Analysis: Wind and solar have saved UK from gas imports worth £1.7bn since Iran war began

Carbon Neutral Regulation in AI Training

The UK has avoided the need for gas imports worth £1.7bn since the start of the Iran war, as a result of record electricity generation from wind and solar, reveals Carbon Brief analysis. The surge in wind and solar output is cutting the need for gas-fired generation, which has been nearly a third lower than […]

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When we hear about automation and artificial intelligence replacing jobs, it may seem like a tsunami of technology is going to wipe out workers broadly, in the name of greater efficiency. But a study co-authored by an MIT economist shows markedly different dynamics in the U.S. since 1980. Rather than implement automation in pursuit of […]

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Europe’s ageing water infrastructure is under increasing pressure from climate-related flooding, water stress and pollution, says Sweco. Europe faces growing long-term risks as flooding, water scarcity and pollution increasingly converge across the continent, according to a new analysis from engineering and architecture consultancy Sweco. The report, Too much, too little, too polluted, warns that climate-driven […]

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New analysis carried out by climate technology company IES has identified potential annual energy savings of around £64,000 at Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh, equivalent to approximately 11% of the university’s current energy spend. The project, commissioned by the university, used IES’s live digital twin technology to analyse operational performance across the institution’s 236,310 sq […]

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Finnish waste processing equipment manufacturer Tana Oy has expanded its waste processing portfolio with the launch of the TANA Multi Waste Buckets MWB17 and MWB23, designed to integrate pre-shredding directly into wheel loader operations. The new attachments are intended to provide an alternative to traditional standalone pre-shredders by combining shredding and bag opening into the […]

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 Forest loss falls DRIVER DECLINE: Tropical primary forest loss fell by more than one-third from 2024-25, according […]

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Non-deterministic agents are those where the same input can lead to distinct outputs across multiple runs.
Carbon Brief is offering an exciting opportunity for students, or recent graduates, to work with the team for three weeks this summer. This journalism internship will be paid the London Living Wage, with an additional travel bursary. Job description Carbon Brief’s award-winning journalism and analysis is respected by scientists, journalists, policymakers and campaigners around the […]
Nick Scott, Harj Narulla, Nicholas Young, Michael Burger, Harro van Asselt, Jessica Wentz and Maria Antonia Tigre In May, the High Court of Australia (HCA) will hear MACH Energy Australia v Denman Aberdeen Muswellbrook Scone Healthy Environment Group & Anor (“Denman”), the first climate case to reach Australia’s apex court. The case concerns the New […]

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Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Air pollution is estimated to cause around 48,881 adult deaths a year in Nepal1 and more than 25,000 deaths in Ethiopia,2 alongside significant health harm across Malawi’s fast-growing cities. To combat this, researchers from the University of Surrey have developed three new evidence-based toolkits, co-authored with local partners in each country, to […]

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A landfill site in Goias, Brazil (image credit: Marcos Casiano / Shutterstock.com) Landfills and coal mines will now come under the scrutiny of the UN’s satellite methane emissions monitoring programme for the first time, UNEP announced on 4 May. The plan to broaden the remit of the International Methane Emissions Observatory (IMEO), run by the […]

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A concentrated solar power (CSP) plant using mirrors to generate high-temperature heat. Odqa carried out its trials at the Plataforma Solar de Almería, Spain A UK-based concentrated solar thermal startup, Odqa, has announced two technology milestones it says could help heavy industry reduce reliance on fossil fuels for high-temperature processes. The company reported that it […]

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The number of electric vehicles registered on UK roads has passed two million for the first time, according to new Department for Transport (DfT) figures. The DfT said 2,012,000 zero emission vehicles were licensed in the UK at the end of December 2025, up 31.2% year-on-year. Of these, 1,874,000 were classed as road using vehicles, […]

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Gabriele Farina grew up in a small town in a hilly winemaking region of northern Italy. Neither of his parents had college degrees, and although both were convinced they “didn’t understand math,” Farina says, they bought him the technical books he wanted and didn’t discourage him from attending the science-oriented, rather than the classical, high […]

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This article contains sponsored content. As biomethane continues to gain traction as a low-carbon energy source, operators are looking for every opportunity to boost the efficiency and economics of anaerobic digestion plants. This is where judicious choices with the process stages beyond the digester itself can make a big difference. Critical among these are pasteurisation […]

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Fibreglass particles are entering the marine food chain via ageing boats, according to the research (image credit: University of Brighton). A UK marine biologist’s research into fibreglass pollution in shellfish has inspired a UN-endorsed international project to tackle the growing issue of “invisible pollution” from abandoned boats across the UK, France, and Portugal. University of […]

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This article contains sponsored content. As the UK accelerates towards a low-carbon future, green hydrogen is emerging as a cornerstone of the energy transition. Central to this shift are electrolysers, systems that split water into hydrogen and oxygen using renewable electricity. However, the main challenge facing wider deployment is efficiency, which is being tackled on […]

Nations are “back on track” to adopt a framework for curbing global shipping emissions, following the latest International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) meeting in London, UK. The proposed “net-zero framework” had been expected to be approved by countries at the IMO towards the end of 2025. Instead, the Trump administration was accused of “bully-boy” tactics as […]