All articles tagged with #fossil fuels
An investigative report shows Texas data centers are quietly driving a fossil-fuel build-out through 'permits by rule,' enabling thousands of backup diesel generators and gas turbines—forming a 'shadow grid' that could emit hundreds of millions of tons of greenhouse gases yearly and expose nearby residents to pollution with little public input.
The Interior Department is accused of orchestrating nearly $3 billion in taxpayer funds to fossil-fuel projects by canceling offshore wind leases with TotalEnergies, Invenergy, and Duke Energy in favor of gas, arguing the actions are illegal and would raise Americans' energy costs; lawsuits are expected as courts review the moves.
A coalition including Indigenous activist Anne Poelina has filed a case with the United Nations Human Rights Committee claiming Australia’s continued coal and gas exports violate residents’ human rights by fueling climate harms such as extreme weather, floods and displacement. The suit follows the 2025 ICJ ruling that countries can be sued over climate change, though UN determinations are non-binding and Australia is expected to respond. The claim argues the government’s support for fossil-fuel companies amounts to a failure to protect people from dangerous climate impacts.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres laid out a seven‑point plan to end fossil-fuel dependence and accelerate a just transition to clean energy: peak and cut emissions this decade toward net zero by 2050; end fossil-fuel subsidies and tax their profits; require AI data-centres to disclose environmental footprints and run on renewables by 2030; ensure a just transition with jobs and development benefits; boost resilience and adaptation finance; unlock affordable climate finance for developing countries; and defend science against disinformation, warning that the 1.5°C limit remains at risk amid ongoing energy shocks linked to Middle East tensions.
The Trump administration will reimburse Invenergy $765 million to terminate four offshore wind leases, including the Morro Bay lease off California, and redirect investments to natural-gas-fired power and geothermal projects. The move marks a continued effort to wind down the U.S. offshore wind program and faces criticism from California officials and environmental groups who argue it undermines clean-energy goals and could invite legal challenges over taxpayer funds; only three California offshore wind leases remain, underscoring a shift driven by policy and market dynamics toward gas and geothermal.
IEEFA finds EU LNG imports fell 1.2% year-on-year from March to May 2026 as renewables blunt fossil-fuel shocks from the Iran war, though Germany surged LNG by 72% and the UK cut imports by 20% (the two trends offsetting). From March–May, US LNG accounted for about 60% of EU imports, with increases also from Algeria, Russia and Norway. The war has left roughly a €60 billion energy bill for the bloc, with less than €2 billion spent on electrification, but solar and wind growth—and rising electrified heating/transport—are reducing exposure, as Spain reached about 75% low-carbon electricity in 2025 (EU average 71%).
Oil industry money has become a central issue in California’s governor’s contest, with Chevron and California Resources Corp donating to a committee backing Xavier Becerra and prompting Tom Steyer to attack him as “Big Oil Becerra.” Becerra defends his environmental record and a pragmatic path to the state’s 2045 fossil-fuel phaseout, while Steyer leans on climate credentials and anti-oil messaging. Despite endorsements from major green groups for Steyer, poll numbers show Becerra with a lead as voters weigh affordability and energy reliability, and while oil cash matters, it remains only a part of the race’s spending dynamics.
The UN climate chief says an extreme heatwave sweeping western Europe is a stark reminder of the climate crisis, driven by human emissions from fossil fuels. Record May temperatures hit the UK and France, with France issuing heat alerts and Spain facing forecasts of 40C; heat domes and early-season heat are being linked to climate change, as authorities report heat-related deaths and drownings while urging faster moves away from fossil fuels.
A World Weather Attribution study says fossil-fuel driven warming has made Mecca much hotter, with 40C heat now occurring in May and temperatures for Hajj becoming dangerous outside traditional summer. Without a rapid shift away from fossil fuels, nearly all future Hajj periods could face dangerous heat, potentially affecting millions of pilgrims; 1,300 heat-related deaths occurred in 2024. Saudi authorities have implemented cooling measures, but researchers warn they are insufficient without deeper emissions cuts.
A May heatwave across Europe, linked to climate change, prompts the UN to urge a faster move away from fossil fuels toward clean power. Renewables like wind and solar are already cutting dependence on imported gas, with EU data showing renewables overtaking fossil fuels in electricity generation, but several member states—Italy and the Netherlands among them—still lag in the transition. The UN argues that cutting fossil fuel use is essential for energy security, affordability, and climate resilience.
An 11‑member, WHO‑convened panel urges declaring climate change a public health emergency of international concern, arguing the climate crisis already threatens health through heat, floods, vector‑borne diseases, air pollution and mental health, and calls for phasing out fossil fuel subsidies, improving health impact assessments and making healthcare systems more resilient to prevent millions of deaths.
Amsterdam has banned public advertising for meat and fossil fuels as part of a broader climate agenda aiming for carbon neutrality by 2050 and halving meat consumption, replacing those ads with cultural promotions; supporters call it a necessary step in fighting climate change, while critics argue it overreaches and harms businesses and consumer choice, with other Dutch cities and European locales adopting similar restrictions.
At a Santa Marta summit, 59 governments agreed to develop roadmaps to end fossil-fuel dependence, launching a 'coalition of the willing' to accelerate a renewables-led transition amid volatile oil markets and a polarized US stance on climate; experts say the war in Iran is unexpectedly boosting renewables, with the IEA noting lasting changes to energy markets, though the UN process remains weak and major emitters are largely absent; the group plans annual meetings with Indigenous leaders and scientists to maintain momentum outside official climate talks.
Around 60 countries gathered in Santa Marta, Colombia for the world’s first climate summit outside the UN process, aiming to translate pledges into concrete steps to phase out fossil fuels and accelerate a clean-energy transition. Co-hosted by Colombia and the Netherlands, the six-day meeting highlighted practical roadmaps and financing tools while noting that the U.S. wasn’t invited and future progress depends on broader participation and alignment with COP debates; a follow-up summit is planned in Tuvalu to extend the coalition and push implementation.
Colombia hosts the first conference on transitioning away from fossil fuels in Santa Marta, launching a bottom-up process to draft national roadmaps for phasing out coal, oil and gas in favor of renewables. The gathering aims to mobilize science, civil society and parliamentarians to accelerate decarbonisation, signaling a potential lasting shift in global energy—though progress hinges on financing, political will and overcoming entrenched fossil-fuel interests and domestic expansion.