Cropped 3 December 2025: Extreme weather in Africa; COP30 roundup; Saudi minister interview
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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 COP30 roundup FOOD OFF THE MENU: COP30 wrapped up in the Brazilian Amazon city of Belém, with […]
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Helping power-system planners prepare for an unknown future
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A new computer modeling tool developed by an MIT Energy Initiative (MITEI) research team will help infrastructure planners working in the electricity and other energy-intensive sectors better predict and prepare for future needs and conditions as they develop plans for power generation capacity, transmission lines, and other necessary infrastructure. The tool could reduce the amount […]
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UK project sets out the world’s first roadmap to a circular space economy
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The International Space Station (elements of this image furnished by NASA). From reusable rockets to space stations that could one day recycle floating debris into new materials, a first-of-its-kind study from the University of Surrey and the UK Space Agency sets out the world’s first roadmap to a circular space economy. Published in Chem Circularity, […]
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CIEH responds to UK Government’s revised Environmental Improvement Plan
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Over 90 % of the “very high air-pollution neighbourhoods” in England fall within London, according to a 2025 Friends of the Earth analysis. The UK Government’s publication of a revised 25-year Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP) has been broadly welcomed by the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH), although the group appeared to take issue with […]
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Your Summary of Negotiations: Dec. 3
The 2025 UN Climate talks, COP30, finished on Saturday, November 22nd, following talks (unsurprisingly) being pushed into overtime. COP30, billed as the COP of truth and implementation, the forest COP, and the Amazon COP, failed to include any language in its final decision committing to a fossil fuel phase-out. At the heart of COP30’s discord […]
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UK’s largest floating solar energy project approved at Port of Barrow
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A visualisation of the proposed floating solar array in Cavendish Dock (image credit: ABP). What’s described as the UK’s largest floating solar energy project has been approved for construction at the Port of Barrow. The Barrow EnergyDock project will see the installation of a floating solar array on Cavendish Dock, covering around one-third of the […]
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Analysis: Why COP30’s ‘tripling adaptation finance’ target is less ambitious than it seems
One of the headline outcomes to emerge from COP30 was a new target to “at least triple” finance for climate adaptation in developing countries by 2035. Vulnerable nations stress that they urgently need to strengthen their infrastructure as climate hazards intensify, but they struggle to attract funding for these efforts. The new goal, which builds […]
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Battery passport programme announced for grid-scale storage event in Barcelona
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Barcelona event addresses critical compliance gap for grid-scale storage, long-duration systems, and new battery applications ahead of February 2027 deadline Battery and Energy Storage Europe, the Barcelona-based event championing European battery innovation and collaboration, has announced a comprehensive programme of talks and solutions focused on the EU Battery Passport, a regulatory milestone the organisers view […]
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Reflecting on COP30
As it is my first COP, I walked in with quite the optimism, the hope that I would see some new things. And though I did, simultaneously the same framework I had long recognized replicated itself in front of me. The false carpet floors sat three inches above concrete, Indigenous Peoples and Afrodescendant panels were […]
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Bright curiously danced beneath my eyes: COP30 reflections
bright curiously danced beneath my eyesnew documents and bracketed language1quick feet pacing the halls yet somehow I knew this place beforeI knew their eyes, I saw their denialthe false solidarity and solutionswondering if the fabric walls had birthed thempopulating the minds of many Thunderbirds2 boomed, a fire roaredThe plastic ceilings and cardboardwent as fast as […]
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New control system teaches soft robots the art of staying safe
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Imagine having a continuum soft robotic arm bend around a bunch of grapes or broccoli, adjusting its grip in real time as it lifts the object. Unlike traditional rigid robots that generally aim to avoid contact with the environment as much as possible and stay far away from humans for safety reasons, this arm senses […]
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Asia-Pacific faces ‘$500bn-a-year’ hit from rising seas if current policies continue
Coastal flooding could bring $500bn of annual damages to the Asia-Pacific by the year 2100, if countries do not adapt to rising sea levels. This is according to new research, published in the journal Scientific Reports, which assesses how coastal flooding is impacting the Asia-Pacific region – and models how the damages could worsen as […]
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New predictive tech tackles oxygenation of fisheries
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The RA BASE system in situ, connected to solar power. A new technology solution to tackle problems like algal blooms combines data science, environmental science, AI and IoT to monitor and predict water-quality issues, and to trigger interventions intelligently rather than running interventions 24/7 Leeds innovation consultancy Parallax has teamed up with aquatic technology business […]
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Aberdeen project to turn potato waste into “skincare gold”
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Image credit: Gordon Joly, CC BY-SA 2.0 license. A new project at the University of Aberdeen is exploring how to turn potato waste into high value compounds that can be used for cosmetics, pharmaceutical and nutraceutical products. The Scottish seed potato industry, worth £24.2 million, generates over 51,000 tonnes of potato shaws annually. As part […]
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Competency certification makes a difference with running AD plants
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Recording engine readings is one element of maintaining certification. Anaerobic digestion (AD) plants across the UK are raising the bar on compliance and safety through the introduction of Competency Management System (CMS) certification – a standard created by the Energy and Utility Skills (EUS) body and recognised by the Environmental Agency (EA). One group to […]
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Research flags light pollution as a silent threat to the planet (and one easily solved)
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Image credit: Hi I’m Charlie, CC BY 2.0 license. New research seems to have revealed for the first time the full extent of how Artificial Light At Night (ALAN) is increasing carbon released by plants and animals across continents – without any increase in the carbon they absorb. The result is reduced carbon storage in […]
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Government announces strengthened Environmental Improvement Plan
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New funding for landscape recovery is the centrepiece of the publication (image credit: Marc Barrot, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 license). The UK government published its revised Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP) on Monday 1 December, presented as a five-year roadmap to tackle the nature and climate crisis, improve public health, and support sustainable growth. It includes significant […]
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MIT Sea Grant students explore the intersection of technology and offshore aquaculture in Norway
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Norway is the world’s largest producer of farmed Atlantic salmon and a top exporter of seafood, while the United States remains the largest importer of these products, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization. Two MIT students recently traveled to Trondheim, Norway to explore the cutting-edge technologies being developed and deployed in offshore aquaculture. Beckett […]