For some years we have had to replace coal-fired power plants with gas, with less carbon. That time is over worldwide. Some countries are behind the curve, of course, but overall “renewables are set to meet all the growth in global electricity demand” for years to come.
Now that Fossil Carbon burning has peaked, and we are on the downhill side, I can bring you one tipping point after another from now on. Country by country, technological advance by technological advance, court case by court case, laws, regulations, education, changes in public opinion, products and markets...Enjoy.
Today, growth in renewables that is greater than growth in demand, so that fossil fuel use decreases measurably every day from now on.
But CO2 in the environment is still going up for reasons other than burning carbon. We have to get down from 38 gigatonnes per year of CO2 equivalent emissions to well below 0 before the Earth starts to cool. Until then we are still putting more of it into the air and seas, and not taking up enough with trees and plankton and such.
The record two-year growth rate observed from 2022 to 2024 is likely a result of sustained high fossil fuel emissions combined with El Niño conditions limiting the ability of global land ecosystems to absorb atmospheric CO2, said John Miller, a carbon cycle scientist with NOAA’s Global Monitoring Laboratory. The absorption of CO2 is changing the chemistry of the ocean, leading to ocean acidification and lower levels of dissolved oxygen, which interferes with the growth of some marine organisms.
Well, that was the bad news. Now for serious good news.
Good climate news this week
1 2023 marked peak emissions in the power sector
2 Investment in low-carbon electricity likely to be 10 times higher than investment in gas and coal power generation
3 Climate scientist Claudia Sheinbaum to become Mexico's first woman president
4 World’s biggest solar plant at 5GW comes online in China, can power a small country
5 California 2023 sales of new zero-emission medium- and heavy-duty trucks double v 2022
6 China plans new carbon measurement standards to boost climate efforts
7 UK EVs reach record 17.9% of new cars in May
8 UN chief calls for global fossil fuel ad ban
9 Australian pension fund found guilty of greenwashing
10 Sri Lanka brings net zero emissions goal forward 10 years to 2040
Good climate news last week
1 China's emissions may have peaked in 2023 (huge)
2 Emissions reductions provided $249b of climate and health benefits to the US in just 4 years (huge)
3 EU gives final approval for exit from Energy Charter Treaty
4 New EU law to hit gas imports with methane emissions limit
5 China to spend $828m on high-tech all-solid-state EV batteries
6 BYD unveils hybrid powertrain capable of 2,000km (1,250 miles) drive
7 62% of US voters back climate litigation against Big Oil
8 New EU law to up domestic green tech production
9 Edinburgh bans SUV and cruise ship ads
What’s the best way to tackle climate change? An ‘evidence bank’ could help scientists find answers
Synthesizing research on which policies are most effective is a key priority in climate science, advocates say.
There is of course lots more news of various sizes. We’ll get to it.