Bonn climate talks: Key outcomes from the June 2026 UN climate conference
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Two weeks of tense UN climate talks in Bonn, Germany, have produced few tangible outcomes as diplomats faced “gridlock”. Negotiators failed to find agreement in numerous areas, such as scaling up global emissions cuts and funding for climate adaptation. In the closing plenary, many diplomats lamented weakened trust in the UN climate process, as it […]
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DeBriefed 19 June 2026: Bonn talks end in ‘gridlock’ | Energy’s ‘new era’ | Oceans in climate negotiations
Welcome to Carbon Brief’s DeBriefed. An essential guide to the week’s key developments relating to climate change. This week Bonn talks close ‘SIDE-STEPPING AND STALLING’: UN climate talks in Bonn have ended in “gridlock”, according to Climate Home News. The outlet reported on the failure to balance developing countries’ need for climate-adaptation finance with “richer nations’ […]
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Grid connection delays halt growth for 1 in 3 firms affected, says new research
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New research reveals 34% of companies that have experienced grid delays say it stopped company growth entirely, while those yet to face the challenge are dramatically underestimating what lies ahead. The UK’s industrial sector is broadly optimistic about growth, with 28% of organisations expecting to expand by 26-50% within the next three years. But a […]
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Experts: Why carbon removal needs a ‘major scale up’ to return warming to 1.5C
Last week, more than 260 researchers convened in Milan to discuss the opportunities, challenges and risks involved in scaling “carbon dioxide removal” (CDR) to help curb climate change. The conference – held on the campus of the Politecnico di Milano – is the fourth in a series, with previous editions held in Oxford, UK in […]
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MIT in the media: For the future of tech, “Massachusetts can absolutely lead”
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On June 9, The Boston Globe released its 2026 “Tech Power Players” list, recognizing 50 influential local leaders in technology and business across Massachusetts. The list includes eight MIT affiliates including President Sally Kornbluth, Prof. Daniela Rus (director of CSAIL), Prof. Regina Barzilay, Prof. Yet-Ming Chiang, Prof. Max Tegmark, Ana Bakshi (executive director of the Martin […]
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Q&A: What do China’s provincial five-year plans say about climate and energy?
China’s provincial-level governments have now all published their 15th five-year plans – economic and social development blueprints for 2026-2030. These provincial plans reaffirm the overall trajectory of China’s energy transition, but reveal regional differences, based on economic and geographic considerations. Provincial plans are a critical mechanism for showing how high-level targets from the central government […]
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In game theory, generalists sometimes win out over specialists
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Whether you’re playing poker against a single opponent or find yourself in a bidding war over a home purchase with another prospective buyer, you are operating under conditions of imperfect information. You know what cards you’re holding in the poker game, and you also know how much above the home’s asking price you can afford, […]
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Circular economy strategies overlooking cotton, timber and other bio-based materials, says Ellen MacArthur Foundation
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The report calls for stronger integration of bio-based materials such as cotton into circular economy frameworks. Circular economy policies around the world are overlooking some of the most important renewable materials used by industry, according to a new report from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation (EMF), which argues that cotton, timber, rubber, leather and other bio-based […]
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UK plastics recyclers face export setback under new European rules
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The European Union has effectively cut off access for recycled plastic exports from Britain under new rules that require material to be sorted and recycled within the bloc in order to count towards EU recycled content targets, according to industry representatives. The changes, introduced this year, are the latest in a series of measures aimed […]
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North Sea hydrogen storage could power UK for 7 years, says new research
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The UK could store enough green hydrogen in depleted North Sea oil and gas fields to meet the country’s future electricity demands for 7 years, according to new research from the University of Durham. Geologists and engineers from Durham Energy Institute have, in an apparent first, mapped different hydrogen storage scenarios against half-hourly data on […]
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Paris wastewater plant to test removal of tyre wear particles
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A pilot project at one of Europe’s largest wastewater treatment plants will investigate whether wastewater treatment processes can effectively remove tyre and road wear particles (TRWP) from water before it is released into the environment. The Tire Industry Project (TIP) has launched the study in partnership with the Greater Paris Sanitation Authority (SIAAP) and sustainability […]
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Cropped 17 June 2026: Coral reef ‘hope’ | Ocean talks | Plant flowering times ‘shift’
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 Ocean talks MAKING WAVES: African and Commonwealth countries issued a “call to action” to implement the High […]
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The Role of Attribution Science in Climate Litigation
The Sabin Center maintains an open access database that attempts to post all of the climate change cases around the world. It has more than 3600 cases in 62 different jurisdictions and 28 international courts and regional tribunals. Of these, about 60% are in the United States. The largest numbers of these cases concern the […]
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Could AI tell you where you left your keys?
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An auto factory worker can remember the storage bin where she left a partly assembled component the night before, and quickly return to that spot to pick it up. But robots that may work side-by-side with her would struggle to develop and access this same type of “spatiotemporal” memory. Now, MIT researchers have developed a […]
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MIT’s Initiative for New Manufacturing builds momentum
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In May, the Initiative for New Manufacturing (INM) marked its first anniversary with MIT Manufacturing Week, four days of events that attracted more than 800 registrants including students, faculty, industry leaders, investors, entrepreneurs, and government officials to explore topics ranging from how companies are using AI on factory floors to the role of startups in […]
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Analysis: Energy-efficient air conditioning could save Indian homes 69bn rupees a year
More energy-efficient air-conditioning units could, together, save Indian households ₹69bn ($724m) a year, according to new analysis by Carbon Brief. Climate change-induced extreme heat is driving up the use of air conditioning across the country, as people try to cope with record-breaking temperatures. This demand, however, is straining the country’s power grid and raising emissions. […]
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Python Concepts Every AI Engineer Must Master
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Transitioning from writing local experimental scripts to building scalable, production-grade AI systems requires a shift in how we write Python.
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AI Agent Tool Design: What Works and What Doesn’t
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