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Only 57 companies produced 80 percent of global carbon dioxide
A new report found that just 57 companies produced 80 percent of carbon dioxide emissions worldwide between 2016 and 2022.
Renewable power generation overtook coal in the US last year
Renewable power generation was greater than coal in the US last year, but it wasn't the largest electricity source.
Atlassian co-founder takes big step toward shutting down Australia's coal power
One of Atlassian's founders has managed an upheaval that could force Australia's worst polluter to end coal power 10 years early.
Germany's incoming government wants to end coal use by 2030
Germany plans to phase out coal use by 2030, eight years earlier than previously planned, as part of its latest climate pledge.
COP26 climate change deal falls short on coal targets
The COP26 climate conference has produced a deal that aims to speed up anti-global warming efforts, but goes soft on coal energy.
Europe created more energy from renewables than fossil fuels last year
Europe is slowly reducing its dependancy on fossil fuels. A report co-published by Ember and Agora Energiewende, two think tanks focused on clean energy, has revealed that the continent generated more electricity from renewables than fossil fuels in 2020.
Federal court strikes down Trump's coal-friendly EPA climate rules
A federal appeals court has struck down the Trump administration’s plan to relax restrictions on power plant greenhouse emissions.
EPA finalizes Trump administration’s coal-friendly climate plan
Today, the EPA finalized the Trump administration's Affordable Clean Energy (ACE) plan, effectively rolling back Obama-era policies to address climate change. The Obama administration's Clean Power Plan (CPP) set national goals for reducing carbon dioxide emissions. States could decide how to meet those goals, but the targets were strict enough that many states were expected to close coal plants. As NPR reports, the Trump administration's approach will be to regulate the emissions of individual power plants in order to help them stay in business longer.
America's renewable energy capacity overtakes coal for the first time
America's renewable energy capacity has overtaken coal for the first time ever. According to a report by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), the addition of new solar, wind and hydro capacity in the first four months of the year pushed renewable energy's share of total available installed capacity to 21.56%. Coal's share, meanwhile, has dropped to 21.55 percent, down from 23.04 percent last year.
Michael Bloomberg will spend $500 million to close coal-fired power plants
Michael Bloomberg is pledging $500 million to close every coal-fired power plant in the US and to halt the growth of natural gas. According to The New York Times, the money will go towards a new Beyond Coal initiative. It will be spent over the next three decades, and it will fund lobbying efforts aimed at state and local government officials.
Renewable energy is on the rise, but so is demand for fossil fuels
Recent reports from major climate organizations are painting a very mixed picture for the future of global energy use. The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) says that renewable energy now forms one-third of the world's total energy capacity -- its highest level ever -- but at the same time, the International Energy Agency (IEA) reports that energy demand is growing at the fastest pace this decade, and fossil fuels are leading the charge.
A major UK energy supplier is now 100 percent wind power
Scottish Power has become the first of the UK's "big six" energy companies to completely drop fossil fuels for electricity generation, after selling off its remaining gas plants to power company Drax in a £702 million deal. In a statement, Scottish Power said the move supported its vision to leave "carbon generation behind for a renewable future powered by cheaper green energy."
Major UN report says climate change is worse than first thought
Even if nations stick to the Paris agreement and keep global warming below two degrees, it will still be a major disaster for the planet, according to a blockbuster UN report on climate change. What's more, we now have less time to act than previously thought. If governments don't take massive action over the next decade, we could see severe food shortages, increased forest fires and large scale coral reef die-offs by 2040. The report also predicts more serious issues, including the potential migration of tens of millions of people that would increase the risk of wars.
China bumps up renewable energy target to reduce reliance on coal
China, the world's biggest energy consumer, is stepping up its push into clean power with a revised renewable energy target. The nation is now aiming for renewables to account for at least 35 percent of energy consumption by 2030, whereas its previous target only stipulated "non-fossil fuels" making up 20 percent of energy use within the same time frame.
Insurance giant stops covering firms that depend on coal
The elimination of coal power isn't just good for the environment... it's quickly becoming good for the corporate bottom line. Insurance giant Swiss Re has enacted a policy that refuses coverage to any company that either generates 30 percent or more of its revenue from coal power, or uses at least 30 percent coal power to run its operations. Swiss Re touted the move as reflecting its commitment to limiting global warming (it made a pledge in 2015 alongside the Paris climate accord), but it also casts this as a shrewd business move.
US coal industry saw little growth in 2017 despite White House push
The Trump administration has been eager to prop up the US coal industry despite evidence that it's in a steep decline. But did it have much of an effect? Not really. Reuters has obtained preliminary Mining Health and Safety Administration data showing that there was negligible job growth in coal mining during 2017. The field added a total of 771 jobs, reaching 54,819 -- a figure still near historic lows. There was growth in Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia, but that was largely offset by mine closures in several states, including Ohio (414 jobs lost) and Texas (455).
Renewable energy outstripped coal use in the UK for most of 2017
The UK has been working to significantly reduce its carbon emissions and with that effort, it hit some major green milestones this year. In April, the country went a full day without coal-generated power for the first time in 135 years. And in June, the country saw more than half of its energy being generated by renewables (i.e. solar, wind, hydropower and biomass) for the first time.
Coal power plant closures ramp up in spite of White House plans
The Trump administration may hope that it can reverse coal power's decline by ending the Clean Power Plan and other eco-friendly efforts, but the industry's moves suggest otherwise. Luminant has announced plans to close three major coal plants in Texas (in Freestone, Milam and Titus counties) between January and February of 2018. The shutdowns will take a combined 4,200MW of power off the grid -- enough to run over 4 million homes, as Reuters notes. The news boosts the expected capacity of 2018 power plant closures to over 13,600MW, or a whopping 79 percent more than the known closures for this year. It's not a record high (nearly 18,000MW went offline in 2015), but it's clear that the trend is toward more closures, not fewer.
Solar power is the fastest growing source of global energy
Solar power was the fastest-growing source of global energy last year, overtaking growth from all other forms, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). The spurt is largely attributed to lower prices and changing government policies encouraging a shift away from traditional power sources, such as coal. China, for example, has played an important role in renewable energy's prominence, accounting for almost half of all new solar panels installed worldwide.
EVs are greener than ever thanks to renewable energy
Some wags will always try to claim that EVs are just as dirty as regular cars, because electricity is generated in coal-fired power stations. Except, that's not really true anymore, which is why the Union of Concerned Scientists has updated its data on how environmentally friendly electric cars are. The results won't shock you, but an EV is now about as efficient as a gas-powered car that can make 73 miles per gallon.
