Carbon Emissions

On 'Monday, the U.S. Justice Department filed a lawsuit against Minnesota for its regulation of global greenhouse gas emissions. This is a part of a series of federal actions that has included fraud investigations and immigration raids in Minnesota. In its complaint, the department claims that Minnesota tries to regulate greenhouse gas emissions by suing companies of energy in state courts. In a statement, Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward stated that Minnesota officials could not 'undermine President Trump's directive to unleash American energy dominance by requiring their woke climate preferences be the uniform policy? of the nation. Tim Walz, the...

On Monday, The Nuclear Company and Brookfield Investments announced that they would form a joint-venture to 'develop nuclear projects using u.s. The Nuclear?Company and Brookfield announced on Monday that they will form a joint venture to?develop nuclear projects utilizing?U.S. They said that the new company would combine Brookfield’s expertise in asset management, energy infrastructure development and "nuclear?project delivery capabilities" with The Nuclear Company. This includes project'management, licensing support, and oversight of the engineering, procurement and?construction for Westinghouse AP1000 or AP300 reactors. Investors and governments are partnering to revive nuclear power as an 'emission-free, stable energy source in the face of...

Eurofer, the European steel association, said that the EU's?measures aimed at halving the volume of tariff-free steel imported into the EU will prevent the industry from a "cliff-edge moment" and should allow idled plants to resume production. The EU institutions have reached an agreement to limit the tariff-free imports of 18.3 million tons. This is a reduction of 47% compared to 2024. They also agreed to double the duty on goods that exceed quota. The measures will replace existing "safeguards" that, under World Trade Organization regulations, must expire eight years after the date of June 30. Eurofer reported that steel...

In a piece in 'The Sunday Times,' British Finance Minister Rachel Reeves said that she would be presenting her plan to help businesses who are struggling with high energy prices in the wake of ongoing conflict in Iran. Reeves expressed frustration at the U.S.'s and Israel's lack of action to address Iran's closing of the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial waterway that is used by crude oil markets. Reeves announced that she would provide more information on how businesses can be assisted with costs as the talks in Pakistan over a peaceful settlement ended without agreement. The government previously pledged...

Ursula Von der Leyen,?EU?chief, said that reducing?Europe's nuclear sector was a'strategic error'. This came as the governments struggled to cope with a severe energy shortage caused by the Iran War. The EU Commission President told a Paris event that Europe used nuclear energy to produce around a third in 1990. That number has now dropped to 15%. This leaves Europe reliant upon oil and gas imports, whose prices have risen in recent weeks. Von der Leyen said that Europe was at a disadvantage compared to other regions because it is "completely dependent on expensive and volatile fossil fuel imports". "This...

Ursula Von der Leyen, President of the EU Commission, said that the decision to reduce nuclear energy's share in the mix of electricity production?in Europe was a strategic error. She said in a speech in Paris at a nuclear energy event that "this reduction in nuclear share was a decision, and I believe it was a mistake for Europe to turn its back on an affordable, reliable source of low-emission power." She said that in 1990, the EU relied on nuclear power for a third of its electricity. Now, it's only about 15%. She added that the European Union wants...

The legal battle between the Trump Administration and California over 'auto-pollution regulations' is about to come to a head. This will have huge financial implications for EV manufacturers including Tesla, and traditional automakers that rely on fossil fuel vehicles. California is fighting a move by congressional Republicans that would have allowed the state to implement its own emission regulations. California could force U.S. automobile manufacturers to adhere to two regulatory schemes that are diametrically opposite: President Donald Trump’s?anti EV policy, and California's pro EV regime which eleven other states have adopted. California wants automakers to be required to sell 100...

California, along with a dozen other states, is suing the federal gov't to force it to pay out grants approved by Congress for clean energy projects. The California Attorney General's Office announced this on Wednesday. The Trump administration has terminated funding under environmental laws including the Inflation Reduction Act. This is part of a broader effort to limit support for wind, solar, and other fossil-free energy sources, while prioritizing an increase in U.S. oil production. California is one of the states that have launched dozens suits to oppose various Trump?administration policy. California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced on Tuesday that...

California, Colorado, and Washington are suing to get the federal government to pay grants approved by Congress for clean energy projects. The California attorney general's said this on Wednesday. The Trump administration has terminated funding for environmentally-focused laws such as the Inflation Reduction Act. This is part of a broader effort to curb?support?for wind, solar, and other fossil free power sources, while also?prioritizing an increase in U.S. petroleum production. California has been one of the main opponents to Trump's policies. They have filed dozens suits. California's Attorney General Rob Bonta told reporters on Tuesday that he planned to sue the...

Attorneys General from California and Connecticut have announced a "multi-state plan of attack" to combat President Donald Trump's decision to repeal the federal climate regulation for'vehicles'. The Environmental Protection Agency rescinded last week the "endangerment findings" which said that greenhouse gas emissions from cars endanger the public's health. Trump called this "the biggest deregulatory measure in the history of the United States." Connecticut Attorney General William Tong stated in an interview that "we're going to take action" and described efforts to determine standing, claims, and other elements of the?suit. "We are putting together the best possible plan of action." The...

The repeal by President Donald Trump of the federal climate regulations will free automakers of costly emissions standards at the tailpipe. However, the move may spark lawsuits or force businesses to navigate a future of uncertain state and regional rules. Trump's Environmental Protection Agency finalized on Thursday its repeal of "endangerment findings" for vehicles. This was a 2009 determination that greenhouse gas emission endanger the health of humans. The agency was given the authority to regulate vehicle emissions, and those from other sectors which produce or burn fossil fuels. Trump claimed that the "biggest deregulation action" of all time would...

The Trump administration's repealing of an Obama-era scientific finding that found greenhouse gases posed a threat to public health could open a new path for filing lawsuits. Legal experts say that reversing policy could lead to an increase in "public nuisance" lawsuits, which were previously blocked by a Supreme Court decision in 2011 that said that the Environmental Protection Agency should regulate greenhouse gas emissions instead of courts. Legal experts say that now that the EPA is abandoning this regulatory effort, it's likely that the legal shield created in 2011 will unravel. Robert Percival is a professor of environmental law...

Three sources have confirmed that Stellantis and Leapmotor are in advanced discussions to jointly develop a Opel-branded electric vehicle SUV using the Chinese automaker’s technology. The vehicle would be manufactured at Stellantis’ Zaragoza plant?in Spain. If the deal is finalized, it will help Stellantis reduce the time and cost to?develop? a new electric vehicle model as the French-Italian carmaker shifts its focus towards petrol-electric hybrids. It announced a $25 Billion writedown in relation to its EV plans earlier this year. It also aims to improve the utilization rate of its European plants and fend off BYD, and other Chinese brands....

According to documents released by the Chinese government on Thursday, China will reduce its carbon intensity - or carbon emissions per unit gross domestic product - by 17% in its current five year plan. This is an acceleration of the previous period between 2020 and '2025. China's new five-year plan released on Thursday called for the replacement of 30 million metric tonnes per year with renewables, and pushing towards peak coal. However, it did not set further limits on coal use. China's carbon intensity was reduced by 12% during the five-year plan which ended last year. According to a report...

Agrotools is a Brazilian agricultural data service firm that will?complete building what they claim will be the largest platform in the world for payment of environment services, after securing an subsidized loan from the government, said a senior executive this week. Bernardo 'Pires, government relations manager at the firm, explained in an interview that the platform allows farmers receive lease payments at market rates in exchange for maintaining native vegetation on their land. Businesses and governments that are required to reduce their carbon footprint will provide the money, which they will then share with farmers from a region considered one...

eBay, the e-commerce giant, unveiled on Wednesday its first climate change plan and said it would increase efforts to decarbonize?its operations?and supply chain?as part of a plan?to reach?net-zero emission levels by 2045. The plan was validated by Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi), a standard-setting organization. It builds on achieving an earlier goal to power all of its facilities with 100% renewable electricity by 2020, which had been achieved in 2024. Renee Morin, Chief Sustainability Officer at eBay, said the company aims to align with the goal of limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius over the pre-industrial level. This...

It was not clear what the 190+ countries attending the COP30 would be discussing during the two week U.N. Summit in Brazil's Amazonian city of Belem. It's also unclear how they will handle controversial issues such as the 2023 pledge to stop using polluting sources of energy and their demand for funding to achieve this. The biggest question was whether or not countries would want to reach a final deal, which is difficult to do in an era of global politics that has been fractious and the U.S.'s efforts to block a move away from fossil-fuels. After years of COP...

HSBC released a new set of climate targets on Thursday that are softer and more flexible for near-term sectors like oil and gas. This is in response to the slow rate of change in real economy. The targets for the end of the decade follow a review that was announced by British bank earlier this year, when it dropped its goal to reach net-zero emissions in all of its operations by 2030. HSBC is still aiming for its operations, funded by the loan book, to produce zero emissions by 2050. It and other banks who have set similar climate goals...

China's car industry has been a major disruptor of the global automaker industry for the last decade. Its electric vehicle producers have replaced combustion engine cars at home, and have also flooded the global market with record exports. The country may have to reverse its electric vehicle exports and output following a major policy shift that will reduce EV subsidies in the upcoming five-year plans. China's top industrial policymakers have omitted electric cars from the list of strategic industries in their 2026-2030 Development Agenda, China's main industrial strategy blueprint. Industry analysts interpret the omission as Beijing's willingness to let the...

BHP, world's largest miner, and South Korean Steelmaker POSCO announced on Thursday they had signed an agreement for the advancement of the production "near-zero emissions" iron. This is a major step towards manufacturing green steel. Iron will be produced in a demonstration facility at POSCO’s steelworks, located on the port side of South Korea’s city of Pohang. The process is based on hydrogen and uses an electric smelting oven. Construction will begin shortly, with the commissioning scheduled for 2028. The plant is expected to be able to produce 300,000 tons of molten metal per year. According to the International Energy...

Automakers formed alliances with electric vehicle companies to avoid heavy fines from the European Union for carbon emissions. Several legacy automakers could face fines, as the transition from ICEs to EVs has been slower than expected. As of Tuesday, here are the details on the regulations and alliances that will be in place by 2025. Initial EU fines were based on carbon emissions levels in 2025. The European Commission, under pressure from the automakers, allowed compliance in March based on average emissions between 2025 and 2027. All alliance agreements currently in existence, as identified by their pool managers, will expire...

Nicola Willis, New Zealand's Finance Minister, said that regional and bilateral trade relationships would continue to grow in the face of the U.S.-China Trade War. Small countries such as hers will have to adjust to a different reality and maintain their priorities. Willis stated in an interview with The New Zealand Herald on Thursday that New Zealand is acutely aware of geopolitical risks and economic challenges. However, her discussions this week at the World Bank and International Monetary Fund annual meetings showed the strength of international institutions as well as trade agreements among other countries. She said that New Zealand...

Ferrari unveiled the technology behind the first electric car it has produced, but announced on Thursday that hybrid and petrol vehicles will continue to be at the core of its line-up until 2030. Elettrica will be the name of the electric car that goes on sale in 2019. Ferrari unveiled the production-ready chassis of the Elettrica at an event held in its Maranello headquarters, located in northern Italy. The car base is equipped with a battery pack, electric motors and outer shell, but no wheels or exterior shell. The reveal of Ferrari's first electric car is a major milestone in...

China's Foreign Ministry said that the EU's climate chief's criticisms of China's climate pledges show "double standards" and "selective blindness", accusing them of slow action on their own climate targets. China pledged earlier this week to reduce greenhouse gas emissions between 7% and a 10% reduction by 2035 compared to their peak levels as part of the new targets for its nationally determined contributions. Wopke hoekstra, the European Union's climate commissioner, called the goal "clearly disappointed". The Chinese Foreign Ministry appeared to make a reference to this statement without directly addressing it. A day earlier Donald Trump, the U.S. president,...