Failing to provide enough investment in oil and gas could undermine the shift to low-carbon energy, the boss of oil giant BP has stated, according to the Times. The newspaper says Bernard Looney told the International Energy Week conference in London that fossil fuel supply shortages would cause price jumps and the resulting economic volatility could then undermine support for the broader energy transition. It notes that the comments “are likely to be seen as a further attempt to justify BP’s decision to weaken its climate targets in favour of pumping more oil and gas”, after Looney “abandoned his much-vaunted plan last month to cut output by 40% by 2030” in favour of a 25% cut. The Daily Telegraph quotes Looney saying “as the events of last year demonstrated, the sudden loss of even a small part of the world’s oil and gas can have severe economic and social costs”. Bloomberg notes that attendees at the conference were met by protesters against the fossil fuel industry calling for Looney to be sent to the International Criminal Court. The newswire says that while BloombergNEF data shows low-carbon investment matched fossil-fuel investment last year for the first time, the world is still “far behind a trajectory of emissions cuts that would enable it to reach the goals set out in the 2015 Paris climate agreement”. Meanwhile, Reuters reports that BP has announced plans to invest up to €2bn ($2.12bn) by 2030 to produce low-carbon hydrogen and biofuels in its refinery in Spain.

Separately, a story in the Financial Times about Shell considering a move from London to New York contains a significant detail about the oil firm’s climate plans. It says following the promotion of the new chief executive Wael Sawan, he appointed a team of executives to review parts of Shell’s business in a bid to “win back American investors”. One tactic being considered is “dropping the commitment made by previous Shell boss Ben van Beurden to allow the company’s oil production to decline by 1 to 2% a year from 2019 as part of its plan to cut emissions”, the newspaper says. It adds that “Sawan and other Shell executives are said to have been impressed by the 10% jump in UK rival BP’s shares this month after it stunned the sector by paring back its plans to reduce oil and gas production”.

Reuters reports that Chevron chief executive Michael Wirth has said a consolidation between the five top western oil producers – including BP, Shell, ExxonMobil and TotalEnergies – remains a possibility, but would face regulatory hurdles. Another Reuters story notes that Chevron has expanded its share buyback programme and laid out plans to add 750,000 barrels of oil and gas per day to its US production.

Finally, the New York Times has a story about oil-and-gas workers making the switch to working in the renewable-energy sector as fossil fuel company employment has fallen. And the Guardian reports on a draft EU plan to crack down on greenwashing, in which companies will have 10 days to justify “green” claims about their products or face “effective, proportionate and dissuasive” penalties.

The UK government risks failing to meet its goal of achieving a 100% low-carbon power system by 2035 because it lacks a clear and comprehensive delivery plan, according to a new report by government watchdog the National Audit Office (NAO) covered by the Financial Times. Ministers had planned to publish a strategy for decarbonising power in October last year, but a focus on the energy crisis sparked by the Ukraine war meant ministers had made “little progress” on this, the newspaper says. It adds that, “in a sign of grid infrastructure struggling to keep pace with changes to the power system”, the NAO found that electricity generators were being paid up to £62m a day to cut output when supply outstripped demand but could not be stored. The Guardian notes that this failure to set a clear plan for expanding wind, solar and nuclear power could “deter external investors from providing funds for new infrastructure or lead them to increase the rates of return they require, ultimately increasing costs for energy consumers”, according to NAO. It quotes Gareth Davies, head of the NAO, saying that the 2035 target is the “backbone” of the government’s broader net zero ambition. The NAO also said that it was not clear when the newly formed Department for Energy Security and Net-Zero (DESNZ) would have a delivery plan, the Press Association reports. The newswire’s coverage specifically highlights the need for energy storage – for example, in the form of hydrogen and batteries.

Meanwhile, the Daily Telegraph reports that back-up power generators have started to arrive in Ireland to help it keep the nation’s lights on over the next few winters. The article states that “surging demand for electricity and the closure of ageing gas-fired power stations have left the country vulnerable”. A New Statesman piece, which cites Carbon Brief analysis of the impact that green subsidy withdrawal has had on UK energy bills, considers how social enterprises “are showing how renewable energy can directly benefit society’s most vulnerable” in Ireland and the UK. And BusinessGreen story covers Imperial College London findings that show the UK grid ran on 100% low-carbon electricity for 25 hours during December, “setting yet another record”.

UK energy secretary Grant Shapps says plans to close Britain’s last coal-burning power plants should be delayed for another year, according to the Daily Telegraph. The newspaper says the minister hopes to keep the plants on standby through next winter, “despite prior agreements to begin winding down operations later this month” as the nation moves to lower-carbon electricity sources. The comments come from an interview with the Times, in which Shapps says it would be “crazy” to risk the nation’s energy security by not having the coal plants on standby, adding that he was “investigating what a contract would look [like]” for the plants to stay open. However, the newspaper notes that the companies running the plants that it contacted said they had not received any formal request to stay open.

In more Shapps news, the minister is set to give a speech today in which he will tell energy suppliers that reduced wholesale energy prices must be passed on to consumers’ bills, according to the Guardian. The newspaper describes this as an “apparent sign of government concern about the impact of reduced direct support for domestic energy bills”. This comes as the Financial Times reports that government officials have confirmed that government plans to lift the cap on an average household’s bill from £2,500 to £3,000 a year from April are “under review” and could be dropped in the Budget in two weeks’ time. The paper says: “Until now the Treasury has resisted pressure to keep the guarantee at £2,500, despite warnings from poverty campaigners the imminent cut in support would leave millions more households struggling to pay their bills.”

Separately, Reuters reports that British Gas, E.ON and Scottish Power have told a court that the UK government granted billions of pounds in unlawful subsidies to their rival Octopus Energy to take over collapsed energy supplier Bulb.

German transport minister Volker Wissing yesterday called into question a bid by the European Union to ban new cars with internal combustion engines from 2035, saying the use of synthetic fuels should remain possible after the deadline, reports Reuters. In a press conference, Wissing – a member of the Free Democratic Party, which is in coalition with the Greens – said “now the European Commission must deliver”, before urging the EU’s executive to take a more flexible approach, the newswire says. Germany’s environment ministry, led by the Greens, ”was surprised by Wissing’s announcement”, Reuters reports, with a spokesperson saying that Germany’s approval of the combustion engine ban was “coordinated with the other ministries”. Wissing argued that the production of engines that use “climate-friendly” e-fuels, such as e-methane and e-kerosene, “must be allowed on a permanent basis”, notes the Financial Times. His comments come “days ahead of an EU vote on plans to force European automakers to cut their cars’ carbon emissions by 55% between 2021 and 2030, and 100% by 2035”, the paper says: “Wissing called for the European Commission to make a proposal to allow for the production of combustion engines running on synthetic fuels beyond 2035 or face a backlash from Berlin. The vote is set for next Tuesday. Without Berlin’s backing, the law will not pass. Poland has already stated its opposition, while Bulgaria has said it will abstain.” The FT adds that “following Wissing’s intervention, Italy’s energy ministry said on Tuesday that Rome would also obstruct the plans. Environmental targets should ‘avoid negative repercussions for the country both in terms of employment and production’, it said in a statement”.

Meanwhile, Jaguar Land Rover owner Tata Motors is “demanding more than £500m of government aid for a new battery factory in Britain”, reports the FT. The newspaper continues: “People briefed on discussions say the Indian group is close to choosing between Spain and south-west England for its plant and has given UK ministers ‘weeks’ to pledge financial support. They added the total value of UK aid sought by Tata exceeds £500m, including grants and support packages such as assistance for energy costs and research funding. The move, by the largest employer in the UK car manufacturing sector, presents the government with a fundamental choice over how much support to give the industry as Britain struggles to make the transition from petrol and diesel cars to mass-market electric vehicles.” In response, a UK government official said they were “engaging with them – whether or not the talks go anywhere depends on whether a final amount can be agreed”. The FT notes that “despite new investments by Nissan, Stellantis and Ford in electric vehicle technology, the UK has struggled to attract big battery companies to set up factories”.

In other car-related news, the Guardian reports on analysis by the International Energy Agency (IEA) that shows the “continued global rise in sales of SUVs pushed their emissions to almost 1bn tonnes of carbon dioxide in 2022”. The Financial Times reports that LG Energy Solution – South Korea’s biggest maker of electric-vehicle batteries – is “betting on rapid growth in the US following a package of climate-friendly tax breaks to close in on its biggest Chinese rival as competition in the sector intensifies”. The Times reports that the UK car industry “fears being left on a road to nowhere” amid electric vehicle incentive programmes being offered in the US, in the form of the Inflation Reduction Act, and the EU. The Daily Express reports that electric car owners in the UK “can save £600 a year despite rising household bills”. And Reuters reports that the US Postal Service said yesterday that it plans to buy 9,250 Ford E-Transit battery electric vehicles starting later this year and will also purchase an equal number of gasoline-powered models from Chrysler-parent Stellantis.

A French court has dismissed a landmark case against TotalEnergies for a massive oil project in Uganda and Tanzania after NGOs filed a suit to suspend the project, Climate Home News reports. French and Ugandan campaigners argued that the oil major did not do enough to stop environmental and human rights problems in its East Africa Crude Oil Pipeline (Eacop), but the case has been dismissed “over a series of technicalities”, the news website reports. Judges decided they did not have the power to conduct the in-depth examination of the company’s plans that was necessary, and said the legal case had changed too much since they first filed, it continues. The Financial Times notes that the written ruling said the underlying merits of the case “would have to be examined by another judge”. Le Monde reports that this was the “first case of its kind in France, and activists had hoped it would set a legal precedent to halt projects deemed harmful to the environment and human rights”.

Separately, DeSmog reports that French environmental organisations filed what they say is the world’s first climate lawsuit against a commercial bank, targeting BNP Paribas over its continued funding of fossil fuels.

Australia will co-sponsor the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu’s historic bid for the international court of justice to rule on the international legal obligations that countries have to act on climate change, the Guardian reports. The small-island state will soon put a resolution to the UN general assembly seeking an opinion, asking the court to pay particular attention to the harm experienced by islands that are particularly vulnerable to rising temperatures and sea levels, the newspaper adds. Meanwhile, a Conversation article examines how climate change could threaten Australia’s national security.

In more Australia news, another Guardian article reports on findings from industry consultancy SunWiz that Australia’s rooftops now have 20 gigawatts (GW) of solar panels “and will soon have the capacity to produce more electricity than the country’s entire coal industry”.

According to an investigation in Al Jazeera, the Indian government granted an “extraordinary favour” to Gautam Adani that boosted his coal business and allowed Adani Enterprises Ltd to mine coal “in one of India’s densest forest patches”. Documents accessed by reporters show that the Narendra Modi-led government gave the Adani Group “exceptional leeway” in allowing their old mining contracts to be revived, even after the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) found that a “particular regulation handing over coal blocks to the private sector was ‘inappropriate’ and lacked transparency”, the outlet says. The group responded that the contracts it holds – for operating mines holding more than 2,800m tonnes of coal – were “awarded through a transparent and competitive bidding process”, the outlet adds. 

Meanwhile, the country recorded its highest-ever maximum temperature in February, Reuters reports. According to India Meteorological Department (IMD), the country is “likely to experience heatwaves between March and May”, which could “lift power consumption above supplies during the summer” and “dent production of wheat, rapeseed and chickpeas”. Separately, Scroll.in reports on the connections between climate change and lumpy skin disease that killed more than 150,000 cows in 2022.

A new report from the UN Environment Programme states that as global efforts to respond to climate change have so far been insufficient, it is now time to begin investigating “solar geoengineering” technologies to reflect sunlight away from the Earth in order to cool it down temporarily, CNBC reports. The report states that, as it stands, “it’s currently not a good idea to use them in an effort to respond to climate change”. However, it adds that “this view may change if climate action remains insufficient”. The Independent reports the story under the headline: “Giant mirrors to reflect sunlight away from Earth may be needed to hit climate targets, UN says.”

Citing recent analysis published by Carbon Brief, Bloomberg’s energy reporter Dan Murtaugh “questions the wisdom of China’s ambitious coal-power plans”. He writes: “As anyone who’s assembled complicated home gym equipment knows, just because you build something doesn’t mean you’re going to use it. China’s power sector is about to learn that lesson in a costly way.” He adds: “The problem is, China already has too many coal-power plants and the average unit runs for only about half the hours in a given year, according to National Energy Administration data…It’s understandable that China wants to make its power system more reliable, especially as the push to electrify everything from heating to transportation puts more strain on the grid. But adding more coal-fired plants that will likely sit unused most of the time is probably the worst way to do it.” Peter Hannam, the Guardian Australia’s economics correspondent, has an analysis piece titled: “Confusion surrounds China’s energy policies as GDP and climate goals clash.”

Continuing the focus on coal use in China, the South China Morning Post carries a comment piece by Shi Jiangtao, one of its reporters and a former diplomat, who writes: “China’s inability to quit coal also threatens to derail global efforts to fulfil the 2015 Paris agreement, to stop global warming spiralling beyond 1.5C above pre-industrial levels.” Shi continues: “China’s reckless push to expand coal-fired power plants has also underlined many grim challenges in tackling its deepening environmental crisis.” He concludes that “Beijing’s coal push and reluctance to rein in coal-fired polluters also underline other embarrassing problems that have plagued China’s development for years: the diminishing role of environmental groups and the weakening of civil society”. Fox News host Stuart Varney comments that “China is the villain of climate change”.

In other climate news from China, the South China Morning Post quotes Chao Qingchen, director of the National Climate Centre, a subsidiary of the China Meteorological Administration, who says that “China’s fragile ecological environment, as well as it regional geography, make it vulnerable to climate change, and that will result in longer heatwaves, more frequent floods and warmer ocean surface temperatures this year”. Chao points out that the “average number” of heatwave days in China is “predicted to rise from four to six days at the beginning of this century to seven to 31 days by the end of this century”; between 2016 and 2035, periods of extreme rainfall will “become more frequent – happening every 20 years instead of every 50 years”, the outlet adds. China Daily, a state-run newspaper, carries a feature which says that “decade-long efforts by central authorities to tackle pollution have borne fruit nationwide”. S&P Global notes that the Biden administration’s “ambitious plan to make the US a clean energy superpower is a direct challenge to China’s dominance of global clean energy supply chains and is likely to exacerbate trade frictions and intensify competition in what is now viewed as a clean energy arms race”. Reuters reports that “oil prices rose nearly 2% on Tuesday, erasing the previous session’s losses, as hopes for a strong economic rebound in China offset worries about US interest rate hikes dragging down consumption in the world’s biggest economy”. Finally, Bloomberg says that oil “fell for the eighth month out of the last nine as US economic slowdown fears continue to dampen market sentiment”.

Guardian US columnist Rebecca Solnit makes a comparison between the harms caused by new phenomena such as Covid and longer-term harms caused by fossil fuels. “Human beings are good at regarding new and unfamiliar phenomena as dangerous or unacceptable. But long-term phenomena become acceptable merely because of our capacity to adjust,” she writes, adding: “Violence against women (the leading form of violence worldwide) and slower forms of environmental destruction have been going on so long that they’re easy to overlook and hard to get people to regard as a crisis.” She concludes: “Change needs to come, swiftly, and though practical change is crucial, so are changes in imagination, perception and values. The two go together, and they always have.”

A new study assesses the costs of policies to promote the use of sustainable aviation fuels to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of aviation in the EU. The researchers assess different policies for attaining a minimum sustainable aviation fuel share and compare them to simple emission trading schemes akin to the UN “Corsia” (“Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation”) measure that is currently in its pilot phase. The findings suggest that “policies that aim to achieve a minimum share of 3.5% or 5.25% sustainable aviation fuels by 2030 in the EU are 5-10 times more expensive to reduce greenhouse gas emissions than a simpler emission trading mechanism like Corsia”.