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Attracta Mooney, Financial Times
The Financial Times covers India’s new climate plan, which sets “modest goals for renewable energy and emissions cuts for the next decade, as the country grapples with its rising energy needs”. The newspaper notes that all countries were due to submit national climate plans to the UN last year under the Paris Agreement, but India’s had been “much delayed”. Reuters reports that India is aiming to cut emissions intensity by 47% from 2005 levels by 2035, while expanding clean-energy capacity. It adds: “The world's fastest-growing major economy aims to lift the share of installed clean power capacity to 60% over the next decade, from 52.6% now, and build on efforts to reduce emissions intensity that in 2020 had been cut by 36% from 2005 levels.” Bloomberg reports that a statement from prime minister Narendra Modi’s office said the new strategy is an attempt to “harmonise national realities, developmental priorities, energy security and the need for greater ambition in climate action”. Climate Home News reports that, while reactions from analysts have been “generally positive”, others have noted that the targets are “too easy to meet”. Other outlets covering the news include India Today, Down to Earth and the Hindustan Times.
Meanwhile, Reuters covers new analysis for Carbon Brief revealing that India’s carbon emissions grew at their slowest pace in over two decades in 2025. The Indian Express adds: “The analysis attributed the 3.8% fall in emissions from the power sector to two reasons – a record growth in expansion of renewable energy like solar and wind, and a decline in growth of power demand, which had come down from an average of about 7.4% between 2019 and 2023 to 1% last year.”
Reuters
Germany has unveiled a plan to help it reach its 2030 climate target and reduce its dependence on “volatile fossil-fuel imports”, reports Reuters. It continues that the plan includes €8bn in funds to expand wind power capacity and boost EV sales. The newswire explains that Germany is aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 65% from 1990 levels by 2030, ahead of being “climate neutral” by 2045. Deutsche Welle reports that the plan includes 67 measures designed to save an additional 27.1m tonnes of CO2 by the end of the decade. It quotes environment minister Carsten Schneider, who described the program as "a new boost for climate protection that will make us less dependent on expensive and unreliable oil and gas imports".
MORE ON EUROPE
The Guardian and the Daily Telegraph cover comments by oil and gas major Shell’s chief executive that Europe could face an energy shortage by April, if the Strait of Hormuz does not reopen. The Financial Times covers a warning from the chief executive of German gas importer Uniper that incoming EU methane legislation will restrict Europe’s energy access. The Financial Times reports that Brussels is planning to limit carbon prices under its emission trading system after pressure from industries “facing soaring costs because of the Iran war”.
Oliver Milman, The Guardian
The Guardian covers a new study that finds the US has caused “an eye-watering $10tn in global damages to the world” over the past 30 years via its greenhouse gas emissions. It continues that as the world's largest historical carbon emitter, the US has caused more harm to worldwide economic growth than any other country. The newspaper notes that the US has “inflicted” a quarter of the “economic pain” from climate-driven damage “on itself”, as well as an estimated $500bn to India and $330bn in damage to Brazil. The Guardian adds that the research suggests China, now the world’s biggest annual emitter, is responsible for $9tn in damages since 1990.
MORE ON THE US
Bloomberg reports that oil prices have risen again as the US and Iran offer “conflicting comments on efforts to end the war”. Scientific American interviews US climate scientist Dr Kate Marvel about her decision to leave NASA, with Marvel saying “that science is under attack, not because its conclusions are necessarily politically inconvenient but because it is a way of telling the truth”. [See Carbon Brief’s 2018 interview with Marvel.] The Financial Times reports that bidders are “circling” EDF’s North American renewable energy business as the company sells assets to cut debt and focus on the rollout of new nuclear plants. The Guardian covers a new policy unveiled by progressive lawmakers to place a moratorium on the construction of AI datacenters “amid an unprecedented energy crisis”. Reuters reports that Maryland’s highest court has rejected a climate change lawsuit brought by three municipal and county governments against major oil and gas companies, including Exxon Mobil, BP and Chevron.
Colleen Howe and Sam Li, Reuters
China’s coal-to-chemical stocks have risen up to 30% since the Iran war started, reports Reuters. The newswire explains that the sector can turn “domestic coal into petroleum products and other chemicals” without relying on oil imports. It adds that the war will “reinforce Beijing’s bet on the expensive and dirty coal-to-chemicals sector” to strengthen energy security, even as investors expect stronger renewable energy expansion. State-run China Youth Daily says the crisis has intensified the “fragility of traditional energy supply chains” and highlights the importance of developing “new energy”. Bloomberg says the war could undermine “petrodollar dominance” and mark the “beginnings of the petroyuan”, according to Deutsche Bank, citing reports that Iran is allowing shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, if “oil payments are made in yuan”. Industry newspaper China Chemical Daily says gas will be in a “central position in the future energy mix” amid rising energy demand, geopolitical conflicts and the “green transition”.
MORE ON CHINA
China added 32.5GW of solar capacity, 11GW of wind capacity and 19.9 GW of thermal capacity in January and February, reports CEPN. Northern China is experiencing record-high temperatures for this time of year, reports China Daily, without explicitly mentioning climate change. China’s State Council has appointed Xu Bijiu as vice minister of the MEE, reports BJX News. A Global Times editorial claims that with its “underwhelming progress” in the “green transition”, the EU risks “self-inflicted damage” if it were to “confront” China. The South China Morning Post says more than 60% of surveyed Chinese firms, including those focused on renewables, expect their EU revenue to keep growing.
Eamon Farhat, Bloomberg
The UK’s renewable output hit a record high yesterday, “helping to blunt the impact of the Middle East war on power prices”, reports Bloomberg. The outlet adds that the country’s solar and wind fleet produced about 34 gigawatts (GW) of electricity around midday, according to data from the National Energy System Operator. It continues that this pushed gas generation down to just over a gigawatt, a mere 2.4% of the power mix and the lowest it has been since April 2024. Bloomberg notes that this “limited the country’s exposure to higher fuel costs driven by the hostilities surrounding Iran”.
MORE ON UK
The Independent interviews climate minister Kate White about how “we need to re-make the case for net-zero”. The Financial Times reports that the UK has approved a £100m plan to reopen a mothballed carbon dioxide plant to avoid shortages caused by the Iran war. The Times reports that chancellor Rachel Reeves is planning to announce a limited package of support for energy bills over the summer, ahead of a “more significant bailout in the winter
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