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Governor of Bashkortostan, Russia says oil company will continue production after drone attack
Radiy Khabirov, the regional governor of Bashkortostan in Russia, said that a company producing oil will continue to produce despite an attack by drone on Saturday. Ukraine intensified its attacks on Russian energy infrastructure to weaken Moscow's military capability, while peace negotiations are still stuck. The attack caused a fire to break out at an oil refinery operated by Bashneft. Rosneft is Russia's biggest oil producer. Bashneft operates four major oil and petrochemical refineries in the area. Khabirov didn't specify the facility that was targeted. Both drones that were downed fell onto the property of the company. In the first instance, a small flame broke out and was quickly put out. In the second instance, the supply was cut off of technical water," Khabirov stated on Telegram. He said that the plant will continue to function normally and there will be no production reductions or operational stops. In his statement, he did not mention Ukraine. Unverified footage circulated on local Telegram channels, showing an object flying in the facility followed by a fireball. Ufa is approximately 1,400 km (870 miles), or roughly, from the Ukrainian border. Reporting by Lucy Papachristou Editing and Peter Graff
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US Energy Council Chief: Future Offshore Wind Projects Unlikely
U.S. Interior Secretary and Energy Council Chief Doug Burgum has said that it is not likely that there will be future offshore wind projects built in the country under the current Trump administration.During the Gastech conference in Milan, Burgum said the renewable power from offshore wind is ‘just too expensive and not reliable enough’.“We are taking a deep look. There are five projects that are under construction and we’re taking a look at each of those,” Burgum said.When it comes to the solar power, and future projects, Burgum noted that for such projects, solar panels will have be produced by the U.S. itself,He also said during the Gastech conference in Milan that if there was to be a future for solar power in the United States, panels have to be made by the U.S. itself or its allies, and not China, due to reported ‘kill switches’ installed in the equipment supplied by the country.
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US appellate court pauses on climate rule challenges
Court documents show that a federal appeals court said on Friday it would suspend its consideration of the legal challenges against U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission climate regulations until Wall Street regulators decide whether they will change them or defend them in court. The SEC, under former president Joe Biden adopted rules that required publicly traded companies, led by Republican states, to inform investors about climate risks, emissions, and spending. Republican-led state and an industry group immediately challenged this in court. In March, under Republican President Donald Trump the SEC decided to stop defending this rule. The U.S. Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit, issued an order Friday saying that the legal challenges would be put on hold to encourage judicial economy because the SEC refused to defend its rule in court, or to say if it intended to modify the rule or scrap it entirely. The order stated that it was the responsibility of the SEC to decide whether the Final Rules would be rescinded or repealed. It also noted that the SEC already had stayed the regulations’ effective date while the legal challenge was ongoing, so a delayed court ruling would not harm. The SEC didn't immediately respond to requests for comment, but in July the agency informed the court that it had no intention of reconsidering the rule and asked the court to continue the case anyway. Reporting by Douglas Gillison, Washington; Editing and proofreading by David Gregorio
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US EPA proposes to end mandatory greenhouse gas reporting
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed a rule on Friday to end the mandatory reporting of greenhouse gas emissions by 8,000 facilities. This program, the EPA said, was burdensome for businesses but left the public in the dark about the environmental impact. The agency stated that mandatory collection of GHG emission data is unnecessary as it "is not directly related to potential regulations and has no significant impact on improving the health and environment of humans." KEY QUOTE The Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program, according to EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, is nothing but bureaucratic red-tape that doesn't improve air quality. BACKGROUND The rule is a response to an executive order that was issued on the first day of President Donald Trump's presidency. It aims to remove barriers to releasing more U.S. Energy, especially fossil fuels. This is just the latest in a long line of regulatory rollbacks that have undone previous U.S. attempts to combat climate changes. Earlier this year, the EPA revealed plans to repeal its "endangerment findings" which allowed it to regulate greenhouse gases from stationary and vehicle sources. The proposal, if finalized, would eliminate reporting obligations for all large facilities, fuel and industrial gas providers, and CO2 injector sites. The Trump administration also announced that it would pull the U.S. out of the Paris Climate Agreement, which requires all countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Key Context The Trump administration also took steps to stop the collection of environmental databases by the EPA and other federal agencies such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and NASA's satellites that monitor greenhouse gases. DETAILS Under the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program, 47 categories of sources covering 8,000 suppliers and facilities are required to calculate their greenhouse gas emission and submit it annually. The agency will continue to require the submission of data on methane emissions for large oil-and-gas operations that are subject to a charge for waste emissions. (Reporting and editing by Richard Chang; Valerie Volcovici)
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NATO launches "Eastern Sentry" to strengthen eastern flank following Russian drone incursion
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte announced that NATO launched on Friday an operation called Eastern Sentry in response to Russian drones entering Polish airspace this week. Rutte said at a NATO press conference in Brussels that "we must make it clear to the world our determination and our capability to defend our territories." He said this while standing next to NATO's top commander U.S. Air Force general Alexus Grynkewich. Rutte stated that NATO was still assessing possible intentions behind the incursion. This led to Polish and NATO allies shooting down drones, the first such action NATO has taken since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. He said that the Russian action was "reckless" and "inacceptable", regardless of whether it was intentional. Russia claimed that its forces were attacking Ukraine when the drones entered the country and they had no intention of hitting any targets in Poland. Warsaw rejected this explanation and said the incursion had been a deliberate attack. FLEXIBLE RESPONSE ALONG EASTERN FLANC Grynkewich stated that Eastern Sentry is designed to be a flexible, integrated operation for bolstering defences along NATO’s entire Eastern flank. This extends from the Baltic States in the north all the way down to Romania and Bulgaria. He said, "Poland's citizens and those from the Alliance in general should feel assured of our swift response this week as well as our important announcement today." NATO has already deployed thousands of troops in Eastern Europe. The number of additional troops involved in this new operation was not specified. The announcement listed a modest amount of new military assets, including two F-16 fighters and a Danish frigate, three Rafale jet fighters from France, and four Eurofighter aircraft from Germany. Grynkewich, however, said that the new operation also aimed to adopt a more flexible strategy to defend the eastern flank in general rather than having static forces dedicated to a specific area. He said: "We will adjust our posture across the eastern flank in a way that keeps the enemy off-guard, while also responding to specific threats when we see them emerge." Reporting by Andrew Gray, Bart Meijer; Writing by Charlotte Van Campenhout, John Irish, Editing by GV de Clercq Alexandra Hudson, Aidan Lewis
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EU countries delay deal on new climate goal, diplomats say
Three EU diplomats said on Friday that the European Union has shelved its plans to adopt a new target for climate change next week after France and Germany resisted plans to reach a quick agreement. The countries are discussing a legally binding target of reducing net EU greenhouse gas emission by 90% from 1990 levels by 2040. A portion of this will be covered by purchasing foreign carbon credits. According to the European Commission, this will provide investors with certainty and help Europe reach net zero emissions in 2050. Climate change has caused Europe to become the fastest-warming continental in the world, unleashing deadly wildfires and record-breaking heatwaves. The EU is divided on how ambitious it should be when tackling global climate change, while also trying to increase defense spending and support struggling industry. On September 18, EU ministers were to have approved the 2040 target for climate change. Three EU diplomats have said that the ambassadors of EU countries cancelled this plan at a Friday meeting. The ministers said that next week they will discuss the goal of 2040, but any agreement will be discussed with EU leaders before the discussion is concluded. The diplomats asked to remain anonymous when discussing the closed-door discussion. If the EU fails to reach a deal by next week, it could miss the mid-September deadline set by the U.N. for all countries to submit their new climate plans in preparation for the COP30 summit on climate change scheduled for November. Diplomats have said that Denmark, Spain, and the Netherlands all support the 90 percent reduction in emissions target. France, Poland, and Italy, among others, have rejected the goal and asked that it be taken up with the heads of government at their next meeting in October. This could make it more difficult to reach an agreement. EU leaders make decisions in a unanimous manner, unlike ministers. Diplomats are discussing ways to convince sceptical nations, such as covering a larger share of the climate goal with carbon credits or tying a deal to other EU laws, like the carbon border tax or the 2035 phase-out of combustion engine cars. A spokesperson for the Environment Ministry said that Germany supports the goal of cutting emissions by 90%, but believes it is important to have discussions among the government leaders prior to a final deal. (Reporting and additional reporting by Holger Hanen in Berlin.)
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Poland contradicts Trump by saying that the Russian drone incursions were not a mistake.
Poland rejected Donald Trump's suggestion that Russian drone incursions in its airspace may have been an error, a rare contradiction from one of Washington’s closest European allies. Poland, supported by aircraft from NATO allies, shot down drones on Wednesday that violated its airspace. This is the first time an alliance member has fired during the Russian war in Ukraine. Russia claimed that its forces were attacking Ukraine at the moment and had no intention of hitting any targets in Poland. Trump told Washington reporters on Thursday that it could have been an accident. Donald Tusk, the Polish Prime Minister, responded on X. "We too would wish that the drone strike on Poland was a miscalculation." It wasn't. "We know it." Trump told Fox News in an interview on Friday that he was losing patience with Russian president Vladimir Putin. Germany announced on Friday that it had increased air patrols over Poland after European leaders strongly condemned Russia over the incident. It also summoned Russia's ambassador. On Poland's initiative, the United Nations Security Council would meet Friday to discuss this incident. NATO's top military officials, including its chief, Mark Rutte and Supreme Allied commander Europe Alexus Grynkewich (a U.S. Air Force General), were scheduled to hold a joint press conference on Friday afternoon. Questions about European Defence It is rare for Warsaw to directly contradict Trump. This shows the alarm of Europe at Trump's willingness, in this case, to accept Moscow's version of events. Poland is one of the closest U.S. ally in Europe. The Trump administration has praised Poland for its commitment to greater European military expenditures. Warsaw has described the drone incursions by Russia as an attempt to test the response capabilities of Poland and NATO. The incident this week has raised concerns about NATO's readiness for drone attacks, and the safety of civil aviation in Europe. The European leaders claim that this is yet another demonstration of Moscow's lack of interest in a peace agreement in Ukraine. This comes weeks after Trump met with President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, and retracted his demand for Russia to accept a ceasefire immediately. Trump has repeatedly given Moscow deadlines to reach a ceasefire, or else face new sanctions. But he's backed down. This week, European officials are in Washington to coordinate sanctions against Russia with the U.S. government. Previously, such announcements of sanctions were made in tandem. However, this hasn't happened since Trump took office. The U.S. Treasury urged allies in the Group of Seven (G7) and European Union to impose "meaningful" tariffs on Chinese and Indian goods to stop their purchases of Russian crude oil. A G7 emergency finance meeting was convened to discuss ways to increase pressure on Moscow and end the conflict in Ukraine. The EU member states have agreed to extend by six months the existing travel bans, and to freeze bank accounts for individuals and companies in response to the Russian invasion. Dmitry Peskov, Kremlin spokesperson, said that peace negotiations had been halted and "the Europeans" were hindering the peace process. The French announced that they would be deploying three Rafale jet fighters to Poland to protect their airspace, and the Germans said they would increase their commitment to NATO's eastern borders. RUSSIA AND BELARUS HOLD MILITARY ACTIVITIES On Friday, Russia and Belarus began a joint military drill that had been planned for years. The drills took place in both countries as well as in the Baltic Sea and Barents Sea. Peskov dismissed concerns about the exercise abroad, saying that Western European countries suffered from "emotional overload" and that Russia was not a threat. Local Ukrainian prosecutors reported that Russia continued to attack Ukraine and killed three people in Sumy, a region located in northern Ukraine. The regional governor reported that Ukrainian drones had attacked the port of Primorsk in Russia's northwest, setting a fire to both a vessel as well as a pumping station. This was the first drone attack on a major oil and fuel terminal in the country. (Additional reporting from Anna Koper in Warsaw; Anastasiia Melenko in Kyiv; John Irish and Michel Rose, in Paris; Andrea Shalal, in Washington; William James and Marktrevelyan, in London. Writing by Timothy Heritage. Editing by Peter Graff.
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Russia unveils monument for Ukraine war dead near St Petersburg
On Friday, hundreds of people, including Russian soldiers' relatives, gathered in front of St Petersburg to unveil a memorial for those killed in Ukraine. It was the first time such a memorial had been erected so close to one of Russia’s two largest cities. "A monument is one way to immortalize history." "Now we have a brand new history," Anna Krasnova said, after seeing the statue of two soldiers with guns unveiled at Kudrovo in a commuter city of 60,000. She said that her husband is fighting there and that her brother's name is missing in action. The memorial is unique in its proximity to Moscow and St Petersburg. Similar monuments were erected throughout Russia in the provinces. At the dedication ceremony, Alexander Drozdenko said, "The memory of our people is the most valuable asset we have." "Our cause will prevail, our enemy will be defeated, and we will win." The inscription on the monument, which is located above the figures, does not mention a date nor the location of the battles it honors. The inscription reads: "To the Heroes of the SMO", which is an acronym for Special Military Operation (the official term used by the Kremlin for this conflict). Kirill Drantsov, another spectator, stated that the monument would remind young people how to serve their country. We will not have to explain to anyone why and how we love and defend the Motherland. (Reporting in Kudrovo, writing by Lucy Papachristou).
COP29: What is a carbon credit? What is Post 6?
Nations at the U.N. COP29 climate top in Azerbaijan will attempt to concur rules for a. global system for trading carbon balanced out credits.
Here's what you should know:
WHAT ARE CARBON OFFSETS?
Some federal governments and business might struggle to minimize their. planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions to satisfy their environment. targets. Fans of carbon offsets see them as a crucial means to. aid fulfill these goals.
These offsets enable one nation or business to balance out a few of. their emissions by paying for actions to cut emissions. somewhere else. These actions might consist of rural solar panel. installations or converting a fleet of fuel buses to electric.
WHAT IS POST 6?
Article 6 of the Paris Contract assists nations work. together to lower their carbon emissions. It sets out two. alternatives for nations and business to trade offsets, helping. them fulfill the objectives they set to reduce planetary-warming gases. in their climate action plans, called nationally figured out. contributions (NDCs).
One permits 2 nations to set their own terms for a. bilateral carbon trading arrangement, this is known as Article. 6.2. The second aims to develop a central, UN-managed system for. nations and business to start offsetting their carbon. emissions and trading those offsets, known as Post 6.4.
Article 6 is seen an essential system for providing. climate finance to establishing nations, and a Paris Contract. carbon market, if introduced, could continue operating even if the. United States under Donald Trump withdraws support for the Paris. Contract.
WHAT'S BEEN CHOSE SO FAR?
At the COP26 environment top in Glasgow, negotiators reached. a breakthrough arrangement that established a broad rulebook to. regulate trading of carbon credits.
But after 2 weeks of talks at COP28 in Dubai, nations. stopped working to seal an offer on necessary information to operationalise a. main carbon trading system or to clarify rules for countries. wanting to make bilateral arrangements.
Some countries like Japan and Indonesia have actually decided to. press ahead with bilateral agreements without those. clarifications and are currently preparing to trade carbon. credits, known as globally transferable mitigation. results (ITMOs). The UN says 91 arrangements had actually been made. between 56 countries since October this year. Thailand and. Switzerland finished the first sale in January, and the marketplace. for bilateral trade contracts is still quite little.
Some purchasers are stressed there are not sufficient rules to stop. nations altering the regards to the contracts, or withdrawing. them, and that there is not a robust system to guarantee that. credits bought and sold are not being counted by both the purchasing. and selling nations.
WHAT WILL BE DECIDED AT COP29?
Authorities are keen to secure an early win on Short article 6 at. this year's environment conference.
Market watchers are confident a contract can be reached to. set guardrails for the bilateral agreements and to. operationalise the UN-backed centralised market.
Guardrails consist of checks and balances to supply assurance. countries are buying and offering real emissions reductions. Some countries for instance desire methods countries use to produce. credits to be checked globally.
Countries will likewise negotiate whether the UN's main. pc registry can itself house credits that can be transacted and. retired or whether it must run simply for accounting. purposes.
A professional group elected under United Nations rules has. already hammered out a framework for the multilateral trading. system to ensure credits fulfill fundamental quality requirements. But. nations at COP29 can choose to either approve this. requirement, open additional conversations, or reject it.
After COP29, the technical expert group will reunite to. agree which methodologies for generating carbon credits through. cookstoves tasks or reforestation for example can provide. credits into the new Paris Aligned system.
If the key points are fixed this year, the system could. launch as soon as 2025.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR THE VOLUNTARY CARBON MARKET?
Some companies that are under no legal responsibility to cut. their emissions have actually set voluntary targets, which they can fulfill. partially through buying credits on a voluntary carbon market. In 2022, the voluntary market was valued at about $2 billion. worldwide. But the marketplace worth plummeted to $723 million last. year after being shaken by duplicated scandals.
Linking carbon projects presently in the voluntary market. with the Paris Agreement system might enhance confidence.
Developers of jobs like mangrove remediation to. regenerative farming can use to have their credits sold. under the UN system, indicating that if approved, they might offer. in either that system or on the voluntary market. Specialists anticipate. UN-approved credits to carry a higher cost.
WHAT ARE CARBON OFFSETS?
Some federal governments and business may have a hard time to reduce their. planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions to meet their environment. targets. Advocates of carbon offsets see them as a crucial ways to. assistance meet these objectives.
These offsets permit one nation or business to offset a few of. their emissions by paying for actions to cut emissions. elsewhere. These actions might consist of rural solar panel. setups or transforming a fleet of fuel buses to electrical.
WHAT IS ARTICLE 6?
Post 6 of the Paris Arrangement assists countries work. together to reduce their carbon emissions. It sets out 2. options for nations and companies to trade offsets, assisting. them satisfy the goals they set to reduce planetary-warming gases. in their climate action plans, called nationally determined. contributions (NDCs).
One permits 2 countries to set their own terms for a. bilateral carbon trading agreement, this is called Article. 6.2. The 2nd aims to develop a central, UN-managed system for. countries and companies to start offsetting their carbon. emissions and trading those offsets, known as Article 6.4.
Short article 6 is seen an important mechanism for delivering. environment financing to developing countries, and a Paris Arrangement. carbon market, if introduced, might continue operating even if the. United States under Donald Trump withdraws support for the Paris. Contract.
WHAT'S BEEN DECIDED UP UNTIL NOW?
At the COP26 climate top in Glasgow, arbitrators reached. an advancement agreement that developed a broad rulebook to. control trading of carbon credits.
However after two weeks of talks at COP28 in Dubai, countries. stopped working to seal an offer on necessary details to operationalise a. main carbon trading system or to clarify guidelines for countries. wanting to make bilateral plans.
Some nations like Japan and Indonesia have decided to. press ahead with bilateral arrangements without those. clarifications and are already preparing to trade carbon. credits, called internationally transferable mitigation. results (ITMOs). The UN states 91 arrangements had actually been made. in between 56 countries as of October this year. Thailand and. Switzerland completed the very first sale in January, and the market. for bilateral trade agreements is still rather little.
Some purchasers are worried there are not adequate guidelines to stop. countries altering the regards to the arrangements, or withdrawing. them, which there is not a robust system to make sure that. credits purchased and sold are not being counted by both the buying. and selling countries.
WHAT WILL BE DECIDED AT COP29?
Authorities are eager to secure an early win on Article 6 at. this year's climate conference.
Market watchers are confident an agreement can be reached to. set guardrails for the bilateral contracts and to. operationalise the UN-backed centralised marketplace.
Guardrails include checks and balances to offer assurance. nations are buying and selling real emissions reductions. Some countries for example desires methods countries utilize to create. credits to be examined internationally.
Nations will likewise work out whether the UN's central. computer registry can itself house credits that can be transacted and. retired or whether it must run simply for accounting. purposes.
An expert group elected under United Nations guidelines has. currently worked out a structure for the multilateral trading. system to make sure credits fulfill standard quality requirements. However. countries at COP29 can choose to either approve this. standard, open up additional conversations, or decline it.
After COP29, the technical expert group will meet again to. concur which methods for creating carbon credits through. cookstoves tasks or reforestation for example can provide. credits into the brand-new Paris Aligned system.
If the bottom lines are solved this year, the system could. launch as quickly as 2025.
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR THE VOLUNTARY CARBON MARKET?
Some business that are under no legal commitment to cut. their emissions have set voluntary targets, which they can satisfy. partially through purchasing credits on a voluntary carbon market. In 2022, the voluntary market was valued at about $2 billion. worldwide. However the market worth dropped to $723 million last. year after being shaken by repeated scandals.
Linking up carbon jobs currently in the voluntary market. with the Paris Contract system could increase confidence. Designers of jobs like mangrove repair to regenerative. agriculture can use to have their credits offered under the UN. system, indicating that if approved, they might offer in either that. system or on the voluntary market. Experts anticipate UN-approved. credits to bring a higher cost.
(source: Reuters)