years. The savings are being redirected to fund the largest peacetime defence budget increase since...
Will the EU Finally Make Waste Pay for Its Growing Carbon Footprint?
The European Commission must decide by the end of July whether to bring municipal waste incineration into the EU Emissions Trading System. Emissions from waste‑to‑energy plants have roughly doubled since 1990, releasing tens of millions of tonnes of CO₂ each...
Roadmap Launched to Restart Deadlocked UN Plastics Treaty Talks
Chile’s ambassador Julio Cordano unveiled a roadmap to revive the stalled UN plastics treaty process. The plan calls for informal talks in Nairobi from June 30 to July 3, followed by virtual consultations every four to six weeks and a possible second in‑person...
New Summit in Colombia Seeks to Revive Stalled UN Talks on Fossil Fuel Transition
Colombia and the Netherlands will host the First Conference on the Transition Away from Fossil Fuels in Santa Marta this April, aiming to jump‑start a stalled UN process for a global fossil‑fuel roadmap ahead of COP31. The gathering expects 40‑80...
The US’s Critical Minerals Club Threatens an Equitable Clean Energy Transition
The United States is forming a critical‑minerals trading bloc aimed at breaking China’s dominance in supply chains for digital and defense technologies. The initiative downplays clean‑energy needs, even though analysis shows only a handful of the 33 minerals the UK...
China Eases Climate Target but Clean Energy Could Still Cut Emissions, Experts Say
China’s new five‑year plan lowers its carbon‑intensity goal to a 17% cut between 2026 and 2030, a step back from the 18% target for 2021‑2025 that it already missed. Analysts warn the weaker pledge could let national emissions rise 3‑6%...
Gulf Oil and Gas Crisis Sparks Calls for Renewables Investment
The war between the United States, Israel and Iran has disrupted oil and LNG flows through the Strait of Hormuz, halting Qatari LNG production and sharply raising global energy prices. About one‑fifth of world oil and LNG passes the strait,...
US Set to Exit UN Climate Convention in February 2027
The United States will formally exit the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change on February 27, 2027, a year after the required notification period. The withdrawal follows the 2026 departure from the Paris Agreement, making the U.S. the first nation...
Middle East Crisis Increases Southeast Asia’s Coal Risk
Escalating Middle East conflict has spiked LNG prices, prompting Southeast Asian nations to reconsider energy security. A 50% jump in gas costs followed a drone strike on Qatar’s premier LNG hub, exposing the fragility of regional supply chains. Governments risk...
EU Carbon Credits Could Supercharge World’s Clean Cooking Push, France Says
The European Union will be permitted to count up to 5% of its 2040 emissions‑reduction target against high‑quality international carbon credits starting in 2036. France’s climate envoy Benoît Faraco argues that directing a share of these credits to clean‑cooking projects could...
Pacific Nations Want Higher Emissions Charges if Shipping Talks Reopen
Seven vulnerable Pacific island nations have warned they will push for a universal levy on all shipping emissions and higher charges if the International Maritime Organization reopens negotiations on its stalled Net‑Zero Framework. The coalition, led by Fiji, Kiribati, Vanuatu,...
Curbing Methane Is the Fastest Way to Slow Warming – but We’re Off the Pace
The 2025 Global Methane Status Report finds human‑caused methane emissions have risen since 2020, though the increase is smaller than earlier forecasts. The Global Methane Pledge’s ambition has spurred national plans that could deliver an 8% cut by 2030, yet...
World Leaders Invited to See Pacific Climate Destruction Before COP31
World leaders and climate ministers will be invited to a series of pre‑COP31 events across the Pacific, with Fiji hosting the official pre‑COP meeting in early October and a special leaders’ component in Tuvalu. Australia will supply operational and logistical...
UN’s New Carbon Market Delivers First Credits Through Myanmar Cookstove Project
The UN’s Article 6.4 carbon market has issued its first credits, approving 60,000 carbon units from a clean‑cooking project in Myanmar. The programme, originally launched under the CDM, distributes efficient cookstoves that reduce firewood use and associated deforestation. South Korean firms...