Climate Change
🏭 Ireland shuts down its last coal power plant – becomes the 15th coal-free country in Europe
Ireland became the 15th coal-free country in Europe when the Moneypoint power plant was shut down on June 20. The country now generates 37 percent of its electricity from wind power according to energy think tank Ember.
🏭 South America the first continent without planned new coal power plants
South America has become the first continent in the world without planned new coal power plants, after having 18 projects on the drawing board in 2015. Renewable energy sources have become economically superior to coal across the continent.
📉 Have China's CO2 emissions peaked? Declining for the first time thanks to clean energy
China's carbon dioxide emissions fell by 1.6 percent in the first quarter of 2025 despite sharply increased energy demand. China's electricity sector emissions have decreased four times previously. However, the current reduction is the first time the main cause is growth in clean energy production.
📉 EU looks set to reach climate targets for 2030
The Union is on track to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 54 percent by 2030 compared to 1990 levels. The target that the EU has set is a 55 percent reduction.
🌎 Op-ed: Terraforming – a key to slowing climate change
The climate debate has long been stuck between blame and denial—but now it's time for action. What if the solution lies in actively reshaping Earth’s climate and ecosystems through terraforming?
📉 UK greenhouse gas emissions drop to lowest level since 1872
Coal usage in the country fell to the lowest level since 1666. The number of electric vehicles increased by almost 40% during 2024, contributing to reduced oil demand despite increased traffic on the roads.
🌍 Renewable energy sources growing twice as fast in Global South compared to Global North
Investments in clean energy are now seven times larger than in fossil energy in the Global South's electricity production, compared to an even split ten years ago. One-fifth of countries in the Global South have already surpassed wealthy nations on solar and wind power usage or electrification.
☀️ Solar energy and electric vehicles lead the energy transition in 2025
Renewable energy expansion grew by 17 percent during 2024, with record installations of approximately 600 GW solar power and 125 GW wind power. Investments in renewable energy sources now outpace fossil fuels by 10 to 1, with more money in solar energy than all other power sources combined.
🏭 The number of planned coal power plants in the OECD has decreased by 96% since 2015
The number of proposed coal power plants within the OECD region has decreased from 142 in 2015 to only five today. Of the five remaining proposals, four plants include plans for carbon capture.