Race to Net Zero

This week we cover the extreme weather events making chocolate an even guiltier pleasure, the landmark climate inaction ruling by the European Court of Human Rights and the sobering message from the UN’s climate chief. But the forecast isn’t solely gloomy, we also spotlight ingenious startups rethinking heat storage and the Latin American leaders fighting to save the Amazon.

This week we cover AI’s mass energy consumption (spoiler, it's equivalent to a small country), the 57 companies contributing to 80% of global emissions, and the investment deficit putting 1.5C goals out of the question. However, it’s not all doom and gloom, as we look into the green-tech startups working hard to prevent future disasters, with sand batteries capable of heating small towns — from a single charge — and photosynthesis-enabled space travel…

This week we cover how climate change is affecting our brains, our concept of time, and (sorry sommeliers) even our wine. However, it’s not all doom and gloom, as we look into the green-tech startups working hard to prevent future disasters, with cross-Germany ‘solar-system’ implementation, and green cement that produces less than 98% of the carbon emissions.

Today we're diving into a new study that reveals Europe's positive progress in reducing pollutants (but with a catch), exploring how the EV boom is turning China's gas car factories into zombies, we get the scoop on Shell's climate targets shake-up and investigate a report casting doubt on the ecological benefits of having a global electric vehicle fleet.

Despite covering just 1% of Earth's surface the Amazon rainforest is a biodiversity treasure trove, home to over 10% of all known wildlife species - including many yet to be discovered. But the largest rainforest on the planet faces severe threats.

This week, the EU unveiled an ambitious plan to slash greenhouse gas emissions by 90% by 2040, aiming to become the world's first climate-neutral continent. But with key sectors like agriculture still largely exempted from targeted cuts, can the bloc truly fulfil its ambitious climate promises?

Climate falsehoods have reached a fever pitch in recent years — with numerous environmental pledges not being met as promised — but a coalition of startups is looking to reverse this worrying trend. They've introduced an open-source AI platform named ClimateGPT, designed to combat climate disinformation. But is it any better than ChatGPT or Bard?

Power-hungry AI systems are causing headaches for US electricity providers as surging demand strains an already overburdened power infrastructure. While plans are underway to invest in cleaner energy generation for data centres, the colliding expansion of AI, EV production and chip manufacturing has had suppliers scrambling to satisfy demand — with some already turning to high-polluting fuels like coal.

The Panama Canal, now starved by extreme droughts, offers startling proof of how profoundly climate change can disrupt global trade flows. As water levels drop, vessel transits through this critical shipping lane have been sharply restricted. But even as emergency measures are taken, fixing the climate-battered canal will take years and cost billions — if it's at all possible.

Last month, COP28 closed with a landmark deal pushing for a global shift away from fossil fuels. Nearly 200 nations agreed to accelerate their decarbonisation goals amidst international pressure for bolder action — but will global governments step up to the challenge?

As the second week of COP28 wraps up, it’s time to review early gains from the summit. The opening week saw promising strides on key fronts: a long-awaited funding deal secured vital relief money for climate-vulnerable countries; 100+ countries pledged to triple global renewables by 2030; and major emitters committed to reducing methane emissions by 30% lower than 2020 levels.

COP28 is finally here, and the stakes could not be higher. Tens of thousands of politicians, campaigners, and business leaders have descended on Dubai this week to discuss critical issues at the heart of climate action.

As floods submerge Pakistan and heatwaves roast southern Europe in autumn, this week delivered another stark wakeup call on climate. A UN report published days before the COP28 summit found that current emissions pledges would still put the world on track to warm by nearly 3°C this century.

As COP28 approaches, government delegates from various countries met in Kenya this week to discuss a worldwide agreement to combat plastic pollution. The key debate revolved around a crucial question: should we reduce plastic production or focus on better waste management?

Scientists are developing AI-driven robots to automate the restoration of coral reefs, in a bid to save these crucial ecosystems threatened by climate change.

In his forthcoming King's Speech, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is expected to tackle vital energy-related measures, including plans for future oil and gas drilling in the North Sea. Meanwhile, a new survey found that 30% of global businesses will rely on fossil fuels well into the 2050s, with respondents citing a lack of market and policy incentives as the most significant barriers to energy transition.

A new report suggests that shifting just half of annual fossil fuel heating subsidies could help Europe transition to 100% renewable heating by 2040.

Scientists are uncovering ‘zombie viruses’ from the melting Siberian permafrost, some of which retain their infectious properties after 50,000 years. Plus, new research shows AI systems could soon consume as much electricity as an entire country.

A controversial government report that estimated the UK's net-zero expenditure to be a staggering £4.5 trillion was retracted after the discovery of glaring factual errors. Meanwhile, South African cities, plagued by recurrent power outages over the past year, may find respite through AI-optimised water heaters.

Green fund managers have raised concerns following the UK’s backward shift on green policies. The uncertainty over climate ambitions could both jeopardise achieving net-zero by 2050 and threaten the UK’s attractiveness as a destination for green investment.