Federal Court Enjoins DOI’s Anti-Renewable Actions in Renew Northeast v. DOI
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Earlier this week, on April 21, 2026, the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts enjoined five secretarial orders issued by the Department of the Interior (“DOI”) and U.S. Army Corps (“USACE”) that collectively imposed sweeping constraints on wind and solar development across the United States. The Sabin Center’s Renewable Energy Legal Defense Initiative […]
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Iran war: EU strategy sets out 44 actions to limit ‘fossil-fuel price shocks’
The European Commission has launched a strategy to protect people in the EU from “fossil-fuel price shocks” and accelerate the expansion of “homegrown clean energy”. The strategy notes that the latest fossil-fuel crisis, triggered by the Iran war, has already cost the EU an additional €24bn for imports of oil and gas. Carbon Brief has […]
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PFAS removal from industrial wastewater: How can activated carbon help?
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This article contains sponsored content. Removing harmful per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from industrial wastewater and surrounding environments is a clear goal with many murky considerations. Water treatment agencies are flooded with information on the dangers of PFAS and their obligation to manage their removal, and yet uncertainty persists. Differing standards across regions, industries and […]
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Achieving accurate bulk solids dosing in water treatment: selecting auger-based equipment
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This article contains sponsored content. When handling bulk solids in water treatment facilities, important steps include storage, transportation, and finally dosing of the material. Often, transportation and dosing are handled by a single auger-based machine. Alternative technologies are available, such as vibratory feeders, pneumatic conveying, or aero mechanical conveyors. However, auger-based equipment can provide controlled, […]
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Teaching AI models to say “I’m not sure”
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Confidence is persuasive. In artificial intelligence systems, it is often misleading. Today’s most capable reasoning models share a trait with the loudest voice in the room: They deliver every answer with the same unshakable certainty, whether they’re right or guessing. Researchers at MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) have now traced that overconfidence […]
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Climate Change, the Courts and US policy – a Critical Perspective From a Former Judge of the UK Supreme Court
Introduction As a British judge with a special interest in environmental law, I have over the last two decades taken a particular interest in the developing role of the courts across the world in response to the challenges of climate change. In this article I shall look back at my perceptions of the responses of […]
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Cropped 22 April 2026: Global food ‘catastrophe’ | BECCS emissions | UK solar farm controversy
We handpick and explain the most important stories at the intersection of climate, land, food and nature over the past fortnight. This is an online version of Carbon Brief’s fortnightly Cropped email newsletter. Subscribe for free here. Key developments Food ‘catastrophe’ FAO WARNING: On Monday, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) warned that a prolonged […]
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Why LiFePO4 Energy Storage Is Driving the Next Phase of Electrification
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The debate about electrification worldwide is now moving beyond the infancy period. Several years ago, all conversations were about increasing the number of panels, farms, and renewable sources. Such focus made sense. However, in 2026, the topic that occupies the center of public debates is somewhat different. Clean energy generation became less of a problem. […]
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Q&A: How the UK government aims to ‘break link between gas and electricity prices’
The UK government has announced a series of measures to “double down on clean power” in response to the energy crisis sparked by the Iran war. The conflict has caused a spike in fossil-fuel prices – and the high cost of gas is already causing electricity prices to increase, particularly in countries such as the UK. In […]
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State of the climate: Strong El Niño puts 2026 on track for second-warmest year
The first three months of 2026 have been the fourth warmest on record, with each successive month surpassing historical averages by a greater margin. While weak La Niña conditions pushed down temperatures at the start of the year, scientists expect the development of a strong – and potentially “super” – El Niño event by early […]
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Britain’s empty buildings could unlock billions, advocacy group tells treasury
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Advocacy group Don’t Waste Buildings is calling on the UK government to overhaul its tax system to incentivise the reuse of empty buildings, warning that Britain is missing out on billions of pounds of potential economic growth. The group launched its report, “The Reuse Dividend: Unlocking Economic Growth from Britain’s Existing Buildings”, at a reception […]
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Patent transfer agreement brings phosphorus recovery technology closer to full-scale rollout
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Haskoning ViviMag®team, from left to right: Sigrid Scherrenberg, Paul Roeleveld and Martijn van Leusden. Copyright Haskoning Royal HaskoningDHV has signed a patent transfer agreement with Kemira for ViviMag, a phosphorus recovery technology designed to improve resource extraction from sewage sludge. The agreement marks a shift from pilot-stage development to early commercial deployment, with a full-scale […]
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Comment: Efficiency in motion – why sustainable pumping must be a strategic priority
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Wayne Rose is chief executive of the British Pump Manufacturers Association (BPMA). By Wayne Rose of the BPMA Energy efficiency is no longer a peripheral consideration for the UK pump industry — it is now central to how the sector innovates, competes and contributes to national sustainability goals. Given that pumping systems account for a […]
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Hybrid lining system enables live repair of critical port infrastructure
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Shoreham Port pipe before cleaning and lining. UK utilities and drainage services provider Lanes Group says it has used a newly-developed lining system for the first time to seal four large-diameter pipes that are vital for keeping a sea port operational, as it explains here. The pipes feed water from a pump house to refill […]
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Clean energy pushes fossil-fuel power into reverse for ‘first time ever’
Renewable energy has overtaken coal to become the world’s largest source of electricity in 2025, according to thinktank Ember. The growth of solar and wind meant that, for the first time since 1919, the share of coal power was lower than that of renewables. Fossil-fuel generation fell by 0.2% in 2025, the thinktank’s latest annual […]
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Revealed: Scientists tell Colombia fossil-fuel transition summit to ‘halt new expansion’
Countries attending a first-of-its-kind fossil-fuel summit have been asked to consider “action recommendations” such as “halting all new fossil-fuel expansion” and “reject[ing] gas as a bridging fuel”, according to a preliminary scientific report seen by Carbon Brief. Around 50 nations will gather in Santa Marta, Colombia from 24-29 April to debate ways to “transition away” […]
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Project gives a second life to fire-damaged components from one of UK’s earliest wind farms
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Offshore wind expert RWE says it has successfully recycled major components from a fire-damaged offshore wind turbine, marking what the group claims is a significant step forward in circular practices within the UK’s renewable energy sector. RWE is “giving a second wind” to deconstructed components from a turbine at its Scroby Sands Offshore Wind Farm, […]
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Engineered algae targets smaller microplastic fragments in wastewater
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Susie Dai (image credit: University of Missouri). A research team at the University of Missouri has developed a genetically engineered algae strain they say is designed to capture microplastics in wastewater, while also enabling their reuse in new materials. Led by Susie Dai, professor of engineering and principal investigator at the Bond Life Sciences Centre, […]