Join CB+

Daily Briefing: Clean electrification call | CO2 drop | Permitting bill ‘advances’

10.11.26

Expert analysis direct to your inbox.

Every weekday morning, in time for your morning coffee, Carbon Brief sends out a free email known as the “Daily Briefing” to thousands of subscribers around the world. The email is a digest of the past 24 hours of media coverage related to climate change and energy, as well as our pick of the key studies published in peer-reviewed journals.

Sign up below.

Article Contents

News

Countries fight over keeping electricity pledge clean at COP31

Attracta Mooney and Ian Johnston, The Financial Times

There is widespread media coverage of COP31, which kicked off in Antalya, Turkey, yesterday. The Financial Times says co-hosts Turkey and Australia “are proposing the new pledge to increase electricity’s share of global final energy consumption from 23% today to 35% by 2035”. It continues: “But the pledge does not require clean or renewable energy to meet the goal, instead saying ‘electrification pathways and rates, including the use of clean electricity and technologies, will differ according to different starting points’. Ministers, country negotiators and UN observers interviewed by the FT expressed their concerns about the framing.” It adds that some EU negotiators are “aiming to strengthen the pledge” to involve “clean electricity”. 

The Associated Press reports that Brazil will present its roadmap for transitioning away from fossil fuels at COP31 today. The Financial Times says: “More than 150 experts and leaders have already written to co-hosts Australia and Turkey to say that oceans must be a key part of the COP discussions about climate action.”

The Guardian reports that in yesterday’s opening plenary, UN climate chief Simon Stiell told delegates that “a global fossil -fuel price crisis is ‘spreading inflation like a cancer’ around the planet”. The Guardian reports that the “US government will have no official presence” at COP31, but adds that “Democrats’ crushing win in the US midterm elections has delivered a timely shot of optimism”. The Independent says: “Long queues and an unusual presidential set-up cannot detract from the calls for action, or the sense of cautious optimism that hangs in the air at the conference.” Reuters says the COP “puts a spotlight” on Turkey and Australia, who both “rely on fossil fuels for electricity”.  Le Monde and Deutsche Welle also note that the COP hosts are dependent on fossil fuels. Outlets including Climate Home News, Semafor, France24, Rapporteur, Bloomberg, Financial Times, Politico, the Washington Post and Al Jazeera also report on COP31.

MORE ON COP31:

  • Bloomberg: “Greta Thunberg returns to UN climate summit after five years away.”
  • The UK secretary of state for energy and net-zero, Miatta Fahnbulleh, tells the Independent that attending COP31 “is about Britain’s national interest”.
  • Reuters: “Farmers fight to adapt as droughts loom in COP31 host Turkey.”
  • Euronews: “Europe talks green at COP31 – but scrambles for more fossil fuels.” 
  • Sky News: “Octopus Energy sparks COP31 dealmaking with new Asian fund.”

The Iran war unexpectedly drove down carbon emissions this year

Brad Plumer, The New York Times

The latest Global Carbon Budget report finds that the world is projected to emit 32.8bn tonnes of CO2 this year, marking a 0.4% decrease compared to 2025, according to the New York Times. It says: “The dip was driven partly by fighting in the Middle East and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, as well as by the war between Russia and Ukraine. Both conflicts have caused global prices for crude oil, natural gas, gasoline and diesel to soar, and many nations have responded by using less oil and gas and shifting to domestic alternatives, including coal or renewable energy. Globally, emissions from oil consumption are expected to drop nearly 2% this year, while emissions from natural gas will decline roughly 0.3%. By contrast, CO2 emissions from burning of coal are expected to rise roughly 0.6%.” The Associated Press, BusinessGreen, Reuters, the Guardian and TIME all cover the report.

US: Senate advances bill to speed up projects from gas pipelines to clean energy

Hilary Beaumont, The Guardian

Yesterday, the Senate advanced legislation to speed up permitting reviews for datacenters and other infrastructure projects, reports the Guardian. The newspaper says the bill “would make it easier to build big infrastructure projects in America – everything from fossil-fuel pipelines to transmission lines that would add more clean energy to the grid”. It adds: “Trump urged all senators to vote for the 417-page bill, which is sponsored by two Republicans and two Democrats in the Senate, but after last week’s historic ‘blue wave’ elections, some environmental and tribal advocates called on Democratic leadership to pump the brakes.” The Associated Press calls the decision the “first major action since midterm elections”. The New York Times says the permitting-reform bill is “contentious”. Politico says: “President Donald Trump said on Monday that his administration would not approve permits for wind turbines, a key part of a bipartisan permitting bill set to receive a Senate vote this evening.”

MORE ON US:

  • The Associated Press: “US midterms bring new focus to weather and science in Washington.”
  • Reuters: “Court blocks California from enforcing climate disclosure laws.”

China at COP31: Why Beijing is heading to Antalya with little pressure

Nico Beckert, Table.Briefings

As COP31 kicks off, China faces “little pressure” in Antalya, with the US and Europe in “weakened positions”, says online publication Table.Briefings. It adds: “Initiatives by host country Turkey could even benefit China’s green-tech exports.” State news agency Xinhua says COP31 offers an opportunity to “renew momentum” for global climate cooperation, in an article reviewing how Chinese president Xi Jinping has “steer[ed] China’s green transformation and global climate action”. Separately, Xinhua also says: “At this critical juncture in global climate governance, only by setting aside differences and taking pragmatic action can all parties realise the ‘implementation’ vision of COP31.” Chinese officials are still “weighing the pros and cons” of hosting COP33 in 2028, reports the Financial Times.

The US’s absence from COP31 “undermines momentum” for global climate action, says an editorial in state-run newspaper China Daily. It adds: “China has emerged as a pivotal architect of the global clean-energy transition and a staunch defender of climate multilateralism.” Without “clear roadmaps”, COP31’s implementation agenda will lack “tangible” financial support to “move forward”, writes Chai Qimin in an opinion piece for China Daily. Chai is the director of strategy and planning at the National Centre for Climate Change Strategy and International Cooperation, a thinktank under the environment ministry. Investing in climate adaptation is “no longer optional”, writes UNEP executive director Inger Andersen in an opinion article for state broadcaster CGTN. Countries must “pivot away from abstract pledges” and “enter the era of true global delivery”, argues Samed Ağırbaş, COP31’s climate high-level champion, in an opinion piece for China Daily. 

MORE ON CHINA

  • A new report says China faces “major” challenges in developing low-carbon technologies “quickly enough” to meet its carbon neutrality goal, says China Daily.
  • People’s Daily says that China’s solar industry is both “driving a comprehensive green transition” domestically and also “benefiting and inspiring the world”.
  • The National Bureau of Statistics has restructured its energy statistics department to now oversee carbon emission surveys alongside “traditional energy metrics”, reports the South China Morning Post. 
  • A new “ten-year action plan” for oil and gas, which has not been publicly-released, will “further strengthen” China’s energy security, says a commentary by Jiemian reporter Hou Ruining.
  • BBC News: “See how China finally slowed its ballooning emissions right down.”

No decision made on reducing electric vehicle targets – Burnham

Helen Corbett, The Press Association

“Andy Burnham has insisted no decision has yet been made on changes to electric vehicle targets amid reports the Prime Minister is preparing to slash totals,” according to the Press Association. This comes as the Times, the Daily Express, the Daily Telegraph and the Independent all report that Labour plans to soften EV sales targets.

Separately, the Guardian says: “UK households face rush to find green energy installer to beat April VAT hike.” The Daily Telegraph reports that “landlords face fines of up to £30,000 for failing to carry out net-zero upgrades as Labour plots a fresh crackdown on the rental sector”. The Daily Telegraph says: “Member states urge Brussels to offer UK ‘appropriate’ deal to bring energy markets closer together.” Separately, the Daily Telegraph reports that “Britain’s grid operator has paid a gas power station more than £1m an hour to keep the lights on following a slump in wind power.”

MORE ON EUROPE

  • Reuters: “Norway announces $64m for Brazil’s Amazon Fund after record deforestation decline.”
  • Desmog: “How a French oil executive is working with the Trump administration to ‘kill’ Europe’s methane plan.”
  • Le Monde: “French presidential election: Glucksmann presents ‘100-day environmental revolution’ plan.”
  • Rapporteur: “Brussels warns richer EU members not to miss climate targets.”
  • Inside Climate News: “Britain’s data-centre boom meets growing resistance.”
  • Politico: “Spain’s conservatives promise to relax climate rules if they win election.”

Comment

Climate action is dying just when it’s needed most

Pilita Clark, The Financial Times

Financial Times associate editor Pilita Clark writes that “civil society action may be the missing piece in the fight against global warming”. She says: “Let’s look first at what should not happen: the end of COPs. Yes, these increasingly enormous global gatherings are unnecessarily complex, hopelessly glacial and in need of reform. And yes, by vital measures they have failed.” However, she says that “no other event does as much to normalise climate action, or force governments to focus on the climate at regular intervals, something needed more than ever in these volatile times”. She adds: “Also, COPs are more than empty gabfests. The plans countries have drawn up as part of the 2015 Paris Agreement mean estimates of future warming have sunk. Not by enough, certainly, but this was not assured.”

MORE COP31 COMMENT

  • Nick Ferris, the Independent’s climate correspondent, writes: “Nobody should be kidding themselves – keeping 1.5C alive at COP31 will take a miracle”. 
  • Adam Morton, the Guardian Australia’s executive editor, says: “Chris Bowen faces a titanic task at COP31. What will it take for the world to make the climate crisis its top priority?”
  • Catherine McKenna, CEO of climate and nature solutions and Maria Mendiluce, CEO of the We Mean Business Coalition, write in Reuters: “Climate silence is stalling action. Global leaders must join the women who are speaking up.” 
  • Haitham Al-Ghais, the secretary general of OPEC, writes in Anadolu Ajansi that the future “should be about the ‘Age of all energies’”, rather than just electricity.
  • Joanna MacGregor, chief, strategy and UN Affairs at the UNFCCC, writes in the Backchannel substack: “Now more than ever, there will be much more focus on turning the penned words of Paris into projects on the ground.”
  • Sanda Ojiambo, CEO of the UN Global Compact, writes in Reuters: “Grids, finance and jobs: Three tests for COP31’s clean energy promise.”

Research

This edition of the Daily Briefing was written by Ayesha Tandon, with contributions from Lekai Liu and Anika Patel. It was edited by Dr Simon Evans.

Forwarded this email? Subscribe for free.