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1.5C Surpassed, but Still Within Reach, UN Says

  • Writer: Marshall Kirkpatrick
    Marshall Kirkpatrick
  • Mar 19
  • 29 min read

The UN highlighted the work of photographer Muhammad Amdad Hossain in its announcement
The UN highlighted the work of photographer Muhammad Amdad Hossain in its announcement

"The latest State of the Global Climate report confirms 2024 as the hottest year since records began 175 years ago, with a global mean temperature of 1.55°C above pre-industrial levels – surpassing the critical warming threshold of 1.5°C for the first time," the UN wrote yesterday.


UN Secretary-General António Guterres: “Our planet is issuing more distress signals – but this report shows that limiting long-term global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius is still possible. Leaders must step up to make it happen –seizing the benefits of cheap, clean renewables for their people and economies – with new national climate plans due this year."



What are we going to do about it? We offer summaries of 200 selected updates from around the world of green tech and sustainability. (Email subscribers get 3 picked out just for you.) Connect your work to one of these and let's all deepen and accelerate our efforts to transform the global economy today.



Today's Updates

Table of Contents


  • Agriculture (9 stories) - Cyclone Alfred hits Australian farms, coffee supply chain threats drive innovation, grass-fed beef emissions study, UK farming scheme closure, global yield projections test resilient methods, Thai fish protests, and Cornwall fishing documentation


  • Carbon (11 stories) - Record 1.55°C warming and CO2 spikes tracked by UN and GHG Protocol, while Nordea partners with Inherit Carbon for Danish storage and UK plans Sco2tConnect network


  • Circular (7 stories) - Sirenas de Mexico tackles ghost nets, biochar innovation in Cameroon, PV CYCLE and DAS Solar advance panel recycling, Vytal expands reusable packaging network, as Mediterranean and UK face waste challenges


  • Ecosystems (12 stories) - Major conservation zones established in Bolivia's Tahuamanu-Orthon and South Africa's penguin colonies, while US battles March tornadoes and wildfires across 13 states; Lake Kerkini protects endangered pelicans as coastal habitats face mounting threats


  • Efficiency (5 stories) - ACEEE ranks Oregon top 10; heat recovery systems and BuildingLens platform drive industrial and building efficiency; heat pumps prove superior; utilities focus on optimization


  • Finance (14 stories) - Major banks adjust Tesla outlook while Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners raises €12B for renewables; UBS delays net-zero goals and Sarasin divests from Equinor amid $1.3T climate finance gap


  • Grid (20 stories) - Major storage deals from Zenobē, Trina, and DTE Energy; utilities tackle transmission challenges with SPP's $263B plan; grid resilience focus at Energy Evolution Summit; California battery standards approved


  • Indigenous (12 stories) - Indigenous rangers, communities advance conservation and clean energy across Australia, Brazil, Guatemala, while global organizations fight for land rights and environmental justice


  • Industry (18 stories) - Tax credits boost Australian hydrogen and minerals, Summit Nanotech scales lithium tech, DMEGC and Chinese solar firms expand, while H2SITE, Electric Hydrogen, and Lawrence Livermore advance H2 production methods


  • Policy (66 stories) - EPA faces elimination of Research Office and 1,155 scientists; Colorado adopts strict methane rules; Trump administration considers coal mandates and monument cuts; Norway reviews oil field permits


  • Renewables (10 stories) - Major solar expansions in Germany, Poland, and Bangladesh; GE Vernova's Texas wind projects; BP-EnBW offshore developments; Terabase's AI solar tech funding; JA Solar and AIKO module deals


  • Transport (11 stories) - BYD's 5-min charging breakthrough, BMW i3 battery upgrades, Hireco's zero-emission refrigeration units, and Bahamas vessel electrification lead transport innovations as California EV share hits 22% and global ICE sales decline



Agriculture

Cyclone Alfred hits Australian farms, coffee supply chain threats drive innovation, grass-fed beef emissions study, UK farming scheme closure, global yield projections test resilient methods, Thai fish protests, and Cornwall fishing documentation



Carbon

Record 1.55°C warming and CO2 spikes tracked by UN and GHG Protocol, while Nordea partners with Inherit Carbon for Danish storage and UK plans Sco2tConnect network



Circular

Sirenas de Mexico tackles ghost nets, biochar innovation in Cameroon, PV CYCLE and DAS Solar advance panel recycling, Vytal expands reusable packaging network, as Mediterranean and UK face waste challenges



Ecosystems

Major conservation zones established in Bolivia's Tahuamanu-Orthon and South Africa's penguin colonies, while US battles March tornadoes and wildfires across 13 states; Lake Kerkini protects endangered pelicans as coastal habitats face mounting threats



Efficiency

ACEEE ranks Oregon top 10; heat recovery systems and BuildingLens platform drive industrial and building efficiency; heat pumps prove superior; utilities focus on optimization



Finance

Major banks adjust Tesla outlook while Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners raises €12B for renewables; UBS delays net-zero goals and Sarasin divests from Equinor amid $1.3T climate finance gap



Grid

Major storage deals from Zenobē, Trina, and DTE Energy; utilities tackle transmission challenges with SPP's $263B plan; grid resilience focus at Energy Evolution Summit; California battery standards approved



Indigenous

Indigenous rangers, communities advance conservation and clean energy across Australia, Brazil, Guatemala, while global organizations fight for land rights and environmental justice



Industry

Tax credits boost Australian hydrogen and minerals, Summit Nanotech scales lithium tech, DMEGC and Chinese solar firms expand, while H2SITE, Electric Hydrogen, and Lawrence Livermore advance H2 production methods



Policy

EPA faces elimination of Research Office and 1,155 scientists; Colorado adopts strict methane rules; Trump administration considers coal mandates and monument cuts; Norway reviews oil field permits



Renewables

Major solar expansions in Germany, Poland, and Bangladesh; GE Vernova's Texas wind projects; BP-EnBW offshore developments; Terabase's AI solar tech funding; JA Solar and AIKO module deals



Transport

BYD's 5-min charging breakthrough, BMW i3 battery upgrades, Hireco's zero-emission refrigeration units, and Bahamas vessel electrification lead transport innovations as California EV share hits 22% and global ICE sales decline



 
 
 

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