China has planted so many trees around the Taklamakan Desert that it's turned this 'biological void' into a carbon sink | Live Science

Huge-scale ecological engineering around the edges of one of the world's largest and driest deserts has turned it into a carbon sink that absorbs more CO2 than it emits, research suggests. Mass tree planting in China is turning one of the world's largest and driest deserts int

Denmark trials red streetlights to protect wildlife

In a suburb north of Copenhagen, Danish planners are trialling an unconventional approach to street lighting that could reshape how cities worldwide think about illumination at night. Along a stretch of road in Gladsaxe Municipality, conventional white streetlights have been repl

Trump EPA repeals Endangerment Finding, stripping legal bedrock for solar and clean energy

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a final rule Thursday morning formally repealing the 2009 Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Endangerment Finding. The move, announced by Administrator Lee Zeldin alongside President Trump in the White House, eliminates the scientific and leg

Obsession with growth is destroying nature, 150 countries warn

More than 150 countries including China, India and European Union members have signed off on a report that warns focusing on unchecked economic growth is contributing to the destruction of global biodiversity. "Unsustainable economic activity and a focus on growth as measured

Global Surge in Climate Finance Investment Reaches $2.4 Trillion in 2024

A new report from the International Renewable Energy Agency and the Climate Policy Initiative found that a global surge in climate finance investment, pushing total investment in the energy transition to a historic US$2.4 trillion in 2024, roughly 20% above the average annual lev

CATL unveils battery with 12-minute charging and 1.5 million mile life

Testing shows the 5C battery retains 80% capacity after thousands of fast charge cycles, even under extreme heat conditions.CATL has unveiled a new fast-charging electric vehicle battery that could reshape how drivers think about charging time and battery life. The announcemen

China to See Solar Capacity Outstrip Coal Capacity This Year

This year China will see its solar capacity outstrip its coal capacity for the first time, according to an industry group. In its latest projections, the China Electricity Council says that, by the end of 2026, wind and solar will account for nearly half of China’s power capac

EIA: 99%+ of new US capacity in 2026 will be solar, wind + storage | Electrek

Solar, wind, and batteries are set to supply virtually all net new US generating capacity in 2026, according to EIA data reviewed by the SUN DAY Campaign, continuing their strong 2025 growth. Solar set new records in November In November alone, electrical generation by util

Court orders restart of all US offshore wind construction

The Trump administration is no fan of renewable energy, but it reserves special ire for wind power. Trump himself has repeatedly made false statements about the cost of wind power, its use around the world, and its environmental impacts. That animosity was paired with an executiv

Fossil fuel firms may have to pay for climate damage under proposed UN tax

Fossil fuel companies could be forced to pay some of the price of their damage to the climate, and the ultra-rich subjected to a global wealth tax, if new tax rules are agreed under the UN. Negotiations on a planned global tax treaty will resume at the UN headquarters in New Y

China debuts world-first supercritical CO2 generator to boost steel plant heat recovery

The China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) claimed the world’s first commercial supercritical carbon dioxide power generator has been connected to the grid. CNNC says that the system uses carbon dioxide in place of steam to transfer heat. It has been placed in a steel product

Agrivoltaics can help lettuce survive extreme heat

Scientists have grown organic romaine lettuce under 13 different types of PV modules, in an unusual hot Canadian summer. Their analysis showed lettuce yields increased by over 400% compared to unshaded control plants. ... “Lettuce yields increased by over 400% compared to u

In 2017, U.S. grid storage developers promised they could deliver 35 gigawatts by 2025. They beat their target and made batteries a key power-sector player.

That goal sounded improbable even to some who believed that storage was on a growth trajectory. A smattering of independent developers and utilities had managed to install just 500 megawatts of batteries nationwide, equivalent to one good-size gas-fired power plant. Building 35 g

EU invests €650 million in cross-border hydrogen and electricity infrastructure projects

Spain is the EU member state receiving the most funding for cross-border electricity projects, while Germany is emerging as the frontrunner in hydrogen initiatives. Meanwhile, the European Commission is expected to launch its next call for proposals on energy infrastructure betwe

Data Centers Are Driving a US Gas Boom

Gas projects in the US pipeline explicitly linked to data centers increased by almost 25 times over the past two years, according to new research from Global Energy Monitor.Data centers have helped to nearly triple the demand for gas-fired power in the US over the past two years.

Svalbard’s polar bears are showing remarkable resilience to climate change

Researchers took more than 1,000 body measurements from 770 polar bears over 24 years around Svalbard, a Norwegian archipelago in the Barents Sea—an area that has seen an especially acute decline in sea ice over the decades. By 2019, the region’s annual sea ice season shriveled t

Renewable energy Australia: Powers 50% of grid for first time, slashing electricity prices

Electricity prices in eastern Australia fell sharply in the final three months of last year as record-breaking contributions from renewable energy and large-scale batteries reduced the need to call on fossil fuels to plug supply gaps. Figures from the energy market operator, to

Electric car sales edge above petrol in EU for first time

Sales of fully ​electric cars surpassed those of petrol-only vehicles in the European Union for the first time in December, data from ‌the auto industry group ACEA showed on Tuesday, even as hybrids held onto the largest overall share of the market. The data underscores how th

Deforestation is drying out the Amazon rainforest faster than previously thought

A new study published in the journal Nature reveals that deforestation is drying out the Amazon rainforest faster than previously thought. The study found that the southern Amazon, where most logging occurs, is experiencing an annual decline of 8% to 11% in precipitation, with between 52% and 72% of this drying directly linked to deforestation. The research team emphasizes that protecting the trees is crucial to mitigating the impact of deforestation on rainfall and preventing major Amazon dieback.

One of the world's largest solar projects is headed for California's Central Valley

North Sea nations vow to boost wind power for energy independence

This article discusses how northern European nations are pledging to boost wind power in the North Sea to achieve greater energy independence from foreign suppliers. The nations aim to build up an additional 100 gigawatts of wind turbines through joint offshore wind projects. The agreement is seen as a clear signal to Russia and a step towards climate neutrality. The move is also driven by concerns over Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the need for energy security.

On the Tibetan plateau, China has installed a 16-17 GW mega solar plant that is turning an alpine desert into a “micro-oasis”: more moisture, more grass, and soils with more carbon under 64 km² of panels

This article explores how China's 16-17 GW mega solar plant on the Tibetan Plateau is transforming an alpine desert into a 'micro-oasis' with increased moisture, grass, and carbon-rich soils. The solar park, one of the largest in the world, has led to improved vegetation, richer bacterial and archaeal communities, higher soil moisture, and slightly more humid air within the solar panels. The study highlights the potential of solar farms to contribute to carbon sequestration and mitigate desertification, but also emphasizes the need for careful management of water and land resources.

Germany to back Africa’s richest country with €720m to move away from coal

Germany is negotiating additional climate financing of €720 million to South Africa under the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP). The JETP aims to facilitate South Africa's transition away from coal towards renewable energy solutions. This potential funding increase woul

Global population living with extreme heat to double by 2050 | University of Oxford

A new University of Oxford study finds that almost half of the global population (3.79 billion) will be living with extreme heat by 2050 if the world reaches 2.0°C of global warming above pre-industrial levels – a scenario that climate scientists see as increasingly likely. M

As we breach 1.5 °C, we must replace temperature limits with clean-energy targets

On 28 October 2025, United Nations secretary-general António Guterres acknowledged that the totemic goal of the Paris climate agreement is going to be missed: “The truth is that we have failed to avoid an overshooting above 1.5 °C in the next few years”. [...] To move forwa

CATL launches sodium batteries: extremely durable and stable at –40°C

CATL, the world's largest battery maker, has unveiled the world's first mass-produced sodium batteries for commercial vehicles. The new technology promises much lower costs, impressive lifespan and stable performance even in extreme temperature conditions.

Joshua trees are flowering in the Calif. desert. That’s bad news.

"Joshua trees normally start flowering in February. This year, the bloom started in late October." "The early bloom is just the latest concerning news on the beleaguered, threatened Joshua tree, which is struggling to keep up with changing conditions, wildfires and extreme wea