The Guardian reports that nearly 60 countries have agreed to back voluntary roadmaps to “wean the world off coal, oil and gas” at a conference “prompted by frustration with UN climate summits” in Colombia. In a story trailed on its frontpage, the Financial Times adds that the countries agreed to work on trade measures aimed at cutting demand for fossil fuels, as well as pledging to expose how much participant nations each support or subsidise fossil fuels and work on financial reforms to tackle subsidy “traps”. Bloomberg reports that the summit ended on an “optimistic note”, with the launch of new workstreams to help countries phase out fossil fuels and plans for a second meeting next year. [Carbon Brief has a full write-up of the conference.]

Le Monde reports that the event, organised by Colombia and the Netherlands, aimed to “address this critical issue in the fight against the climate crisis without taboos”. Semafor quotes a Colombian environment minister, who said: “This may be the first multilateral meeting that I find not frustrating.” Climate Home News quotes Colombian environment minister Irene Vélez Torres, who said: “For the first time, it demonstrates that it is possible to make a different type of environmental democracy,” she added that further improvements would be made to the methodology. The New York Times notes that the US was not invited to the meeting, given the Trump administration’s refusal to engage with international climate talks, as well as several other big countries not attending.

A separate story in the Guardian looks at 10 of the big lessons to be taken away from the conference, including that “hope is contagious and science is king”. Scientific American reports that one of the first points at the conference was to launch a panel of scientists to advise countries, hailing that “scientists know how to phase out fossil fuels. Some countries are listening”.

Sky News covers comments by the head of the UN’s climate body, Simon Stiell, that the conflict in Iran has “supercharged” the “boom” in renewable power. It quotes Stiell, who was speaking at an event in Paris to prepare for the upcoming COP31 climate talks, as saying that “from this tragedy, an immense irony is unfolding”. Bloomberg quotes Stiell as saying: “Those who’ve fought to keep the world hooked on fossil fuels are inadvertently supercharging the global renewables boom.” Reuters adds that early signs suggest that the Iran war is speeding up the transition to low-carbon energy in some nations, pointing to surging demand for rooftop solar in Europe and a jump in EV sales in Pakistan as examples. This story was also covered by BusinessGreen, Euractiv and others.

Separately, Reuters reports that the International Energy Agency’s Fatih Birol reaffirmed that the world is facing its biggest energy crisis in history during his speech in Paris. According to the article, Birol told the conference: “The oil ​markets and gas markets ​are going through big difficulties. When I looked last time, ​the oil price ​was over $120 [a barrel], which is putting ‌a ⁠lot of pressure on many countries.” The Press Association, BBC News, Reuters and others report that oil prices have “rocketed” to their highest level since 2022, following reports that the US is preparing for an escalation of the Iran war. Reuters covers comments by Iran that it would respond with “long and painful strikes” if the US starts renewed attacks and restates its claim on the strait of Hormuz. 

MORE ON IRAN WAR

• The Financial Times looks at why surging oil prices have not led to a boom in Permian production in the US, as producers stay in “wait-and-see” mode.
• Reuters reports that due to a US naval blockage of Iranian ports, shrinking Tehran’s oil exports, a growing stockpile of crude oil is sitting on tankers as storage sites run out of space.

The Times covers news that solar panel installations in the Iran war has caused a “rush” in solar panel and heat pump installations in March. It adds that there were more than 27,000 solar installations in March, the highest monthly total in 14 years and the equivalent of a rooftop being fitted with solar every three minutes. The Press Association adds that over the past year, Britain’s solar capacity has increased by 11.7%, adding 2.3 gigawatts (GW) to the national energy mix. BusinessGreen reports that the surge in new installations of large-scale rooftop and ground-mounted solar projects meant total solar capacity surpassed 2m installations for the first time. Reuters adds that April also saw a new solar generation record, with 15GW of generation on Britain’s electricity system for the first time. 

Relatedly, the Times covers challenges homeowners face in installing rooftop solar, including those under shared ownership or facing barriers based on their mortgage. The Daily Telegraph reports that a consultation will be launched on the potential of building floating solar power plants, which would sit on freshwater bodies such as reservoirs, lakes and industrial ponds.

MORE ON UK 

• There was widespread coverage of energy efficiency standards changes, which will see traditional condenser tumble dryers phased out, including in the Daily Telegraph, Independent and others. 
• BBC News reports that heating oil prices in Northern Ireland rose by a record 92% in Northern Ireland in March.
• The Times reports that funding for the UK’s “youngest low-carbon and renewable energy companies hit a five-year low in 2025”. 
• BBC News reports that the temperature in England’s largest lake, Windermere, has risen by 1.5C in less than 80 years. 
• The National reports that “BBC News has come under fire for downgrading the climate section on its website.” The story is based on social media posts by Carbon Brief editor Leo Hickman, which were picked up by Hollywood actor Mark Ruffalo.
• An “exclusive” in the climate-sceptic Daily Mail, quoting various unnamed sources, reports that “dozens of Labour MPs” are calling for energy minister Ed Miliband to be sacked because of his “net-zero lunacy”.

In a congressional hearing, Senate Democrats have accused the Trump administration of abandoning the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) goal to protect human health and the environment, reports the Associated Press. The article continues that Democrats “slammed” the EPA leadership over a proposal to cut its budget in half. It adds: “Lee Zeldin’s appearance before the Senate environment committee was the EPA administrator’s last of three budget hearings this week where he argued for sharply reduced funding for the agency, which already has seen its staffing reduced to its lowest level in decades under his leadership.”

MORE ON US

• Reuters reports that the Trump administration is in talks with oil companies and considering measures to increase production in the US “really soon” to ease the impact of the Iran war. 
• The Associated Press looks at Ohio, where county-level bans on solar farms have become a key election argument. 
• Politico looks at experts’ predictions of “prolonged pain and rising costs” due to the energy crisis, even as Trump “bets on [a] quick Iran oil crunch”. 
• Inside Climate News covers moves be western lawmakers to weaken the Clean Air Act and shield fossil fuel companies from lawsuits.
• South China Morning Post interviews Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change chair Jim Skea about how the organisation is pressing on following the US’s withdrawal.

Reuters reports that analysts have significantly cut their forecasts for prices in the EU’s carbon market over the next few years. It continues that uncertainty over proposed policy changes and future supply levels has hampered forecasts for the EU’s emissions trading system (ETS), the bloc’s “main tool for curbing emissions”. It adds: “According to a survey of 10 analysts, EU allowances are forecast to average ​€80.61 ($94.24) per metric tonne in 2026 and €93.29 in 2027, down from the €92.65 and €107.29 respectively for forecasts made in January. The market has had a volatile start to 2026, with the benchmark EU carbon contract currently trading around 74 euros/tonne, some 15% lower than the beginning ​of the year.”

MORE ON EUROPE

• The Financial Times reports that both the European Central Bank and the Bank of England have warned they may need to increase interest rates to manage the energy shock triggered by the Iran war.
• Bloomberg covers record negative power prices in Europe, as solar power pushed hourly prices near minus €500 per megawatt hour. 
• Reuters reports that the European Commission is planning to exclude imports of leather from its anti-deforestation law.
• The Daily Telegraph reports that Britain is the most exposed European country to jet fuel shortages.
• The Financial Times reports that Belgium is in talks with Engie to nationalise its nuclear assets.

Zhong Baoshen, chairman of China’s largest solar equipment maker, Longi Green, has said the company aims to match the scale of its energy storage business with that of solar, reports Bloomberg. However, the outlet adds that the rapid buildout of capacity has stoked concerns that energy storage could face the same crisis that has beset solar, according to the outlet. Meanwhile, JinkoSolar chairman and CEO Li Xiande said that the world outside China is seeing a 10% increase in demand for solar panels in 2026 amid the war in Iran, but it will be offset by a 20% drop in China, resulting in a 5-10% overall decrease ⁠year-on-year, according to Reuters. Financial news outlet Caixin reports that China’s wind turbine maker Ming Yang “nearly doubled its net profit” in 2025, as increasing wind turbine prices and surging delivery helped ease “years-long domestic price wars”. The outlet adds that the strong earnings “reflect a broader stabilisation in China’s wind power sector”.

MORE ON CHINA

• Chinese president Xi Jinping called for the country to deepen international cooperation in tackling major scientific issues, including climate change and energy, reports Xinhua. In an article published in Qiushi, Xi called for local authorities to adhere to the direction of “green development” and leverage their “comparative advantages”.
• A People’s Daily article says in the face of global climate challenges, China has focused on and is now leading new energy industries.
• Profits at China’s major steel mills fell in the first quarter partly due to the EU’s newly implemented carbon border tax, reports Caixin.
• The State Council said it will strengthen the “momentum for green development” in 2026, advancing the construction of the national carbon market, reports BJX News.
• Beijing Daily reports that China’s first zero-carbon industrial park evaluated under national standards has been completed in the Xiong’an New Area.
• China has allocated 91.5bn yuan to fund projects in areas, including energy, power and carbon reduction, reports International Energy Net.

An editorial in the Guardian argues that US president Donald Trump’s “war on science” is “politicising a generation of researchers”. The article notes that Trump’s attacks have “been vicious and hugely damaging”, but that he has lost numerous key battles, including cuts to funding for federal research. It adds that attacks on science by the rightwing Maga movement have been “nakedly political” and its defeats equally so, showing “bipartisan pro-science consensus is still intact”. It warns that there have been concerted campaigns to sow doubt in health and climate science both in the US and around the world, noting the targeting of net-zero in the UK as an example. The article argues that scientists are not just defending funding now, they are defending the idea that science can be independent of politics. It concludes that: “Mr Trump set out to tame scientists. He may have politicised them instead.”

MORE IN COMMENT

• An Economist editorial argues that “oil markets are still in La La land”.
• An editorial in the Hindu looks at how differences with Saudi Arabia and the Iran war led to the United Arab Emirates leaving OPEC.
• An editorial in the Washington Post argues that “paying to kill wind projects is a blow to energy development”, following reports that more US offshore wind farms have been paid to have their leases cancelled.
• In the Financial Times, economics commentator Chris Giles writes that “the energy crisis is no excuse for bad subsidies”. 
• An editorial in the climate-sceptic comment page of the Wall Street Journal looks at New York’s proposed climate mandates.
• In the climate-sceptic Daily Telegraph, an editorial says that the UK’s “economic resilience and energy security” have been undermined by the ban on new North Sea oil and gas, while a comment article criticises the proposed phaseout of traditional tumble dryers.

This edition of the Daily Briefing was written by Molly Lempriere, with contributions from Henry Zhang and Anika Patel. It was edited by Robert McSweeney.

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