Georgia Gratton

Governments, companies and scientists have expressed concern at President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw the US from the Paris climate agreement, but have committed to continue with plans to decarbonise and drive forward the energy transition.

The EU and China today pledged to continue to tackle climate change, emphasising consistency and multilateralism, in response to US President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw his country from the Paris climate agreement.

Last year was the hottest year globally since records began in 1850, and the first calendar year to breach the 1.5°C temperature limit sought by the Paris climate agreement, EU earth-monitoring service Copernicus said today.

Six international science and weather institutions have separately found that 2024 was the hottest year on record, the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) said today.

The UK government this week opened a consultation on moving to zero emission vehicles (ZEVs), seeking views from the industry on how to deliver a 2030 end date for sales of new gasoline and diesel-fuelled cars.

The UK government has re-emphasised its commitment to the country's legally binding target of net zero emissions by 2050, and says it is acting either fully or partially on all recent recommendations from the independent advisory Climate Change Committee (CCC).

The UN Cop 29 climate summit technically achieved its aim of settling the details of a new climate finance goal, but it represents a huge compromise for poorer developing countries and the finance may take some time to reach them.

Ministers leading consultations on a new climate finance goal for developing countries — the central issue at the UN Cop 29 climate summit — said today that "divergent views" on the structure remained, but clarified on new suggestions for amounts.

A small shift in some finance discussions was perceptible today at the UN Cop 29 climate summit, as talks entered the second day of the political stage, and after G20 leaders reiterated support for climate action.

Sweden has committed to provide 8bn Swedish kronor ($763mn) for the UN's Green Climate Fund (GCF) and a further SEK200mn ($18.1mn) to the UN loss and damage fund.

La Nina conditions may develop over the next three months, but if the weather phenomenon does materialise, it is likely to be "weak and short-lived", the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) said today.

The UK government has set a target to cut all greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by at least 81pc by 2035, from a 1990 baseline, the country's prime minister Keir Starmer said today at the UN Cop 29 climate summit in Baku, Azerbaijan.

A survey from the European Investment Bank (EIB) found widespread support for "urgent" spending on adaptation — adjusting to the effects of climate change where possible.

The UK government has opened a consultation seeking views on assessing the effects of scope 3 — or end-use — emissions from proposed offshore oil and gas projects.

The UK independent advisory Climate Change Committee (CCC) has recommended that the UK commits to cut its territorial greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 81pc by 2035, from a 1990 baseline.

Parties have hit a wall in final technical discussions on a new climate finance goal — the "centrepiece" of the UN Cop 29 climate summit in Baku — and ministers have a large gulf to bridge, just two months before the summit.

South Korea today has pledged $7mn to the UN loss and damage fund, to address the unavoidable and irreversible effects of climate change in developing countries.

The UK government plans to build new gas-fired power plants, as well as to extend the life of some "ageing unabated gas assets" where safe to do so, to ensure flexible power generation capacity, energy minister Claire Coutinho said today.

The UK government has added the Acorn and Viking carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects to its 'Track 2' process, which aims to start up two further CCS clusters by 2030.