Global soil moisture in ‘permanent’ decline due to climate change
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A new study warns that global declines in soil moisture in the 21st century could mark a “permanent” shift in the world’s water cycle. Combining data from satellites, sea level measurements and observations of “polar motion”, the research shows how soil moisture levels have decreased since the year 2000. The findings, published in Science, suggest […]
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Glossary: Decoding the climate and energy jargon used in China
China, the world’s biggest greenhouse gas emitter as well as the fastest deployer and manufacturer of low-carbon technologies, has issued a series of climate policies to help reach net-zero. As Carbon Brief has detailed in its China country profile, China’s complex political system – a labyrinth of committees, conferences and other bodies – often makes […]
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How AI Is Quietly Reshaping Logistics: Cutting Waste and Boosting Margins
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While finance and healthcare get the headlines for embracing AI, some of the most lucrative use cases are on the roads. Logistics is the backbone of global trade, and executives are catching on—in 2024, 90% of supply chain leaders said technological capabilities are top factors when choosing freight partners. The reason? AI is turning an […]
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Saryu Nayyar, CEO and Founder of Gurucul – Interview Series
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Saryu Nayyar is an internationally recognized cybersecurity expert, author, speaker and member of the Forbes Technology Council. She has more than 15 years of experience in the information security, identity and access management, IT risk and compliance, and security risk management sectors. She was named EY Entrepreneurial Winning Women in 2017. She has held leadership […]
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Experts: What do Trump’s tariffs mean for global climate action?
The Trump administration in the US has imposed tariffs on all imports from China, Mexico and Canada, as well as on steel, aluminium and cars from around the world. In response, the US has been hit with retaliatory tariffs from major trading partners, including the EU. US president Donald Trump has said he intends to […]
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Hakimo Raises $10.5M to Revolutionize Physical Security with Autonomous AI Agent
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With reports of crime rates rising, security teams understaffed, and false alarms overwhelming traditional systems, the need for smarter, more reliable protection has never been more urgent. Stepping up to meet this demand, Hakimo, a Menlo Park-based AI security startup, has announced a $10.5 million Series A funding round to supercharge its mission of transforming […]
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New York City’s Building Electrification Law Wins in District Court
Last week, building electrification secured an important victory in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. In Association of Contracting Plumbers of The City of New York, Inc. et al v. City of New York, plumbing and building trade groups challenged New York City’s Local Law 154 of 2021, a […]
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Towards Total Control in AI Video Generation
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Video foundation models such as Hunyuan and Wan 2.1, while powerful, do not offer users the kind of granular control that film and TV production (particularly VFX production) demands. In professional visual effects studios, open-source models like these, along with earlier image-based (rather than video) models such as Stable Diffusion, Kandinsky and Flux, are typically […]
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Gemini 2.5 Pro is Here—And it Changes the AI Game (Again)
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Google has unveiled Gemini 2.5 Pro, calling it its “most intelligent AI model” to date. This latest large language model, developed by the Google DeepMind team, is described as a “thinking model” designed to tackle complex problems by reasoning through steps internally before responding. Early benchmarks back up Google’s confidence: Gemini 2.5 Pro (an experimental […]
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Significant challenges obstruct plans to use AI to support the public sector, says PAC report
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Image credit: Sharaf Maksumov / Shutterstock.com. In a new report on the UK government’s use of AI, the Public Accounts Committee warns that while AI has the potential to radically change public services, the scale of the task ahead in grasping these opportunities is concerningly great. The Government is seeking to scale up AI adoption […]
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We are vastly overestimating the amount of fresh water available for lithium mining, says new study
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A better understanding of the complex hydrology in arid regions will give environmental managers the information they need to make the best possible decisions, say the authors (image credit: David Boutt). New research into lithium mining in the “Lithium Triangle” of Chile, Argentina and Bolivia — source of more than half of the world’s lithium […]
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Artificial Intelligence: Addressing Clinical Trials’ Greatest Challenges
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Modern medicine is a marvel, with previously unimaginable cures and treatments now widely available. Think of advanced medical devices such as implantable defibrillators that help regulate heart rhythm and reduce the risk of cardiac arrest. Such breakthroughs would not have been possible without clinical trials – the rigorous research that evaluates the effects of medical […]
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Dave Williams, Senior Principal at PAE Engineers – Interview Series
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Dave Williams, is the Senior Principal at PAE Engineers, he has 20 years of experience in mechanical engineering. Through his extensive work with data centers, laboratories, and healthcare facilities, he has become exceptionally skilled at providing designs for controlled environments. Dave focuses on reducing operating and maintenance costs, and increasing energy efficiency. He counts Kaiser […]
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Over £19.5 million awarded in latest round of the Heat Network Efficiency Scheme in England and Wales
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Announced on 26 March, this latest Round (7) is the biggest so far of the UK government’s Heat Network Efficiency Scheme (HNES), and will see almost £20 million allocated to help 63 heat networks. Funding is intended to unlock efficiency improvements, greater reliability, and lower costs for low-income households, colleges, universities, and vital NHS facilities. […]
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Cancelling the Buy Clean Program Will Not Cancel Low Embodied Carbon Construction
Photo by Oliver Ulerich on Unsplash On his first day in office President Trump axed the Biden-era federal Buy Clean program. Buy Clean was designed to leverage the federal government’s buying power to help grow the low carbon building materials industry. Killing it will have consequences—buildings are responsible for a major share of global carbon […]
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Cropped 26 March 2025: US birds in peril; UK ecologists ‘job fears’; Finance ‘fuelling’ deforestation
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 Forest and biodiversity funds TRANSFORMING FOREST FINANCE: A Forest Declaration Assessment report revealed that global forest finance […]
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Dark Factories and the Future of Work: How AI-Driven Automation is Reshaping Manufacturing
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In today’s fast-changing industrial world, AI-driven automation is no longer just a part of the future; it is happening right now. One of the most notable examples of this transformation is the rise of dark factories in China. These advanced factories operate entirely without human workers and even without traditional lighting. Instead, they rely on […]
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MIT Maritime Consortium sets sail
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Around 11 billion tons of goods, or about 1.5 tons per person worldwide, are transported by sea each year, representing about 90 percent of global trade by volume. Internationally, the merchant shipping fleet numbers around 110,000 vessels. These ships, and the ports that service them, are significant contributors to the local and global economy — […]