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Maxine Joselow and Brad Plumer, The New York Times
The US Senate on Tuesday voted to approve a major tax bill from Donald Trump, which would quickly phase out tax credits for solar panels, wind turbines, electric vehicles and other clean energy technologies, the New York Times reports. The newspaper says the move shows that Democrats’ bet that Republicans would support the bill – given it has fuelled billions of dollars of investment in mostly red states – has “failed spectacularly”. It adds: “Nearly all Republicans voted for the bill even as industry groups, labour unions and even some members of their own party warned that axing those clean energy credits could erase thousands of jobs in red states and raise electricity prices nationwide.” Reuters notes that the Senate dropped a proposed tax on solar and wind energy projects that do not meet strict standards after “last-minute negotiations with key Republican senators seeking better terms for renewables”. However, overall, the bill passed by the Senate will still “make it harder to develop wind and solar energy projects”, the newswire says. CNBC says that clean energy stocks jumped following the news. NBC News reports that the origin of the proposed tax on wind and solar remains a “mystery”, saying: “In a twist, Republican senators insist they didn't know how or why the tax was inserted into the bill they were rushing to pass. No senator took credit for – or defended – it.” The Associated Press reports that Democrats and environmental groups have said that the bill would “crush growth in the wind and solar industry and lead to a spike in Americans’ utility bills”. The Los Angeles Times reports that the legislation was approved by a single vote in the Senate and now heads back to the House of Representatives for a second vote. It adds: “[F]inal approval in the House is not guaranteed. A bloc of fiscal hawks and a handful of Republican lawmakers in districts that rely especially on Medicaid could still sink the vote.”
Elsewhere, the Associated Press reports that “legally mandated US national climate assessments seem to have disappeared from the federal websites built to display them”. It reports: “Websites for the national assessments and the US Global Change Research Program were down Monday and Tuesday with no links, notes or referrals elsewhere. The White House, which was responsible for the assessments, said the information will be housed within Nasa to comply with the law, but gave no further details.” The Guardian reports that Trump cuts have made it more difficult for meteorologists to warn people about tornadoes and other extreme weather currently affecting the US. CNN reports that a budget proposal from Trump aims to shut down the Mauna Loa laboratory in Hawaii, which has provided an iconic record of increasing carbon dioxide emissions in the atmosphere since the 1950s. It adds: “The president’s budget proposal would also defund many other climate labs, including instrument sites comprising the US government’s greenhouse gas monitoring network, which stretches from northern Alaska to the South Pole.” The Guardian reports on fears from scientists globally that Trump’s cuts to satellite data could impede their ability to track changes to Arctic and Antarctic sea ice. The Washington Post reports that the state of California has weakened a major environmental act to make way for more housing.
Clotaire Achi, Emma Pinedo and Alvise Armellini, Reuters
Extreme heat continues to affect much of Europe, with Italy limiting work outdoors, France shutting schools and Turkey battling wildfires, Reuters says. It adds that meteorologists have said the heat is “exceptional” for striking so early in the year, continuing: “Spain confirmed its hottest June on record, while temperatures passed 40C in some of its cities on Tuesday. Likewise, heat scaled to reach 40C in the Italian city of Trento, while northern European cities such as London were also sweltering.” Many countries have issued heat health alerts, as the death of a construction worker in Bologna, Italy and a street sweeper in Barcelona have been reported amid the high temperatures, the newswire says. It adds that, in Sicily, “a woman with a heart condition died while walking in the city of Bagheri”. The Times reports that the heat forced the top floor of the Eiffel tower to close, along with a nuclear power station and thousands of schools. Separately, the Times reports that Paris kept parks open overnight to act as “cool refuges” for city residents. The Guardian covers Europe’s heatwave on its frontpage. The UK faced its hottest day of the year so far yesterday as temperatures reached 33.6C in Kent, the Guardian reports. Scotland is currently facing its third day of wildfires, the Independent says. Euronews reports that sea temperatures in the Mediterranean are also at their highest ever level for June, prompting fears for biodiversity and fish stocks. The Times examines what is behind the early heatwave, saying: “Europe is warming at twice the global average rate, meaning that it is bearing the brunt of climate change. The ever-rising carbon emissions that humanity is pumping into the atmosphere are the main reason, scientists told The Times. Europe’s large landmass and its proximity to the Arctic, which is heating up at three times the global rate, are two more.”
Reuters
A city in China’s central province of Hubei was hit by a month’s worth of rain in just 12 hours, forcing local authorities to evacuate 18,000 people, Reuters reports. The newswire quotes Meng Gao, a climate modelling specialist at Hong Kong Baptist University, saying that “accurately forecasting the intensity and exact location of heavy rain remains challenging, especially with climate change and the complex terrain of rural areas”. Meanwhile, the China Meteorological Administration (CMA) has released its “blue book on climate change in China 2025”, saying that country’s “warming rate is higher than the global average during the same period and extreme weather and climate events are becoming more frequent and intense”, according to China Meteorological News Press. It adds that China’s average annual surface air temperature and the sea level along the coast all “reached new highs” in 2024.
Citing coverage from state news agency Xinhua, Bloomberg reports that China’s “top leadership”, including president Xi Jinping and premier Li Qiang, has pledged at a high-level economic meeting to build a “unified national market to help boost domestic demand”. Industry news outlet BJX News says offshore wind power, as well as marine environmental protection and marine carbon sinks, were also mentioned at the same meeting. Elsewhere, state-run newspaper China Daily reports that hydrogen has been positioned as a new “strategic” energy source in China, but faces challenges in terms of the “practical applications” of the fuel. Yicai publishes an article under the headline: “Experts see renewables going fully market-based as China eyes 2030 carbon peak goal.” Bloomberg reports that Chinese auto manufacturers have captured the “biggest slice” of Europe’s electric vehicle market in 10 months and the “highest share ever” of hybrid vehicle sales.
In comment, state-supporting newspaper Global Times publishes an editorial, arguing that China, bearing all the “environmental and resource-related costs”, has “long exported rare earths to the EU, providing vital support for the bloc’s efforts to achieve digital and green transition goals”. The newspaper adds that “growing export controls on strategic materials” are a “natural result of accelerating global energy transitions and rising geopolitical tensions. China's measures are in line with international norms and trend[s]”. However, it continues, “for products intended for civilian use, as long as they meet regulatory requirements and are approved through proper procedures, exports can generally proceed as normal”. The editorial says improved EU-China bilateral relations are the “correct way to handle trade frictions, including those concerning rare earth exports”. It concludes: “From this perspective…it could become a ‘bond’ that brings the two sides closer.” Finally, Nikkei Asia publishes an opinion article by energy analyst Tim Daiss, citing a report by Carbon Brief, under the title: “China's emissions reductions could be the biggest climate story of the year.”
Vikas Vasudeva, The Hindu
Torrential monsoon rains that began on 20 June have brought India’s northern state of Himachal Pradesh “to its knees”, the Hindu reports, with at least 16 killed in rain-related incidents and five persons still missing. According to the Hindustan Times, the hill state received more than 253.8mm of rainfall since Monday evening and has “witnessed more than 10 cloudburst incidents, four flash floods and a major landslide on Tuesday”, most of them in the district of Mandi. Another Hindustan Times story quotes state minister Jagat Singh Negi saying: “This time, the monsoon arrived very early…flash floods, especially in Kullu and Dharamshala areas, have caused sudden devastation.” It says he estimated damages to the state caused “by heavy rains in just one week” as having crossed ₹300 crore ($35m). In the neighbouring Himalayan state of Uttarakhand, Business Standard reports that nine construction workers “are feared to have been swept away following a cloudburst” early on Sunday. According to the New Indian Express, three workers were confirmed dead, while a “desperate search is underway for the remaining six”. Meanwhile, a comment in the Indian Express by researcher Evita Rodrigues calls for India to include loss and damage in its climate taxonomy, which she says is a “classification system that qualifies what counts as ‘green’ or ‘transition’ activities in the Indian context”. Rodrigues writes: “While continued calls for reparations from the developed world are both necessary and urgent, it is evident that the magnitude of harm far exceeds what will ever be delivered through global funds.”
In other climate news, Reuters analysis finds that India’s renewable power output “rose at its fastest pace” since 2022 in the first half of 2025. Per the newswire, coal-fired generation dropped 3% because of a “milder summer, an earlier-than-expected monsoon and slowing economic activity, resulting in record domestic stockpiles” and lower imports. At the same time, the Economic Times reports that the Indian government has ended a key subsidy “that helped propel the growth of India’s renewable industry…despite months of industry lobbying, adding financial stress to a sector already grappling with a demand glut”. Separately, the Wire reports that seven people were detained and at least 2,000 police personnel deployed to oversee tree-felling operations for an Adani-operated coal mine that will “raze clean” 215 hectares of forest land. Meanwhile, Business Insider Africa reports that India has dispatched a team of geologists to Zambia “to begin surveying a vast 9,000 square kilometre [sq km] zone” for critical minerals, including cobalt and copper.
The Irish Times
Australia’s most populous state is facing a “bomb cyclone”, with strong rain and winds causing evacuations and cancelling flights, the Irish Times reports. It continues: “Authorities on Tuesday warned that parts of New South Wales could also expect the wild weather to worsen in the next 24 hours, with up to 250mm of rain and winds up to 125km/h predicted.” The Independent reports that the cyclone has forced airlines to cancel “dozens” of domestic flights to and from Sydney.
Sam Jones, The Guardian
EU green transition chief Teresa Ribera tells the Guardian that “political cowardice is hindering European efforts” to tackle climate, “even as the continent is pummelled by a record-breaking heatwave”. In an interview, she tells the newspaper: “It’ll be much more expensive if we don’t act. We all know that…I think it’s a mistake to think that we [politicans] have to hide the difficulties or that the problems will be solved by the market. We don’t have to hide the difficulties, we have to understand them and manage them so that they are not so difficult. Often, political courage is needed to understand that there is a difficulty, and that instead of being small, you have to be big and find the solution shared by everyone. You need to face it with honesty.”
Elsewhere, Bloomberg reports that the European Commission will today set out a legal target to cut emissions to 90% below 1990 levels by 2040. However, despite the current Europe heat “making a compelling case for one of the most ambitious climate targets ever set by Brussels”, policymakers are being “forced to offer various ‘flexibilities’ to help countries meet the target” amid hostility from some nations, the publication says. The Financial Times reports that the commission will today announce that the EU’s heavy industry will be exempt from a carbon tax on exports as “Brussels comes under pressure to weaken climate rules”. It continues: “The commission will propose that sectors such as steel, cement and aluminium should be exempt from paying for the carbon emissions of their exports to level the playing field with foreign competitors, according to two EU officials involved in the talks.” Reuters says that, according to a draft document, the 2040 proposal will for the first time allow countries to use carbon credits from developing countries to meet a limited share of their emissions targets. The Guardian says environmental groups are “furious” about this idea. In addition, Politico reports that “all but one EU government missed a Monday deadline for plans to make the green transition affordable”.
Rachel Millard, Financial Times
Energy regulator Ofgem has approved investments of £24bn in the UK’s energy networks between 2026 and 2031, the Financial Times reports, including £15bn for the gas grid and £9bn for electricity. The newspaper quotes Ofgem saying the money would fund the “biggest expansion of the electricity grid since the 1960s”. It says that the investments “risk…pushing up already elevated household energy bills”, with an extra £104 in network charges per year, but adds: “The network investments would result in lower costs elsewhere on the system, Ofgem said, estimating the net increase to charges on household bills would be around £24 per year.” Similarly Sky News says the investment will “push up network costs within household bills by £24 a year”. The Press Association says the rise in network charges “deals a blow to hopes of lower bills”, but notes that Ofgem “insisted that bills would be even higher – around £30 more – without the investment”. The newswire quotes Ofgem chief executive Jonathan Brearley saying the investment would “ensure the system has greater resilience against shocks from volatile gas prices we don’t control” and adding: “Doing nothing is not an option and will cost consumers more.” Reuters and BusinessGreen also have the story. Coverage from the Daily Telegraph and the Sun carries misleading headlines equating a £100 per household investment in network upgrades with a £100 rise in bills, ignoring Ofgem’s explanation that the net rise in bills would only be £24 and that failing to strengthen grids would carry even higher costs. An accompanying Sun editorial, based on its misleading news coverage, complains about the “cost of Red Ed”. Carbon Brief’s Simon Evans explains the net impact of the grid investments in a post on BSky.
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