Britain has committed to investing up to £217 billion in cleaner energy by 2035, aiming to significantly reduce carbon emissions and transition to renewable energy sources.

The Dutch appeals court is currently hearing Shell's appeal against a landmark 2021 ruling that held the company responsible for greenhouse gas emissions from its products and mandated a significant reduction by the end of the decade. Originating from environmental groups, the case argues Shell breached its legal duty of care and undermined the Paris Agreement's goals. Shell contends that complying with the ruling could harm the Dutch economy and sets an unrealistic emissions reduction target, while disclaiming responsibility for customers' emissions. Friends of the Earth Netherlands remains confident, citing Shell's revised climate ambitions, as the proceedings aim to resolve a crucial legal battle over corporate accountability for climate change.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has allocated $6 billion across 33 projects targeting emissions reduction in industries like chemicals, steel, food, refining, and cement, marking the largest-ever U.S. investment in industrial decarbonization. With expectations to cut over 14 million metric tons of CO2 annually, these projects, supported by the Industrial Demonstrations Program, aim to scale up decarbonization technologies, accelerate deep decarbonization, spur widespread adoption, create cleaner product markets, and benefit local communities. Notable projects include the Green Aluminum Smelter, Lebec Net Zero Cement Plant, and Hydrogen-Fueled Zero Emissions Steel Making, emphasizing America's commitment to climate action and economic competitiveness under Secretary Jennifer M. Granholm's leadership.

A recent study reveals that two anti-ESG laws passed in Texas in 2021 have caused a significant loss of jobs, decreased economic activity, and reduced tax revenues. Economist Jon Hockenyos emphasizes the unintended consequences of government interference in business decisions, stressing the importance of a free market. The research also shows increased borrowing costs for the state and higher fees for local governments issuing bonds due to reduced competition. Despite opposition, the legislation remains, reflecting a trend of prioritizing industry interests over environmental and social concerns.

Global investment in the low-carbon energy transition hit a record $1.77 trillion in 2023, up 17%, according to BloombergNEF's Energy Transition Investment Trends 2024 report. Electrified transport, growing 36% to $634 billion, outpaced renewable energy spending at $623 billion. China led in investment with $676 billion, but the EU, US, and UK collectively exceeded China with $718 billion. The report underscores the need for an annual average of $4.8 trillion from 2024 to 2030 to achieve net-zero goals. Clean energy supply chain investment reached $135 billion in 2023, projected to rise to $259 billion by 2025. Trends in climate-tech equity raising ($84 billion) and energy transition debt issuance ($824 billion) show declining equity and rising debt, with utilities leading in debt issuance, and oil and gas companies' issuance decreasing.

A research project sampling 428 wind farms and around 500,000 property sales within 5 miles of the farms have found that property values do in fact decline when in close proximity to a wind farm. However, this study does not factor in the social and economic benefits that wind farms bring to a community.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has unveiled a significant investment of $7 billion to establish seven Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs (H2Hubs) across the nation as part of President Biden's "Investing in America'' agenda. These hubs are a central component of the Bidenomics strategy and will accelerate the large-scale deployment of clean hydrogen, playing a crucial role in achieving the President's climate and energy security goals.

Last week news broke that JetBlue along with Britian’s Virgin Atlantic signed an agreement with a sustainable fuel start up, Air Company, to purchase fuel made from captured carbon emissions.

In a new report by McKinsey, Climate impact of plastics, the total green house gas contribution of plastic versus the alternatives is scientifically measured. McKinsey looked at examples from the top five plastic consuming sectors and measured not only the product lifecycle of plastic vs other options, but also the impact of our use. The results may come as a bit of a surprise to many

This week, the Canadian federal government is proposing a new cap and trade system that will essentially set a “cap” or a ceiling for emissions, specifically from the oil and gas industry. The goal of this would be to drive down emissions by 40-45% from the 2005 levels by 2030

This week, the German government approved a new package of measures to speed up the expansion of renewable energy. Previously, the German government had a target of 65% of energy to be clean energy by 2030. With this new commitment, the goal is for 80% of energy to be clean energy by 2030. As of April this year, just under 41% of Germany’s power consists of clean energy.

This week, the supreme court came to a conclusion regarding the interpretation of the 1970s Clean Air Act. Essentially, This ruling limited the Environmental Protection Agency’s authority to regulate green house gas emissions and says that the EPA does not have the authority to shift power generation from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources.