Environment

Documents seen by have revealed that the U.S. Department of Agriculture asked its staff to search for over two dozen words and phrases relating to climate change and diversity in order to determine which grants could be terminated during the first months of the second Trump Administration. This effort was part of a broader campaign among federal agencies in order to comply with President Donald Trump’s directives that diversity, equity and inclusivity efforts and climate regulations be eliminated within the federal government. Trump called DEI "racist", "illegal", and pressured private institutions like universities to end diversity practices. Climate change has...

Documents seen by have revealed that the U.S. Department of Agriculture asked its staff to search for over two dozen words and phrases relating to climate change and diversity in order to determine which grants could be terminated during the first months of the second Trump Administration. This effort was part of a broader campaign among federal agencies in order to comply with President Donald Trump’s directives that diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts as well as climate regulation be eliminated within the federal government. Trump called DEI a "racist" practice and said it was "illegal". He also pressed private institutions...

A senior Alaska Native official, who was responsible for overseeing the federal agency that is in charge of U.S. Arctic research policy, quietly left her position in the last few days. This information comes from a source with knowledge of the issue and documents seen. The departure of Elizabeth Qaulluq Cravalho who was a member of the U.S. Arctic Research Commission (USARC) until earlier this month is the latest indication of the turmoil in the Arctic research community and the policymaking process since Republican U.S. president Donald Trump assumed office in January. Sources say that the exact nature of Cravalho's...

On Monday, environmental groups sued Alaska’s wildlife authorities to stop a predator-control plan that allows game wardens to hunt an unlimited number of bears using helicopters in a vast area where a protected herd of caribou roams. The groups claim that the Board of Game reinstated the program, without taking into account the impact on grizzly bear and black beaver populations. This is a violation of Alaska's wildlife conservation provisions. The suit was filed in the state district court of Anchorage. It claimed that state fish and games agents had killed 175 black bears and 175 grizzlies since 2023 under...

Ding Xuexiang, vice premier of China, called on fellow leaders to show "true multiculturalism" at the climate summit held in Brazil. Ding, via a translation, said: "We must strengthen international collaboration in green technology and the industry, remove trade obstacles, and ensure free flow of high-quality green products, to better meet global sustainable development needs." Ding told the official Xinhua News Agency on Friday that the developed countries must fulfill their obligation "to lead in emission reduction and honour their funding commitments", as well as provide more assistance to developing countries. He said that China was willing to work with...

During its current nine-month session, the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to decide on a number of important cases involving presidential powers, trade tariffs, guns, transgender sportspeople, race, campaign financing law, gay "conversion therapies", religious rights, and capital punishment. The Supreme Court's current term runs until the end of June. Here are some of the important cases that will be heard during this time. Separately, the court has also acted in emergency cases in several cases that challenge President Donald Trump's policy. TRUMP TARIFFS During arguments on 5 November, the justices raised questions about the legality Trump's sweeping Tariffs. This...

Vistra Corp forecast adjusted core profit for 2026 higher than the outlook it gave this year. This reflects its confidence in its expanding power generation portfolio, and its strong demand throughout U.S. market. As it expands its gas-fired energy and clean energy capacities, the Texas-based electricity company expects an adjusted EBITDA of between $6,8 billion and $7.6billion in 2026, up from a forecast range for 2025 of $5.7 to $5.9billion. Vistra's Board also approved an extra $1 billion worth of share buybacks. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, a surge in AI- and cryptocurrency-based data centers combined with the...

Utility Evergy missed Wall Street's adjusted profit estimates for its third quarter on Thursday and cut the upper end of the adjusted earnings forecast 2025 due to the impact from milder summer weather conditions and higher interest costs. The quarter saw a drop in earnings for utilities like Evergy due to a cooler than normal summer. In a press release, CEO David Campbell stated that while we have implemented cost-saving and mitigation measures across the company, they do not completely offset weather headwinds in the second and third quarters. The high interest rates have made it difficult for utility companies...

Google's biggest deal to remove carbon emissions involves financing the restoration of Amazon rainforests with Brazilian startup Mombak. This comes as big tech searches for high-quality credits that can offset emissions from energy-hungry data centres. Companies said the deal would offset 200 metric tons carbon emissions. This is four times more than a pilot agreement signed in September 2024 between Google and Mombak, its sole supplier of forestry credits. Both companies declined comment on the deal's value. The agreement shows how big tech wants to mitigate the climate impact of its massive investment in data centers that use a lot...

The government revealed in its budget plan for the first budget of Prime Minister Mark Carney that Canada may scrap the cap on oil-and-gas emissions and replace it with other measures, such as industrial carbon pricing or the deployment of technology to capture and store carbon. In the climate plan that was part of the first budget of Prime Minister Mark Carney, it said the cap would be no longer needed because its value would be marginal. The Canada's emission cap is not being enforced by legislation, and it will not take effect before 2030. Canadian oil and natural gas...

The government revealed in its budget plan for the first budget of Prime Minister Mark Carney that Canada may scrap a cap on gas and oil emissions if other initiatives like carbon markets, stronger regulation, and carbon capture and storage technology prove successful. In the climate plan that was part of the first budget of Prime Minister Mark Carney, it said the cap would be no longer needed as its value would be marginal. The Canadian emissions cap is not legally enforced and will not take effect until 2030. However, Canadian oil and natural gas companies have condemned it because...

Inter-American Development Bank's (IDB) first Amazonia Bond raised $100 million to combat deforestation, boost local communities and support them, according to its chief. Other countries will follow soon. The coupon rate for the five-year bond is 3.802%. Ilan Goldfajn, President of the IDB, said that the operation is the start of a plan for the IDB to issue bonds up to $1 billion "over time." He added that the Brazilian government has told them they intend to issue similar bonds using the same framework developed by the IDB and the World Bank. Brazil's Treasury said that "studies are underway" to...

On Saturday, thousands of climate activists marched peacefully through the Brazilian city Belem to call for more action in order to protect the fate and future of the planet. They also vented their anger towards governments and fossil-fuel industries. Negotiators have reached the halfway mark of the marathon COP30 Climate Summit, which aims to put years of promises to action in order to stop global warming and provide support for those who are most affected. Indigenous people, youth activists, and civil society groups sang, played musical instruments, and waved banners in the sweltering heat. Marina Silva, Brazil's Environment Minister, addressed...

On Friday morning in Brazil, dozens of indigenous protesters blocked the entrance of the COP30 Summit venue. They staged a sit-in which forced delegates into a side door to resume their climate change negotiations. During the peaceful protests, security guards increased checks, and long queues formed to get into the compound. The sprawling complex is built on an old airport site in the Amazonian city of Belem. The venue hosts the annual U.N. Climate Conference where delegates of 195 countries are trying to make progress in halting global temperature rises that threaten delicate ecosystems, including the Amazon rainforest. The protesters...

On Friday morning in Brazil, dozens of indigenous protesters blocked the entrance of the COP30 Summit venue. They staged a sit-in which forced delegates into a side door to resume their climate change negotiations. Security was stepped up during the peaceful protest and long queues of delegates waited to enter the sprawling complex, built on the former site of the old airport of the Amazonian city of Belem. The protesters demand that the Brazilian Government halts all development projects within the Amazon region, including mining, oil drilling, logging and building a new railroad for the transportation of mining and agricultural...

On Wednesday, indigenous protesters defended the charging of the gates at Brazil's COP30 summit on climate change and the clash with security a few days earlier. They said the action was meant to demonstrate the desperation in their fight for the protection of forests. The protesters said they were mainly concerned about having their voices heard. They had been inside the compound listening to negotiators discussing the changing world as the temperatures increase. Auricelia is a member from the Arapiun tribe in Para state, Brazil, which hosts the Belem summit. She said that the protest was aimed at attracting the...

Iceland's climate minister said that the government has classified the collapse of an Atlantic Ocean current as a threat to national security and an existential concern, which allows it to plan for worst-case scenarios. Warm water is brought from the tropics to the Arctic by the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). This warm water flow helps keep Europe's cold winters mild. Scientists warn that the flow of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) could be disrupted by the cold water from Greenland melting the Arctic ice. The collapse of AMOC would trigger a new ice age in which winter temperatures...

On Tuesday, dozens of indigenous protesters forced themselves into the COP30 Climate Summit venue and clashed violently with security guards. The protesters shouted angrily and demanded entry to the U.N. compound, where thousands of delegates are attending the U.N. Climate Summit this year. Some carried flags or signs that said "Our land is not for Sale" or slogans urging land rights. A leader of the Tupinamba tribe, located near the lower reaches Tapajos River on the Brazilian coast, expressed his displeasure at the ongoing development. Gilmar, a man who goes by only one name, said: "We cannot eat money." "We...

Raoni Metuktire, a 93-year-old indigenous leader, has urged Brazil to empower natives in order to preserve the Amazon rainforest. She also warned that the plans to build infrastructure are a direct danger to the forest and the people who live there. In an exclusive interview with The Telegraph on Tuesday, Chief Raoni, a leader widely known as the chief of the Raoni tribe, warned that the proposed rail projects, oil wells and highways will harm people around the world. "These projects continue to destroy rivers and land. It's not good. Raoni, who spoke in his native Kayapo language with his...

The COP30 Climate talks begin in Brazil this Week Small island states are pushing for a new push to 1.5C. The discussion will also include how to pay climate damages Clar NiChonghaile UnaMay Gordon is a former director for climate change at the Jamaican Government and advisor to the Caribbean Community Climate Change Center that coordinates climate action. We lost our cultural heritage. 300-year old churches are gone. It also took a part of our own identity with it. Gordon told reporters that "people are hurting". According to Jamaica's Prime Minister, the strongest storm ever to hit the island left...

Scientists in Chile warned that the population of Humboldt Penguins, which is one of only a few species to live on rocky coastlines in temperate areas, was at risk of further decline after the species was declared endangered. Scientists at the Universidad de Concepcion estimate the number of Humboldt Penguins in Chile has dropped from 45,000 to fewer that 20,000 since the late 1990s. The species is considered vulnerable by international organizations, which prohibits commercial trade. But late last month Chile’s Environment Ministry reclassified it as “endangered.” Biologists are concerned that the numbers of seabirds will continue to decrease. The...

Sebastian Vettel, the retired Formula One world champion, said that he was open to taking on a new sport role as long as it had meaning. The German spoke at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix, where he raised climate awareness. He won four titles for Red Bull, and his last race was with Aston Martin 2022. "Why not? If it's well-spent time, there's a human element, it's challenging, and I enjoy it, why not?" He said this at Interlagos without giving any details or examples. "There must be a reason." I don't just want to come here to make money....

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...

The U.N. Climate conference generates hundreds of headlines every year about global efforts to save the world from a climate catastrophe. The conference begins in Belem, a Brazilian rainforest city. What exactly takes place at these annual summits, then? What you should know WHAT IS A COP? The annual Conference is called a COP. This stands for Conference of the Parties who signed the U.N. Climate Treaty of 1992. The U.N. The Framework on Climate Change Convention, or UNFCCC, committed countries to work together to combat climate change. The treaty established the principle "common, but differentiated responsibility", which means that...