Analysis: How Chinese media is covering the Iran energy crisis
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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 […]
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Evaluating the ethics of autonomous systems
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Artificial intelligence is increasingly being used to help optimize decision-making in high-stakes settings. For instance, an autonomous system can identify a power distribution strategy that minimizes costs while keeping voltages stable. But while these AI-driven outputs may be technically optimal, are they fair? What if a low-cost power distribution strategy leaves disadvantaged neighborhoods more vulnerable […]
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New Article Shows Climate-Alliance Emissions Reductions Are Not Antitrust Output Restrictions
Corporate coordination to mitigate climate change raises complex questions for competition policy. From a structural antitrust perspective, climate alliances comprised of large asset managers can raise the specter of unaccountable “private governance,” if effectively imposing clean-energy restraints across an entire sector. But from an econometric perspective, which seeks to optimize consumer welfare, institutional investors may […]
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IPCC: ‘Frustrating and disappointing’ meeting leaves AR7 timeline in deadlock
Governments are still at loggerheads over the timeline for publishing the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) next three-part report, after countries doubled down on existing positions at a meeting in Bangkok. Last week, around 330 delegates from more than 100 countries met in Thailand for the 64th session (IPCC-64) of the UN’s climate science […]
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Are Electric Heat Pumps Cheaper Than Gas Furnaces?
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Growing energy costs are driving new financial considerations for homeowners and businesses alike, and heat pumps offer an increasingly cost-effective and reliable alternative to dirty, aging gas furnaces and industrial boilers. Residential heat pumps are outpacing gas furnace sales[1] as the cost, efficiency, and health benefits of the technology become better understood. Industrial heat pumps […]
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Maritime project aims to improve methanol fire safety
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Image credit: 1971yes Safety charity Lloyd’s Register Foundation has awarded £378,000 to a new initiative led by DBI – The Danish Institute of Fire and Security Technology – in a bid to tackle one of the maritime sector’s most urgent safety challenges: fire risk from methanol, one of the alternative fuels in the global green […]
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Preview tool helps makers visualize 3D-printed objects
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Designers, makers, and others often use 3D printing to rapidly prototype a range of functional objects, from movie props to medical devices. Accurate print previews are essential so users know a fabricated object will perform as expected. But previews generated by most 3D-printing software focus on function rather than aesthetics. A printed object may end […]