Iran war analysis: How 60 nations have responded to the global energy crisis
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One month into the US and Israel’s war on Iran, at least 60 countries have taken emergency measures in response to the subsequent global energy crisis, according to analysis by Carbon Brief. So far, these countries have announced nearly 200 policies to save fuel, support consumers and boost domestic energy supplies. Carbon Brief has drawn […]
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Cropped 8 April 2026: Iran war drives up food prices | Two nature talks conclude | Return of UK’s tallest bird
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 Iran war and food systems PLANTING AT RISK: The war in the Middle East “has hit the […]
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War-time fall out: Cut fertilisers to improve UK security and benefit nature, says charity
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While there is relief at last night’s ceasefire in the US-Israel war with Iran, today’s commentators continue to warn of ongoing uncertainty for fuel supplies and prices; but in the long run, will it be shortages of fertiliser and the knock-on effect on our food security that affect Britain the most in the economic fall-out of the war? Cutting fertiliser use has never made more sense, writes Vicki Hird, strategic lead on agriculture, The Wildlife Trusts. Keys facts: […]
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Project turns recovered car battery acid and plastic waste into clean hydrogen
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Image credit: Beverly Low Researchers have developed a solar-powered reactor to break down hard-to-recycle forms of plastic waste – such as drinks bottles, nylon textiles and polyurethane foams – using acid recovered from old car batteries, and converting it into clean hydrogen fuel and valuable industrial chemicals. The reactor, developed by researchers from the University […]
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Ganges River pollution study: standard monitoring identifies only 1% of organofluorine contamination
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Standard tests fail to identify 99% of toxic PFAS chemicals in the Ganges River, according to a new study from interdisciplinary research organization The James Hutton Institute, the University of Graz, Warsaw University of Technology and the Indian Institute of Technology. Flowing over 2,500km from the Himalayas to the Bay of Bengal, the Ganges River […]
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Sixteen new START.nano companies are developing hard-tech solutions with the support of MIT.nano
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MIT.nano has announced that 16 startups became active participants in its START.nano program in 2025, more than doubling the number of new companies from the previous year. Aimed at speeding the transition of hard-tech innovation to market, START.nano supports new ventures through the discounted use of MIT.nano shared facilities and a guided access to the […]
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Analysis: How Chinese media is covering the Iran energy crisis
As the closure of the Strait of Hormuz wreaks havoc on fossil-fuel supplies across the world, a prominent narrative in western media has been that low-carbon energy has helped mitigate the worst of the impact on China. While Chinese-language media has featured similar arguments, it has also highlighted China’s coal industry and broader energy security […]
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Heat networks fund accepting applications from Welsh projects
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The Green Heat Network Fund (GHNF)1 will open to Welsh projects from Round 12, unlocking new opportunities for clean heat and accelerating Wales’ path to net zero by 2050. The Welsh Government shares Westminster’s goal to reach net zero by 2050 and has committed to decarbonising all public sector buildings by 2030. In Cardiff, a […]
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Introducing Carbon Brief’s 2026 cohort of contributing editors
Carbon Brief’s editorial team is supported by an international group of academics, each specialising in various areas of climate science, biodiversity, energy and policy. As contributing editors, they help to keep Carbon Brief up-to-date with the latest scientific and policy developments, as well as providing advice, when required, on matters of scientific accuracy. The contributing […]
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Helping data centers deliver higher performance with less hardware
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To improve data center efficiency, multiple storage devices are often pooled together over a network so many applications can share them. But even with pooling, significant device capacity remains underutilized due to performance variability across the devices. MIT researchers have now developed a system that boosts the performance of storage devices by handling three major […]
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Working to advance the nuclear renaissance
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Today, there are 94 nuclear reactors operating in the United States, more than in any other country in the world, and these units collectively provide nearly 20 percent of the nation’s electricity. That is a major accomplishment, according to Dean Price, but he believes that our country needs much more out of nuclear energy, especially […]
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Two More Courts Uphold Building Decarbonization Laws, Rejecting EPCA Preemption
The number of court decisions upholding building decarbonization laws against federal preemption challenges is growing. After the Ninth Circuit’s decision in California Restaurant Association v. City of Berkeley (Berkeley), building decarbonization laws effectively prohibiting fossil-fuel appliances covered by the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 (EPCA) appeared to be on shaky ground. Since that […]
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DeBriefed 2 April 2026: Countries ‘revive’ energy-crisis measures | Record UK renewables | Plug-in solar savings
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 […]