Guardian Environment
Australian taxpayers subsidise Big Mining’s use of fossil fuel to the tune of $4bn a year. It’s a strange way to tackle emissions | Adam Morton
Australian taxpayers funnel $4 billion annually in fossil fuel subsidies to the mining sector, even as companies like BHP quietly walk back their climate commitments. An internal memo reveals the world's largest miner deliberately stalled its own emissions reduction push, exposing a stark contradiction between corporate climate pledges and behind-the-scenes decision-making. With mining's outsized contribution to global emissions, the combination of public subsidy and private backsliding represents a significant policy failure.
Read article →Guardian Environment
Record May highs sweep across France as extreme heat hits western Europe
Western Europe is in the grip of an unprecedented early-summer heat event, with more than 350 French towns logging their hottest-ever May temperatures and the UK shattering its national May record with 34.8C at London's Kew Gardens. Spain could see temperatures climb as high as 40C before the week is out. The event signals a worrying new benchmark for spring heat extremes across the continent.
Read article →Carbon Brief
Analysis: China’s new carbon metric leaves Germany-sized gap in its emissions
China has quietly shifted how it measures its primary climate target — moving from carbon intensity per unit of GDP to absolute emissions reductions — a methodological change that analysts say obscures a gap equivalent to Germany's entire annual output of greenhouse gases. The revision raises serious questions about accountability and transparency as the world's largest emitter approaches key climate deadlines. For global efforts to stay within 1.5°C, the integrity of China's emissions accounting is not a technical footnote — it is central to the whole enterprise.
Read article →Guardian Environment
Heatwaves are becoming the norm. This is what Britain will look like in the year 2052 | Bill McGuire
Britain's climate future looks grim according to volcanologist Bill McGuire, who paints a stark picture of London in 2052 as a city where residents sleep outdoors to escape unbearable indoor heat and water scarcity has made supermarkets a luxury for the wealthy. The scenario reflects accelerating heatwave trends already reshaping daily life across the UK. McGuire's projection serves as a pointed warning that without serious intervention, extreme heat will fundamentally restructure how — and whether — cities remain livable.
Read article →Guardian Environment
Renters could save $20bn on bills in a decade from rooftop solar and appliance upgrades – if landlords act
Australian renters could collectively save $20 billion on energy bills over the next decade if landlords invested in rooftop solar and appliance upgrades, new research from the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis reveals. The core obstacle is the so-called "split incentive" problem — landlords bear the upfront costs of upgrades while tenants reap the savings, giving property owners little financial motivation to act. With renters comprising nearly a third of Australian households, the gap represents a significant and largely untapped opportunity for both emissions reduction and cost-of-living relief.
Read article →Get this delivered every morning
Join thousands of readers who get the world's most important stories, curated daily.
Start reading free →