China announced a phased increase in consumption tax on traditional battery goods, supporting emerging chemistries like sodium-ion and solid-state batteries while encouraging industrial upgrades and environmental goals. China will begin phasing back consumption tax on a swathe of battery products from 1 September, in a move that marks a sharp…
A three-year trial in Normandy is testing the use of recycled scallop shells as a sustainable alternative to cement in road construction, aiming to reduce the sector’s carbon footprint. France is testing an unusual route to lower-carbon roadbuilding: resurfacing a road in Calvados with powder made from recycled scallop shells.…
ResponsibleGlass launches a 60-day consultation on what could become the first international sustainability standard for the global glass sector, aiming to boost transparency and reduce emissions across the value chain. ResponsibleGlass has published the first draft of what it says will be the glass sector’s first international sustainability standard, launching…
New electrochemical methods for producing cement at lower temperatures promise to drastically cut emissions and reshape industry standards, as researchers demonstrate a scalable and sustainable alternative to traditional processes. Researchers are taking a fresh approach to one of industry’s hardest decarbonisation problems: using electricity to make cement at far lower…
As European cities aim for net-zero targets, power purchase agreements are emerging as a key strategy to ensure renewable energy supplies support cleaner mobility and urban emissions reduction efforts. As European cities push towards net-zero targets, public transport is increasingly being treated as one of the fastest levers for cutting…
The European Commission is set to introduce a €30bn support scheme linked to the EU Emissions Trading System, aiming to incentivise long-term investments in low-carbon technologies amid global competition and high energy costs. The European Commission is preparing a fresh package of support worth about €30bn to help energy-intensive industries…
Siemens launches Digital Twin Composer in the UK and Ireland, enabling manufacturers and infrastructure operators to simulate and optimise processes virtually, cutting costs and reducing emissions amid rising industry demands. Siemens has begun offering a new industrial AI and simulation platform to customers in the UK and Ireland, as the…
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Germany plans a strategic overhaul of its Climate and Transformation Fund, rebalancing support for energy efficiency, industrial decarbonisation, and household relief amid evolving fiscal priorities and climate ambitions. Germany is preparing a major reshaping of its Climate and Transformation Fund, with plans to divert €13.2 billion into the core budget by 2030 and to tighten support for households and industry as Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s government seeks to close fiscal gaps. Reuters reported on 15 July that the move would include €13.25 billion in energy relief for 2027, partly funded through the KTF, while a separate 8 July Reuters report said…
The international energy sector experienced a historic surge in battery energy storage capacity in 2025, signalling a pivotal shift towards grid stability and renewable integration globally. Global deployment of battery energy storage surged in 2025 as falling costs, faster renewable build-out and grid-balancing needs pushed the technology to the forefront of power-system investment, according to the International Energy Agency. In its latest review of critical minerals and energy technology trends, the IEA said about 108GW to 110GW of new battery storage capacity was added during the year, depending on the dataset cited in its various 2026 publications. Either way, the…
The US Department of Energy has terminated 24 awards worth over $3.7 billion, including major carbon capture projects, reflecting a shift towards fiscally disciplined and commercially viable energy investments. The US Department of Energy has terminated 24 awards worth more than $3.7 billion, in a move that could reshape the federal pipeline for carbon capture and broader industrial decarbonisation projects. Announcing the decision on 30 May, Energy Secretary Chris Wright said the department had completed a “thorough and individualised financial review” of each award and concluded that the projects did not meet the standards needed to justify continued support. The…
Starting in January 2027, UK importers in sectors like steel and aluminium must prepare for a new compliance regime under the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, demanding detailed record-keeping and registration, with small businesses needing to act swiftly. UK importers in sectors such as steel, aluminium, cement, fertiliser and hydrogen will soon face a new layer of compliance as the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism comes into force on 1 January 2027. The scheme is designed to curb carbon leakage by placing a carbon price on certain imported goods so they are treated more comparably to products made in the UK. For…
Canada’s emerging sustainable finance taxonomy, currently in draft, seeks to provide a unified framework for identifying credible green, transition, and abatement investments, empowering institutional investors to accelerate the country’s low-carbon shift while ensuring market standardisation. Canada’s emerging sustainable finance taxonomy could become a significant new tool for institutional investors seeking credible ways to back the low-carbon transition, according to pension and climate finance leaders involved in the work. A draft methodology report released by the Canadian Climate Institute and its partners has opened a public comment period that runs until 13 August 2026. The framework is intended to give Canada…
Researchers develop a scalable, water-based method to embed graphene into recycled concrete, significantly boosting strength and reducing carbon emissions, potentially transforming sustainable construction practices. Researchers have set out a route to making graphene-enhanced recycled concrete that is both stronger and easier to scale, according to a study published in Communications…
Researchers at the University of Toronto have harnessed AI and robotics to develop six innovative alloys that withstand extreme heat, promising advancements for aerospace, power, and manufacturing sectors. Researchers at the University of Toronto Engineering have used artificial intelligence and robotics to identify six new nickel-cobalt-chromium alloys that keep their…
Researchers at Trinity College Dublin have developed Ireland’s first cement-free, 3D-printed geopolymer made from over 30% local industrial waste, aiming to significantly cut the carbon footprint of construction. Researchers at Trinity College Dublin say they have developed Ireland’s first cement-free 3D-printed geopolymer, a material made with more than 30% local…
Despite contributing just 0.1% of UK output, the steel sector remains vital for jobs and industry structure, facing pressures from global competition and the shift to greener production methods, with Tata Steel’s Port Talbot leading the way in a major transition. The UK steel industry remains a small but strategically…
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A six-month pilot in Spain involving Toyota, BMW, Bosch and Repsol aims to demonstrate that conventional petrol vehicles can run on fully renewable fuel without infrastructure changes, potentially influencing EU transport policies. Toyota, BMW, Bosch and Repsol have begun a six-month pilot in Spain designed to show that existing petrol vehicles can run on fully renewable fuel without requiring new infrastructure or engine changes. According to the companies, the trial will put around 20 Toyota and BMW vehicles on Repsol’s Nexa 95 renewable gasoline, with Bosch providing a digital fuel-tracking system to verify the fuel’s origin and confirm that the…
Recycling Powerhouse Ltd. plans to establish franchise-led textile recycling plants globally, starting in Qatar, to address industry’s circularity gap through standardisation, traceability, and scalable production. A new Switzerland-based venture is aiming to move textile recycling from fragmented pilot projects to an industrial model built around standardisation, traceability and repeatable production. Recycling Powerhouse Ltd., established in July 2026 in Winterthur, says it will develop a franchise-led network of recycling plants designed to turn post-consumer and pre-consumer textile waste into certified recycled yarns at scale. The company is backed by Rieter Group, Säntis Textiles and Belgium-based Valvan, and plans its first blueprint…
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The World Bank has approved a substantial funding package to boost India’s rooftop solar programme, aiming to bring clean power to millions and create over 1.7 million jobs across the supply chain amid India’s net-zero commitments. The World Bank has approved an $890 million package to help India accelerate its rooftop solar programme, backing a push that officials say could bring clean power to millions of households while opening up a large new market for equipment makers, installers and lenders. According to the bank, the financing combines an $820 million loan from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, a…
Germany’s transport ministry has attracted over double the targeted funding applications for a €220 million scheme designed to jumpstart hydrogen-powered freight by coupling truck deployment with refuelling station construction, signalling a pivotal move in heavy-duty decarbonisation. Germany’s transport ministry has drawn strong industry interest for a €220 million hydrogen funding round designed to kick-start heavy-duty decarbonisation by linking truck deployment with the build-out of refuelling infrastructure. According to the ministry and industry reports, the scheme has attracted 526 applications seeking €455 million in support, far more than the money available. The programme is intended to back up to 40 hydrogen…
The European Union is progressing with plans to expand its Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, extending its reach into complex global supply chains and increasing compliance challenges for importers, as negotiations continue into 2027. The European Union is pushing ahead with plans to widen its carbon border regime, in a move that would take the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism deeper into international supply chains and make compliance more onerous for importers. CBAM, which has applied since 1 January 2026 to carbon-intensive imports including iron and steel, cement, fertilisers, aluminium, electricity and hydrogen, was designed to prevent carbon leakage by putting a…
China’s latest five-year climate blueprint signals a shift from expanding clean power capacity to integrating renewable energy into the wider economy, impacting industrial investors and global emissions ambitions. China’s latest five-year climate blueprint may give industrial investors a better sense of how Beijing intends to translate its huge renewable energy build-out into wider use across the real economy. Published on Thursday, after its broad direction was first signalled at China’s annual political gathering in March, the plan points to a shift from simply adding clean power capacity towards making that electricity easier to use in factories, logistics networks, digital infrastructure…
Canada’s largest oilsands producers have reduced their carbon capture targets by over 75%, reflecting changing government support and ongoing industry claims of progress amid criticism of greenwashing efforts. Canada’s largest oilsands producers have quietly scaled back the ambition of their flagship emissions plan, trimming a long-promised carbon capture target by more than three-quarters as Ottawa and Alberta move to advance a new phase of support for the sector. The industry group now known as the Oil Sands Alliance, previously the Pathways Alliance, first came together in 2021 with a bold claim: its member companies would help deliver net-zero oilsands operations…
The Middle East and North Africa are experiencing a significant shift towards renewable energy and green hydrogen, driven by policy ambitions, decreasing costs, and ambitious projects, signalling a transformative industrial and energy security strategy. The Middle East and North Africa is moving through a pronounced energy transition, with governments and developers shifting capital towards solar, wind and green hydrogen at a pace that would have been difficult to imagine only a few years ago. For a region long defined by oil and gas, the change is not just about climate commitments. It is increasingly about industrial strategy, energy security and…
As demand for electric vehicle batteries surges, manufacturers are fast-tracking offtake agreements to lock in critical raw materials, transforming supply contracts into strategic shields amid geopolitical and market uncertainties. Battery makers and electric vehicle groups are accelerating long-term supply agreements as they try to protect gigafactory output from the next swing in lithium markets. What had once been a narrow procurement issue has become a strategic priority for manufacturers, miners and financiers alike, because cell factories can only scale if the flow of battery-grade materials is secured years in advance. That dynamic is visible in a series of recent contracts.…
The European Commission unveils a bold strategy to double electrification by 2040, reduce fossil fuel imports, and bolster industrial competitiveness through renewable energy and reform of emissions trading. The European Commission has set out a new push to make the continent less dependent on imported fossil fuels by accelerating the shift to electricity from clean, domestic sources, in a move it says could reshape both industry and household energy use. Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president, said the best way to cut Europe’s reliance on fossil fuels was to power the economy with electricity from clean sources produced…
The European Commission’s proposed reforms to the EU ETS signal a move away from reliance on carbon prices alone, favouring a wider policy mix to support industry competitiveness and meet climate goals. The European Commission’s latest rethink of carbon pricing under the EU emissions trading system reflects a growing tension at the heart of industrial decarbonisation: how to keep heavy industry competitive while still forcing a credible shift away from fossil fuels. According to the Commission’s proposal, firms would face a gentler rise in carbon costs and, for longer, little or no direct charge for their emissions, a clear sign…
China and India have largely barred their legacy UN carbon projects from the new Article 6.4 market, marking a significant shift that could reshape international carbon trading and bolster market integrity amid ongoing scrutiny. China and India have effectively shut the door on most of their old UN carbon credit projects entering the Paris Agreement’s new international market, in a move that has stripped nearly three-quarters of applicants from the transition pipeline and signalled a tougher era for carbon trading. According to analysis of official data reported by Climate Home News, only 415 of more than 1,500 Clean Development Mechanism…
