DeBriefed 2 April 2026: Countries ‘revive’ energy-crisis measures | Record UK renewables | Plug-in solar savings
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Welcome to Carbon Brief’s DeBriefed. An essential guide to the week’s key developments relating to climate change. This week Crisis responses OIL SUPPLIES: The International Energy Agency (IEA) warned that oil supply disruptions will worsen in April due to the Iran war, reported CNBC. The outlet added that the IEA was considering another release of strategic […]
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Analysis: Record wind and solar saved UK from gas imports worth £1bn in March 2026
The UK avoided the need for gas imports worth £1bn in March 2026 thanks to record electricity generation from wind and solar, reveals Carbon Brief analysis. Wind generation hit a new record for the month of March on the island of Great Britain, up 38% year-on-year, while solar nearly matched the output of last year’s […]
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Q&A: Why the standoff between nations over the next IPCC reports matters
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) latest assessment cycle has been beset by disagreements between nations over the timeline for publishing its next landmark report. During the UN climate science body’s last five “sessions” – biannual meetings where governments discuss matters related to the IPCC’s work – governments have been unable to sign off […]
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Research shows cast iron pipes can temporarily ‘reseal’
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Technical research commissioned by UK Water Industry Research (UKWIR) and conducted by the University of Sheffield has provided a breakthrough in understanding how and why cast iron pipes fail. The UK water industry faces a unique challenge due to a significant legacy of grey cast iron (GCI) infrastructure, much of which dates back to the interwar period. The newly released report, ‘Understanding how the deterioration of cast iron pipes evolves into leakage’, supports smarter, more proactive […]
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ISEP launches updated GHG framework amid rising energy price volatility
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Coinciding with a time of heightened global energy uncertainty, the new Greenhouse Gas Management Hierarchy (GHGMH) has been launched today (2 April), providing organisations with a clear, practical framework for reducing carbon emissions – including transitioning away from fossil fuels. First introduced in 2009 and adopted by both the UNFCCC and ISO as global best-practice […]
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Analysis: How ‘plug-in solar’ can save UK homes £1,100 on energy bills
Plug-in solar panels could save a typical UK household £1,100 over their 15-year lifetime, according to Carbon Brief analysis. In response to the ongoing energy crisis, the UK government announced on 15 March a package of clean-energy measures to “boost” energy security. Among these was the introduction of “plug-in” solar panels to the UK, which […]
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Evaluating the ethics of autonomous systems
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Artificial intelligence is increasingly being used to help optimize decision-making in high-stakes settings. For instance, an autonomous system can identify a power distribution strategy that minimizes costs while keeping voltages stable. But while these AI-driven outputs may be technically optimal, are they fair? What if a low-cost power distribution strategy leaves disadvantaged neighborhoods more vulnerable […]
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New Article Shows Climate-Alliance Emissions Reductions Are Not Antitrust Output Restrictions
Corporate coordination to mitigate climate change raises complex questions for competition policy. From a structural antitrust perspective, climate alliances comprised of large asset managers can raise the specter of unaccountable “private governance,” if effectively imposing clean-energy restraints across an entire sector. But from an econometric perspective, which seeks to optimize consumer welfare, institutional investors may […]
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IPCC: ‘Frustrating and disappointing’ meeting leaves AR7 timeline in deadlock
Governments are still at loggerheads over the timeline for publishing the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) next three-part report, after countries doubled down on existing positions at a meeting in Bangkok. Last week, around 330 delegates from more than 100 countries met in Thailand for the 64th session (IPCC-64) of the UN’s climate science […]
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Are Electric Heat Pumps Cheaper Than Gas Furnaces?
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Growing energy costs are driving new financial considerations for homeowners and businesses alike, and heat pumps offer an increasingly cost-effective and reliable alternative to dirty, aging gas furnaces and industrial boilers. Residential heat pumps are outpacing gas furnace sales[1] as the cost, efficiency, and health benefits of the technology become better understood. Industrial heat pumps […]
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Maritime project aims to improve methanol fire safety
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Image credit: 1971yes Safety charity Lloyd’s Register Foundation has awarded £378,000 to a new initiative led by DBI – The Danish Institute of Fire and Security Technology – in a bid to tackle one of the maritime sector’s most urgent safety challenges: fire risk from methanol, one of the alternative fuels in the global green […]
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Preview tool helps makers visualize 3D-printed objects
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Designers, makers, and others often use 3D printing to rapidly prototype a range of functional objects, from movie props to medical devices. Accurate print previews are essential so users know a fabricated object will perform as expected. But previews generated by most 3D-printing software focus on function rather than aesthetics. A printed object may end […]
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Regulation of Coastal Weathering in Massachusetts: A New Sabin Center Report
Carbon dioxide removal (“CDR”) has become increasingly vital to prevent catastrophic climate change. Even with aggressive cuts to greenhouse gas emissions, atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations will remain elevated for centuries, continuing to warm the planet and intensify climate impacts. By actively removing and storing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, CDR can help close the gap […]
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How wildfires and storms drove insurance losses in 2025 – in three charts
Extreme weather events around the world, such as wildfires and storms, were the major driver behind $107bn in insured losses in 2025, according to industry data. The Los Angeles wildfires alone caused record-high $40bn in insured losses from fires, says a new report from reinsurance company Swiss Re. The report notes that, while overall insured […]
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Air pollution alerts deliver health benefits for Chinese cities, says study
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Pollution in Shanghai City, December 2024. Air pollution alerts issued by authorities in China’s cities significantly reduce harmful pollution and save lives, a new study appears to reveal. Publishing their findings in PNAS Nexus, an international research group led by University of Birmingham scientists analysed five years of data from 57 cities in northern China […]
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Smarter use of wood can help cool the planet, says new study
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Low-value wood can be used in engineered products such as particleboard before being converted to energy with carbon capture. A recent research project appears to demonstrate a more effective way to use wood to achieve enduring global cooling. Rather than sending low-value wood directly into bioenergy systems such as BECCS, the study suggests it could […]
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MIT researchers use AI to uncover atomic defects in materials
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In biology, defects are generally bad. But in materials science, defects can be intentionally tuned to give materials useful new properties. Today, atomic-scale defects are carefully introduced during the manufacturing process of products like steel, semiconductors, and solar cells to help improve strength, control electrical conductivity, optimize performance, and more. But even as defects have […]
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Why Are Natural Gas Prices So High?
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The post Why Are Natural Gas Prices So High? appeared first on Energy Innovation.