Zachary Davies Boren

Leak: Despite Brexit, UK Actively Lobbying To Weaken EU Climate Goals

Documents obtained by Energydesk reveal UK government attempts to significantly weaken draft EU climate and energy rules, even as Brexit is underway.

Zachary Davies Boren
By Zachary Davies Boren
Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May speaks with Donald Tusk, President of the EU Council on the doorstep of 10 Downing Street in London. (AP/Frank Augstein)

On the very day Theresa May triggered Article 50, her government quietly issued another bold statement to Brussels. Documents obtained by Energydesk reveal UK government attempts to significantly weaken draft EU climate and energy rules, even as Brexit is underway. Key renewable energy and energy efficiency targets proposed by the European

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China Suspends Majority Of New Coal Power Permits

The moves as China’s coal consumption has fallen for the third year running.

Zachary Davies Boren
By Zachary Davies Boren
A man walks past a coal-powered steel plant in Tianjin, China. (AP/Andy Wong)

The Chinese government has ordered the vast majority of its provinces to stop permitting new coal power projects. According to a statement from the National Energy Administration (NEA), 28 of China’s 31 mainland provinces do not currently have the right financial or environmental conditions to greenlight new coal capacity. This represents an

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China’s CO2 Emissions From Coal-To-Chemical Industry Set To Soar

China has 46 coal-to-chemical plants in operation, and another 22 under construction — which are projected to add a combined 193 million tonnes of carbon emissions a year once completed.

Zachary Davies Boren
By Zachary Davies Boren
A Chinese boy cycles past a cooling towers of a coal-fired power plant in Dadong, Shanxi province, China.

China’s coal-to-chemical industry could produce CO2 emissions in excess of 400 million tons a year by the end of the decade — a more than fourfold increase from the 90 million emitted in 2015. Coal-to-chemical projects, which convert coal to other chemical properties, including oil and gas, are extremely carbon intensive, accounting for roughly

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Why This Year’s Record Arctic Sea Ice Melt Matters

In a widely-covered release, the National Snow & Data Center (NSIDC) said the Arctic sea ice on March 7 was “the lowest maximum in the 38-year satellite record.”

Georgie Johnson
Zachary Davies Boren
By Georgie Johnson
And Zachary Davies Boren
iceberg

Every year, at roughly the same time, the Arctic hits its ‘maximum sea ice’ as the Antarctic reaches its ‘minimum sea ice’. And this year’s event was record-breaking. In a widely-covered release, the National Snow & Data Center (NSIDC) said the Arctic sea ice on March 7 was “the lowest maximum in the 38-year satellite

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New Data Shows Collapse Of Coal Imminent, Sparks Climate Hope

According to the latest Boom & Bust report from Greenpeace, Sierra Club and CoalSwarm, 2016 saw monumental drops in every stage of coal project development.

Zachary Davies Boren
By Zachary Davies Boren
A Chinese boy cycles past a cooling towers of a coal-fired power plant in Dadong, Shanxi province, China.

The cancellation and retirement of coal power projects in the world’s four key economies is making a profound impact on global efforts to limit climate change to 2C — and thereby stave off its most catastrophic consequences. The amount of coal power in development globally was cut in half last year — down to 570GW from 1090GW one year

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Trump To Cut Vehicle Emissions Standards Following Auto Industry Lobbying

The emissions standards would have underpinned the move towards low-carbon cars such as electric vehicles, and would help reduce greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change.

Zachary Davies Boren
By Zachary Davies Boren
idlib

Donald Trump is set to overturn an Obama-era vehicle emissions rule following a letter from top car manufacturers, including Volkswagen. This comes as the German manufacturer is embroiled in legal disputes over attempts to cheat previous emissions standards. In a visit to Detroit, the heart of the American auto industry, the President is

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Documents Reveal Norweigan Officials Teamed With Oil Lobby To Stop Ban On Arctic Oil Drilling

This comes as the Norwegian government faces legal action from NGOs – including Greenpeace – over its decision to offer new drilling licenses of the Arctic waters of the Barents Sea.

Zachary Davies Boren
By Zachary Davies Boren
Two Walrus surface in front of the Arctic Sunrise, outside of a Walrus colony/ haul out which is on the west side of Kvitøya, Svalbard archipelago.

Norwegian officials are lobbying to kill an EU resolution calling for an end to offshore oil drilling in Arctic waters, according to documents obtained by Energydesk. A letter from Norwegian MP Eirik Siversten – who leads the delegation for Arctic parliamentary cooperation – urges members of the European Parliament “to delete in the plenary

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