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Hilary Beaumont, The Guardian
There is ongoing coverage of the start of a case at the US supreme court in which “big oil companies attempted to strike a fatal blow against lawsuits that seek to hold them accountable for the climate crisis”, reports the Guardian. The newspaper explains that the case involves local officials in Boulder Country, Colorado, suing Suncor Energy and ExxonMobil to make them share a portion of climate-related costs. It adds that, in response, the oil companies argue that federal law prevents state courts from hearing this lawsuit. The Associated Press says the fossil-fuel firms “have the support of the Trump administration”.
NBC News explains that the “ultimate decision could have broad ramifications for more than two dozen similar lawsuits” in the US. The news outlet says the supreme court justices “asked tough questions of both sides”, noting “sympathy from the bench toward the oil companies and the potential for substantial damages”. The Los Angeles Times reports that the justices “sounded wary” of state-by-state lawsuits, noting that regulating emissions is a matter of federal law. The New York Times reports that many of the arguments were “highly technical” and not directly related to climate change. However, the newspaper adds that “justices across the ideological spectrum, including some conservatives, posed sceptical questions to the oil companies”. Vox says it is “difficult to predict” the outcome, with the questioning indicating that the votes of multiple justices are “in play”.
Bloomberg says the companies “are operating at a disadvantage” after conservative justice Samuel Alito recused himself from the case. The news outlet continues: “That means the clash could end in a four-four split, which would leave intact a Colorado supreme court ruling letting the Boulder suit go forward, without setting a nationwide precedent affecting other cases.” Politico has a “who’s who” article, explaining the backstories of the lawyers and their clients on both sides of the case. The Financial Times notes a decision is only expected “by the time [the court] breaks for summer in 2027”.
Malcolm Moore, The Financial Times
Amin Nasser, chief executive of Saudi Aramco, has told a London conference that global oil stockpiles are now “scarily thin”, due to the Middle East conflict, reports the Financial Times in a frontpage story. According to the Times, Nasser said almost 3bn barrels of supply had been lost since the start of the war and 1bn barrels had been released from global reserves. Nasser added that, even when the strait of Hormuz is fully reopened, it will still take “up to two years” to replenish oil stockpiles, adds Politico.
Speaking at the same event, the Financial Times reports that TotalEnergies chief executive Patrick Pouyanné said he welcomed energy “disruption”, amid conflict in the Middle East. The newspaper quotes him saying: “I prefer the world of disruption to the peaceful world. There are more opportunities, but you need to have the assets.” Reuters notes that the profits of TotalEnergies, Shell and BP have “mushroomed” this year, “reaping billions of dollars from trading amid the energy supply crunch caused by the Iran war”.
MORE ON FOSSIL FUELS
The New York Times: “Burst of attacks in Gulf heightens fears over fragile energy trade.” South Africa's petrol pump price is set to rise by as much as 12% this week and diesel price by 10%, reflecting the impact of the Iran war, according to Reuters. The Guardian reports that planned strikes by North Sea oil workers could “severely disrupt” UK fuel supplies, according to the Unite union. Le Monde has a feature on the “slow twilight of North Sea oil and gas” in the UK.
Gabriela Sá Pessoa, The Associated Press
Indigenous and environmental groups have “expressed concern” that far-right gains in Brazilian congress “could threaten Indigenous peoples who play a key role in protecting the Amazon and other Brazilian ecosystems”, reports the Associated Press. It says that the presidential race remains undecided, with the far-right senator Flávio Bolsonaro leading ahead of the upcoming runoff. It adds that Bolsonaro’s Liberal party is now the largest in both houses of congress, potentially strengthening mining interests. Folha de Sao Paulo says the dominance of the right in the senate will “impose a shift in the chamber’s agenda, regardless of who is elected president”. BusinessGreen says the strong showing for Bolsonaro has “stoked fears Amazon deforestation could surge once again”, after dropping under president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Analysis by Amazon-based outlet Sumaúma shows that Bolsonaro won a majority in eight of the 10 Amazon municipalities that cleared the most rainforest over the last decade. [Carbon Brief analysis shows Lula’s presidency “saved at least 20,000km2 of Brazilian Amazon”.]
Megan Rowling, Climate Home News
Speaking on the first day of the pre-COP31 meeting in Fiji, UN climate chief Simon Stiell warned about the growing threat that extreme heat poses to pregnant women and their babies, reports Climate Home News. The news outlet notes that new research was released on this topic at the conference and that Stiell described the phenomenon as “a new faultline in the global climate crisis, and one which is potentially fatal”. BusinessGreen reports that Stiell said provision of safe pregnancy and protection for newborns should be a key component of climate resilience planning. Meanwhile, ABC News reports that “only two non-Pacific world leaders” travelled to the pre-COP meeting, which involves a leaders’ event on the island nation of Tuvalu. The Guardian reports that Pacific island leaders stressed at the event that “a promised global transition away from fossil fuels must not be left open to renegotiation”.
Jarrett Renshaw, Reuters
US president Donald Trump has signed an executive order to expand access to tax-exempt “red dye” diesel, stating that the move will waive off-road requirement and allow anyone to purchase it, according to Reuters. According to Bloomberg’s coverage, most of the benefits will be absorbed by refiners and fuel sellers. The Financial Times explains that this comes “as midterm elections approach and his administration tries to contain a fuel-price crisis triggered by the US president’s Iran war”. Politico notes that the announcement also follows “weeks of chaotic messaging on high diesel prices”, including Trump saying at the end of last week that he would not impose a diesel export ban, despite “repeatedly saying” this was an option.
MORE ON US
Reuters reports that Trump has “tried to shift the blame [for high fuel prices]…to the Democrats and Ukraine's attacks on Russian refineries”. The Los Angeles Times reports that “a persistent heatwave has shattered October records across southern California”. Vox has an article about the US Senate’s new permitting plan, which “could change how America gets energy for a generation”.
An Limin, Caixin
Volkswagen and Chinese battery maker Gotion “will establish three joint ventures in Spain, Slovakia and Morocco to expand battery production”, reports financial news outlet Caixin. The factories are expected to produce lithium-iron phosphate (LFP) batteries, energy storage systems and LFP cathode materials, adds the outlet. It adds that the partnership comes as the EU rolls out new foreign-investment rules, including new requirements for foreign ownership and local sourcing. State news agency Xinhua says the deal will help Spain “strengthen” its electric vehicle industry. It quotes Volkswagen, saying Europe still lacks “significant industrial-scale production capacity” for LFP batteries. Meanwhile, EU trade chief Maroš Šefčovič will visit Beijing on Thursday to “stave off a trade war” with China, a meeting that has been expected since Šefčovič called in summer for “tangible results [on negotiations] by October,” reports Agence France-Presse.
MORE ON CHINA
The New York Times: “A new crop of solar panels is the US’s best hope of catching China.” China has commissioned the country’s first offshore “carbon-injection gas platform”, capable of storing 1m tonnes of CO2 every year, reports China News Service. In ongoing coverage of a recent five-year plan, China Daily says China is accelerating development of “virtual power plants”. Xinhua says China’s recent five-year plan for batteries calls for expanding high-end battery supply and strengthening innovation.
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