Heatwaves driving recent ‘surge’ in compound drought and heat extremes
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Drought and heatwaves occurring together – known as “compound” events – have “surged” across the world since the early 2000s, a new study shows. Compound drought and heat events (CDHEs) can have devastating effects, creating the ideal conditions for intense wildfires, such as Australia’s “Black Summer” of 2019-20 where bushfires burned 24m hectares and killed […]
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DeBriefed 6 March 2026: Iran energy crisis | China climate plan | Bristol’s ‘pioneering’ wind turbine
Welcome to Carbon Brief’s DeBriefed. An essential guide to the week’s key developments relating to climate change. This week Energy crisis ENERGY SPIKE: US-Israeli attacks on Iran and subsequent counterattacks across the Middle East have sent energy prices “soaring”, according to Reuters. The newswire reported that the region “accounts for just under a third of global […]
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Q&A: What does China’s 15th ‘five-year plan’ mean for climate change?
China’s leadership has published a draft of its 15th five-year plan setting the strategic direction for the nation out to 2030, including support for clean energy and energy security. The plan sets a target to cut China’s “carbon intensity” by 17% over the five years from 2026-30, but also changes the basis for calculating this […]
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Pace of global warming has nearly doubled since 2015, reveals study
An acceleration in human-caused global warming could see the Paris Agreement’s 1.5C limit breached before 2030, a new study suggests. The paper, published in Geophysical Research Letters, finds that, over the past decade, the planet has been warming at its fastest rate on record. The authors isolate the trend of human-driven warming in the long-term […]
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Uncertain Remedies for Frozen Federal Climate Funding
On February 24, 2026, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit held oral arguments in the case Climate United Fund v. Citibank to consider the future of almost $20 billion in climate funding appropriated under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Now before the full court of appeals, at issue is […]
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Commercial Needs Environmental Protection In Coastal Zones
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Coastal development creates an interesting problem. Businesses need infrastructure that works. Marine ecosystems need environments that support life. Getting both right at the same time takes more thought than most people realize. Traditional approaches picked one priority and ignored the other. Build massive concrete barriers that protect property but destroy habitats. Or do nothing and […]
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Analysis: UK emissions fall 2.4% in 2025 as coal hits 400-year low
The UK’s greenhouse gas emissions fell by 2.4% in 2025 to their lowest level in more than 150 years, according to new Carbon Brief analysis. The biggest factors were gas use falling to a 34-year low and coal use dropping to levels last seen in 1600, when Queen Elizabeth I was on the throne and William Shakespeare […]
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China Briefing 5 March 2026: New five-year climate goals revealed at ‘two sessions’ meeting
Welcome to Carbon Brief’s China Briefing. China Briefing handpicks and explains the most important climate and energy stories from China over the past fortnight. Subscribe for free here. Key developments Government ‘work report’ for 2026 announced LOWER GROWTH: China is aiming for economic growth of 4.5-5% in 2026, reported state-run newspaper China Daily in its coverage […]
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Q&A: What the EU’s new industry and ‘Made in Europe’ rules mean for climate action
The European Commission has put forward a plan to boost production of EU-made, low-carbon steel, cement and renewables in an effort to rely less on other countries. The proposed “Industrial Accelerator Act” (IAA) aims to boost “resilient and decarbonised” industrial production in EU manufacturing, says the commission. Under the proposal, a percentage of products bought […]
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2.5 MW community-owned wind project in Ayrshire goes into commercial operation
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The new 2.5MW wind turbine in Kilbirnie, Ayrshire. Allan Wilson of ATTIX CIC said the project had been “a long and at times torturous journey” but will “pay massive dividends for an area too long ignored for investment.” The Kilbirnie wind turbine1 has completed its first full week of operations, becoming Scotland’s first community-owned development […]
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Comment: £7bn at stake – why the UK needs EU carbon linkage
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The UK is seeking to link its Emissions Trading Scheme with the EU’s carbon market to reduce trade exposure under the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (image credit: Alexandros Michailidis). With billions in trade exposed to the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, Britain wants clarity and convergence – but Brussels may be about to change the […]
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Technology could transform packaging EPR, says WRAP-supported report
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A system for reading UV signatures on product packaging, installed at an MRF (image credit: Polytag) Emerging technologies could revolutionise the UK’s Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) policy, ensuring businesses that invest in genuine recycling are rewarded while driving better environmental outcomes, according to a new white paper released at The RECOUP Summit on 4 March. […]
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New guidance aims to strengthen environmental assessment for UK space launches
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HyImpulse carried out test launches in Australia in 2024 and are one of three launch operators vying to launch from the UK in the near future. New industry guidance has been released to help spaceport developers and launch operators in the UK assess and manage the environmental impacts of spaceflight as the country’s commercial space […]
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Specialty gas and chemicals supplier expands logistics capability
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This article contains sponsored content. Blended Products has strengthened its liquid carbon dioxide (LCO₂) distribution capability with the introduction of a newly dual-branded Aritas Cryogenics 22 bar LCO₂ Semi-Trailer, paired with a Volvo FH540 Tractor Unit, in partnership with AD FUELS. The specialist cryogenic trailer is dedicated to the haulage of food-grade liquid carbon dioxide, […]
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AG Investigations and Copycat Anti-ESG Legislation Proliferate Despite Losses in Court
Last week, Texas v. BlackRock (E.D. Tex.), the first antitrust case challenging climate collaborations by financial institutions, reached an initial resolution. Texas Attorney General (“AG”) Ken Paxton announced that one of three institutional-investor defendants, Vanguard, had settled. As part of the settlement, Vanguard pledged not to “direct” its portfolio companies’ business strategies, threaten withdrawal of […]
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A “ChatGPT for spreadsheets” helps solve difficult engineering challenges faster
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Many engineering challenges come down to the same headache — too many knobs to turn and too few chances to test them. Whether tuning a power grid or designing a safer vehicle, each evaluation can be costly, and there may be hundreds of variables that could matter. Consider car safety design. Engineers must integrate thousands […]
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Analysis: Half of nations meet UN deadline for nature-loss reporting
Half of nations have met a UN deadline to report on how they are tackling nature loss within their borders, Carbon Brief analysis shows. This includes 11 of the 17 “megadiverse nations”, countries that account for 70% of Earth’s biodiversity. It also includes all of the G7 nations apart from the US, which is not […]
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Wiltshire pilot explores landfill gas-powered food production
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Crops grown within the giant dome will meet the needs of ten local families, at this stage, in the vision of the group. A pilot project in Wiltshire explores the possibilities of turning landfill sites into low carbon, affordable fruit and vegetable production hubs. Unveiled by Sustain Wiltshire in Royal Wooton Bassett, the project appears […]