Critical decisions on finance, adaptation and fossil fuel phase-out hang in the balance as diplomats work through the night in Baku.
With just days left at COP31 in Baku, negotiators are poring over draft texts that will shape global climate action for years to come. The latest negotiating documents reveal deep divides on issues ranging from grant-based climate financing to the inclusion of fossil fuel phase-out language, according to Carbon Brief’s live tracking.
Bangladesh’s environment minister has publicly called for effective loss and damage support, while developing nations warn that current adaptation funding pledges fall far short of needs. The summit’s outcome could determine whether the 1.5°C target remains within reach.
The 15-year agreement will supply 100% renewable energy to 650 Dutch and Belgian supermarkets.
Renewables developer Rezolv Energy has signed a landmark 15-year power purchase agreement with Ahold Delhaize to supply renewable energy to 650 supermarkets across Romania, the Netherlands and Belgium. The deal, covering 200 MW of solar and wind capacity, marks one of the largest corporate PPAs in Central and Eastern Europe.
The government launches a national geothermal roadmap to diversify its renewable energy mix.
Israel has unveiled a new national roadmap to accelerate geothermal energy development, aiming to reduce reliance on imported fossil fuels and diversify its renewable energy portfolio. The plan includes pilot projects in the Dead Sea region and incentives for private investment in deep geothermal drilling.
Multnomah County’s case against major polluters moves closer to court after a judge denies motions to dismiss.
A judge in Oregon has denied motions to dismiss Multnomah County’s $1.2 billion climate accountability lawsuit against fossil fuel companies, clearing the way for the case to proceed to trial. The lawsuit alleges that major polluters contributed to climate-related disasters that caused billions in damages.
New analysis shows nations are falling behind on their climate commitments, with 2030 targets now nearly impossible to meet.
A report by Sustainable Views indicates that global climate policy progress has slowed significantly, with most countries failing to meet their 2030 emissions reduction targets. The findings suggest that the window to limit warming to 1.5°C is rapidly closing, as current trajectories point to a 2.7°C increase by century’s end.
The company becomes the latest in Southeast Asia to have its emissions reduction goals approved by SBTi.
Exosens has received validation from the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) for its near-term greenhouse gas reduction targets, aligning with the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C pathway. The validation covers Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions across the company’s operations in the Philippines and regional markets.
The country reports record renewable energy growth while continuing to expand coal capacity, drawing criticism from climate advocates.
Turkey has announced a record 20% increase in renewable energy capacity over the past year, driven by solar and wind projects. However, the government also approved new coal power plants, raising concerns about the country’s commitment to phasing out fossil fuels. Analysts warn that without a coal phase-out plan, emissions will continue to rise.
Researchers at Canary Media argue that virtual power plants—networks of decentralized energy resources—could prevent overbuilt grid capacity if the AI-driven data center boom fizzles. By aggregating distributed solar, batteries and demand response, these systems provide flexibility without requiring new fossil fuel plants.
Following internal pressure from employees, OpenAI has announced it will reimburse local utilities for the increased power costs associated with its expanding data centers. The move comes amid growing scrutiny over the environmental impact of AI infrastructure and worker demands for sustainability commitments.
Because it didn’t want to get caught in a *carbon* footprint!
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Daily Puzzle — Sustainability Mini-Crossword
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Type your answers, or print and solve with a pen · Answers in tomorrow's edition
ACROSS 1. The colour of the sustainable economy - and what you recycle for (5) 4. Accumulate, as carbon does in the atmosphere (5) 5. What COP negotiators trade at the summit (5)
DOWN 1. Wheat, rice or maize - a staple crop (5) 2. To ___ a price, as carbon markets do to emissions (5) 3. Gets closer - what the planet is doing to the 1.5 C limit (5)
Green Radar — this edition’s AI footprint
10,592 AI tokens ≈ 5.3 Wh ≈ 1.3 g CO2e — about 1 minutes of video streaming. Estimate under the Climb methodology (Luccioni et al. 2024); EU-average grid (Ember 2023). Exact token counts reported by the model provider.
Compiled automatically · Papers via Semantic Scholar (Scopus/DOI/arXiv records)