Today's Updates

Table of Contents

• 🌾Agriculture (4 stories) - PVC agroforestry in Burundi, Tunisia's food sovereignty crisis, Latin American banana crops threatened, and sustainable farming growth.

  
  

• 🪨Carbon (3 stories) - Biochar from forest waste, debunked agriculture claims, and 430ppm CO2 levels.

  
  

• ♻️Circular (1 story) - Misleading "mass balance" accounting inflates recycled plastic content claims.

  
  

• 🌱Ecosystems (12 stories) - Africa's climate crisis; urban plant adaptation; UK biosecurity shortfall; cranberry bog restoration; Antarctic glacier 'ice piracy'; Gambia's mangrove project; GREFA & Rewilding Europe's vulture reintroduction; extreme microbe research; Central Park starlings' invasive legacy; Asheville's sinkholes.

  
  

• ⚡Efficiency (3 stories) - Energy Star, LIHEAP targeted; Water industry considers cloud vs. on-premises; IBM touts data-driven asset maintenance.

  
  

• 💰Finance (1 story) - Thames Water chair questioned on KKR takeover, regulatory concerns.

  
  

• 🔌Grid (8 stories) - Data Center Growth, Northeast States' Transmission Plan, AusNet Grants, Illinois Battery Storage, Hitachi Energy, Wildfire Mitigation, NRG Energy Acquisition

  
  

• 🌍Indigenous (4 stories) - CredorSave Loans finances Zambian Indigenous farmers; Brazilian youth reforest Araucaria trees; Ecuador's Kichwa Sarayaku protect ancestral forest; Malaysia's Rumah Jeffrey face eviction.

  
  

• 🏭Industry (10 stories) - Enterprise Twinning Platform, Coal India & AM Green Deal, Urine-Based Hydrogen, Copper Demand Concerns, Energy Department Funding Threatened, Enduro Genetics, US Solar Surge.

  
  

• 📜Policy (21 stories) - Global survey supports climate action; Ocean economy faces funding gap; Aligned Climate Capital raises $240M; Trump seeks cuts to National Parks & USGS.

  
  

• 🔋Renewables (5 stories) - Hydro-Québec's 300MW solar tender, NSW approves 7.15GW renewables, Broome's 90MW solar and 239MWh battery, SunDrive's copper solar cells, and Marston's £5.4m solar pub deal.

  
  

•  🚗Transport (7 stories) - 3D Current Collector enables 5-minute EV charging; Global EV adoption soars with solar, robotaxis; Managed charging saves $300; UK EV share at 32.1%, led by Volkswagen; GM exports Chinese EVs; Volvo and Cupra eye US market.

Agriculture

PVC agroforestry in Burundi, Tunisia's food sovereignty crisis, Latin American banana crops threatened, and sustainable farming growth.

• FRENCH – Perfect Village Communities “PVC Burundi” (Equator Initiative) - Burundi social enterprise PVC has restored 5,000 hectares through agroforestry, created 4,500 jobs, and supported 3,000 farmers annually since 2017.

• Tunisia’s agricultural crisis stems from a governance model that converts sovereignty into dependency: MRWL (Via Campesina) - Tunisia's agricultural sector faces systemic crisis due to neoliberal policies and trade agreements that prioritize foreign markets over local food sovereignty and peasant livelihoods.

• Climate crisis threatens the banana, the world’s most popular fruit, research shows (The Guardian) - Climate change threatens to make 65% of Latin American and Caribbean banana-growing regions unsuitable by 2080, endangering global food security and rural livelihoods.

• Interview scheidend én bevlogen bestuurslid Janneke Hoekstra (Land van Ons) - Retiring board member Janneke Hoekstra reflects on organization's growth in sustainable farming and biodiversity restoration, calls for 100,000+ participants to increase impact.

Carbon

Biochar from forest waste, debunked agriculture claims, and 430ppm CO2 levels.

• Preventing Wildfires With High Heat And A Little Biomass (Atmos) - New biochar production methods enable forest waste conversion into soil-enriching carbon storage while reducing wildfire risks.

• No, Agriculture & Meat Aren’t A Bigger Driver Of Climate Change Than Fossil Fuels (CleanTechnica) - New research paper claiming agriculture causes more climate change than fossil fuels debunked by climate scientists as methodologically flawed and misleading.

• Carbon Dioxide In The Atmosphere Surged In 2024 (CleanTechnica) - Global atmospheric CO2 levels surged to 430ppm in 2024, marking unprecedented 3.75ppm annual increase amid weakening natural carbon sinks and persistent El Niño conditions.

Circular

Misleading "mass balance" accounting inflates recycled plastic content claims.

• The misleading accounting behind your ‘recycled’ plastic (Grist) - Companies use misleading 'mass balance' accounting to inflate recycled plastic content claims in consumer packaging, allowing products to appear more sustainable than they are.

Ecosystems

Africa's climate crisis; urban plant adaptation; UK biosecurity shortfall; cranberry bog restoration; Antarctic glacier 'ice piracy'; Gambia's mangrove project; GREFA & Rewilding Europe's vulture reintroduction; extreme microbe research; Central Park starlings' invasive legacy; Asheville's sinkholes.

• Climate change takes increasingly extreme toll on African countries (UN News) - African nations face intensifying climate impacts with record temperatures, devastating floods displacing 700,000 people, and severe droughts disrupting food security across the continent in 2024.

• Plant sex and the city (Climate Desk) - Urban plants worldwide are modifying their reproductive strategies to adapt to increasing urbanization and city environments.

• Less than 1% of UK biosecurity budget goes on tackling invasive species, figures show (The Guardian) - UK allocates less than 1% of biosecurity budget to invasive species control despite major threats to native wildlife and ecosystems.

• ‘Urgent and Escalating’: Climate Change Brought Unprecedented Challenges to Africa in 2024, Report Finds (Earth.org) - Africa faced record-breaking heat, floods, and droughts in 2024, severely impacting food security, power generation, and displacing hundreds of thousands, reports World Meteorological Organization.

• Nantucket Conservation Foundation: The Windswept Bog Wetland Restoration (Nantucket Conservation Foundation) - Former cranberry bog transformed into natural wetland ecosystem, benefiting wildlife and watershed while maintaining public access.

• Ice Theft in Antarctica (Nautilus) - Antarctic glacier 'Kohler East' observed stealing ice flow from neighboring glacier over 18-year period, marking first recorded rapid-pace ice piracy.

• State of the Climate in Africa 2024 - English (WMO) - Africa experienced its warmest decade on record in 2024, with extreme weather causing widespread flooding, droughts, and displacement while sea temperatures reached historic highs.

• From crisis to conservation: Gambia’s fight for biodiversity (UNEP) - Gambia's river ecosystem restoration project combines mangrove replanting, anti-poaching patrols, and community-led conservation to protect biodiversity and improve local livelihoods.

• New partnership to advance vulture comeback across Europe (Rewilding Europe) - Spanish NGO GREFA partners with Rewilding Europe in five-year agreement to reintroduce vultures and other keystone bird species across European landscapes.

• Hunting extreme microbes that redefine the limits of life (Nature) - Scientists hunt and study extreme microbes living in highly acidic volcanic lakes, deep ocean sediments, and Arctic permafrost to understand life's fundamental limits.

• The Most Charming Villain in the Sky (Nautilus) - Manhattan socialite's 1890s release of 200 European starlings in Central Park led to 200 million invasive birds causing $1B annual agricultural damage across US.

• Sinkholes and the people who love them (Grist) - Asheville's growing sinkhole problem draws local fascination and scientific concern as climate change and infrastructure issues accelerate their formation across the southeastern United States.

Efficiency

Energy Star, LIHEAP targeted; Water industry considers cloud vs. on-premises; IBM touts data-driven asset maintenance.

• Trump’s all-out war on energy efficiency (Canary Media) - Trump administration launches broad assault on energy efficiency programs, targeting Energy Star certification, LIHEAP assistance, and building standards that have saved consumers billions.

• Data Management in the Water Industry: Cloud vs On-Prem in 2025 (KETOS) - Water industry faces complex decision between cloud and on-premises data management systems in 2025, with hybrid edge-computing emerging as preferred solution for water quality monitoring.

• IBM’s CSO: The easily overlooked data-driven approach to smart sustainability strategy (Trellis) - IBM's Chief Sustainability Officer emphasizes data-driven asset maintenance as key strategy for reducing costs and environmental impact while extending equipment lifespans by up to 40%.

Finance

Thames Water chair questioned on KKR takeover, regulatory concerns.

• MPs should not accept any murky answers from Thames Water chair on potential sale | Nils Pratley (The Guardian) - Thames Water chair faces parliamentary scrutiny over potential KKR takeover amid concerns about regulatory concessions and lack of competitive bidding process.

Grid

Data Center Growth, Northeast States' Transmission Plan, AusNet Grants, Illinois Battery Storage, Hitachi Energy, Wildfire Mitigation, NRG Energy Acquisition

• Data centre deployment: the nexus of energy and AI (GridBeyond) - Global data center electricity consumption grows 12% annually since 2017, reaching 415TWh in 2024 with US accounting for 45%, straining power grids and risking project delays.

• Northeastern States Unveil New Grid Planning Strategy in Attempt to Regain Control Over Energy Future (Inside Climate News) - Nine Northeastern states launch collaborative transmission plan to bypass regional grid operators and accelerate clean energy projects.

• Solar, batteries and an EV charger win funding for energy resilience scheme (RenewEconomy) - AusNet awards $1 million in grants for solar, battery storage, and EV charging projects across Victoria to strengthen community energy resilience during outages.

• llinois’ grid needs batteries. Can the legislature deliver? (Canary Media) - Illinois lawmakers race to pass legislation incentivizing 3GW of grid battery storage by 2030, with initial 1,038MW procurement planned for summer 2024.

• Building tomorrow’s power grid (Utility Dive) - Hitachi Energy advances grid innovation with eco-friendly transformers, mobile units, and digital monitoring solutions to address growing power demands and climate challenges.

• Beyond shut-offs: How energy storage strengthens utilities’ wildfire resilience (Utility Dive) - Battery storage systems enable utilities to maintain power during wildfire risks while avoiding complete grid shutdowns through targeted de-energization and microgrid capabilities.

• NRG Energy Inc. to Acquire Premier Power Portfolio from LS Power; Transforming Generation Fleet for Growing Demand (LS Power) - NRG Energy to acquire $12B power portfolio including 13GW of natural gas plants and 6GW virtual power platform, doubling generation capacity in Northeast and Texas markets.

Indigenous

CredorSave Loans finances Zambian Indigenous farmers; Brazilian youth reforest Araucaria trees; Ecuador's Kichwa Sarayaku protect ancestral forest; Malaysia's Rumah Jeffrey face eviction.

• ENGLISH – CredorSave Loans (Equator Initiative) - Zambian enterprise CredorSave Loans provides climate-smart financing to Indigenous farmers, enabling biogas adoption and sustainable agriculture through pay-as-you-go model.

• ENGLISH – Instituto Zag (Instituto Zag) - Indigenous youth-led organization works to save sacred Araucaria tree through reforestation while preserving Laklãnõ Xokleng culture and traditional territory in Brazil's Atlantic Forest.

• SPANISH – Pueblo Originario Kichwa de Sarayaku (Equator Initiative) - Ecuador's Kichwa Sarayaku people secure legal protection for 144,767 hectares of ancestral forest through 'Living Forest' concept, preserving indigenous rights and sustainable practices.

• Deforestation and illegal evictions threaten Malaysia’s Indigenous peoples (Grist) - Malaysia's Indigenous Rumah Jeffrey community faces forced eviction and deforestation of ancestral lands by logging company despite legal land claims and lack of consent.

Industry

Enterprise Twinning Platform, Coal India & AM Green Deal, Urine-Based Hydrogen, Copper Demand Concerns, Energy Department Funding Threatened, Enduro Genetics, US Solar Surge.

• AFID Enterprise Twinning Platform: Connecting Businesses for Industrial Decarbonization (IRENA) - New online platform connects 85 global organizations to accelerate industrial decarbonization through enterprise twinning and knowledge sharing partnerships.

• Coal India To Supply 4.5 GW Renewable Energy For Green Ammonia (TaiyangNews) - Coal India signs $3 billion deal to supply 4.5GW renewable energy to AM Green for green ammonia production, marking shift from coal-only operations.

• Australian researchers say using urine could slash cost of green hydrogen by one quarter (RenewEconomy) - Australian researchers discover urine-based process could reduce green hydrogen production costs by 27% through more efficient electrolysis.

• Rising copper demand fuels concern over pollution and rights abuses (Climate Change News) - Global copper demand projected to rise 40% by 2040 for clean energy transition, sparking concerns over environmental damage and human rights violations at mining sites.

• Delta Corporate Video (Delta) - Global power electronics company provides energy-efficient solutions across industrial automation, building systems, and EV charging, serving sustainable manufacturing and smart cities across 5 continents since 1971.

• Clean manufacturing at risk (Canary Media) - Trump administration threatens to defund Energy Department's Clean Energy Demonstrations office, endangering 26 major industrial decarbonization projects and U.S. manufacturing jobs.

• Enduro Genetics aims to deliver its first two projects this year to turbocharge bioproduction: ‘We’re taking a little bit of the ‘bio’ out of biomanufacturing’ (AgFunderNews) - Danish biotech startup Enduro Genetics to deploy cell productivity-boosting technology in first commercial biomanufacturing projects this year.

• Solar panel manufacturing is booming in red states (Yale Climate Connections) - US solar panel manufacturing capacity increases fivefold in two years with 70-80% of investments flowing into Republican congressional districts.

• Cleaning up industry may get harder (Planet Detroit) - Michigan gas utilities' $60B infrastructure plans through 2050 could impede industrial decarbonization by shifting climate burden to harder-to-clean sectors.

• Physicists turn lead into gold — for a fraction of a second (Nature) - Physicists at Large Hadron Collider briefly transform lead into gold through high-speed ion beam collision creating microsecond-lasting gold nuclei.

Policy

Global survey supports climate action; Ocean economy faces funding gap; Aligned Climate Capital raises $240M; Trump seeks cuts to National Parks & USGS.

• We are the Majority. (350.org) - New global survey reveals 89% of people worldwide support stronger climate action, challenging perception of public indifference to climate crisis.

• The Business Case for a Sustainable Blue Economy (World Economic Forum) - Ocean economy projected to reach $3.2 trillion by 2030 but faces major funding gap, with only $13 billion invested in sustainability over past decade despite critical climate role.

• This infrastructure fund is doubling down on community solar (Latitude Media) - Infrastructure fund Aligned Climate Capital raises $240M for community solar projects targeting underserved areas with 20%+ returns via tax credits and asset sales.

• As US doubles down on fossil fuels, communities will have to adapt to the consequences − yet climate adaptation funding is on the chopping block (The Conversation) - US climate adaptation funding faces cuts despite rising climate threats, jeopardizing crucial research on wildfires, coastal protection, and invasive species management.

• Should Pittsburgh’s Water Stay Public? Residents Will Get to Vote on It (Inside Climate News) - Pittsburgh residents to vote on charter amendment preventing privatization of city's water system amid concerns over rising costs and quality control.

• Bowen confirmed as climate and energy minister, Watt gets environment (RenewEconomy) - Chris Bowen retains climate and energy minister role while Murray Watt appointed environment minister in Albanese government reshuffle.

• Federal decision on contested large wind project delayed for sixth time (RenewEconomy) - Federal decision on 900MW Robbins Island wind project delayed for sixth time amid environmental concerns over endangered species habitat.

• What happens when the opposition elevates enemies of renewable energy? (RenewEconomy) - Australia's opposition party doubles down on anti-renewable stance and nuclear advocacy despite electoral defeat, raising concerns about potential obstruction of clean energy transition.

• Nature group threatens judicial review against Labour’s planning bill (The Guardian) - Wildlife group Wild Justice threatens legal action against UK government's planning bill, claiming it weakens decades of environmental protections despite ministerial denials.

• Can states and cities lead on climate under Trump? (Yale Climate Connections) - Despite Trump administration's aggressive rollbacks of federal climate initiatives, state and local governments maintain potential to achieve 54-62% emissions reduction by 2035 through expanded climate action policies.

• German Chancellor Merz Calls for EU to Scrap Supply Chain Sustainability Due Diligence Law (ESGToday) - German Chancellor Merz urges European Commission to eliminate corporate sustainability due diligence law requiring companies to address human rights and environmental impacts across supply chains.

• ECB Warns EU Against Removing 80% of Companies from Mandatory Sustainability Reporting (ESGToday) - European Central Bank warns against EU proposal to exempt 80% of companies from mandatory sustainability reporting requirements, recommending coverage for firms with 500+ employees.

• Trump asks Congress to cut at the heart of the West (High Country News) - Trump's proposed federal budget seeks $900M cut to National Parks, $564M from USGS, and plans to sell public lands in Utah and Nevada, threatening Western conservation and wildlife.

• National Park Service opposes Kentucky solar farm (National Park Service) - Federal agency opposes 100MW Kentucky solar farm near Mammoth Cave National Park, citing endangered shrimp concerns amid broader Trump administration anti-solar policy shift.

• Can courts counter Trump on clean energy? (Canary Media) - Coalition of 17 states sues Trump administration over wind farm permit freezes and EV charger funding blockages, citing illegal executive overreach.

• EPBC Act: What’s changing – and why it matters for renewable energy projects (RenewEconomy) - Australia passes bill limiting environmental review powers for long-running projects, impacting renewable energy development oversight and approval processes.

• Potential role for Chinese firm in key UK windfarm attracts government scrutiny (The Guardian) - UK government scrutinizes potential involvement of Chinese firm Mingyang in supplying turbines for major North Sea floating windfarm amid national security concerns.

• The scars of war last for centuries: how we understand collective trauma needs to change (Nature) - Research reveals war trauma's multi-generational impacts require broader study beyond individual clinical focus, emphasizing community and cultural contexts in understanding collective trauma.

• FEMA is ending door-to-door canvassing in disaster areas (Grist) - FEMA ends door-to-door disaster survivor outreach program amid political controversy and shift toward state-led recovery efforts.

• Tax reform readiness: Steps to prepare now (Utility Dive) - White House and Congress target July 4 deadline for corporate tax reform bill that could reduce manufacturer rates from 21% to 15%.

• 2023 Spokane Candidates Climate Change Forum Live Stream (Gonzaga University) - Spokane mayoral and city council candidates participate in fifth annual Climate Change Forum to discuss environmental policies and plans.

Renewables

Hydro-Québec's 300MW solar tender, NSW approves 7.15GW renewables, Broome's 90MW solar and 239MWh battery, SunDrive's copper solar cells, and Marston's £5.4m solar pub deal.

• Canada’s Hydro-Québec Launches 300 MW Solar Energy Tender (TaiyangNews) - Hydro-Québec launches 300MW solar tender as first phase of 3GW solar plan by 2035, requiring 25MW maximum project capacity and grid connection by 2029.

• New South Wales Greenlights Over 7 GW RE Capacity (TaiyangNews) - New South Wales government approves grid access rights for 10 renewable projects totaling 7.15 GW capacity, set to power 2.7 million homes by 2031.

• Broome to get big solar farm and six hour battery to replace gas and diesel contract (RenewEconomy) - Western Australia's Broome to replace gas and diesel power with 90MW solar farm and 239MWh battery storage system, cutting one million tonnes of emissions over 20 years.

• “Launchpad to the world:” SunDrive inks deal to get Aussie solar innovation to global market (RenewEconomy) - Australian solar innovator SunDrive partners with Chinese manufacturers to commercialize copper-based solar cell technology promising 20-30% cost reduction over silver-based cells.

• Marston's inks £5.4m deal to install solar panels on 120 pub rooftops (BusinessGreen) - UK pub chain Marston's secures £5.4m deal to install solar panels across 120 pub rooftops in partnership with Two Blues Solar and Nuvolt.

Transport

3D Current Collector enables 5-minute EV charging; Global EV adoption soars with solar, robotaxis; Managed charging saves $300; UK EV share at 32.1%, led by Volkswagen; GM exports Chinese EVs; Volvo and Cupra eye US market.

• Breaking Down Fast Charging with Addionics (Addionics) - New 3D Current Collector technology enables EV batteries to achieve 25% charge in 5 minutes while reducing heat buildup and battery degradation compared to conventional charging methods.

• Surging Solar Power, Booming EV Sales, & Robotaxi Safety — Top 12 Stories of the Week (CleanTechnica) - Global EV adoption accelerates as solar costs hit record lows, with 70% of new ferry orders featuring electric drivetrains and robotaxi services expanding worldwide.

• Electricity prices are rising. EV managed charging can help everyone. (Utility Dive) - EV managed charging programs could reduce grid upgrade costs by 38-62% and save $300 per vehicle annually while lowering electricity rates for all customers.

• EVs Take 32.1% Share In The UK – Volkswagen Leads (CleanTechnica) - UK electric vehicle market share reaches 32.1% in April 2025 with Volkswagen leading sales, as ZEV mandate drives adoption.

• General Motors Has a Promising Strategy for Export Markets with Chinese-Made EVs — But What’s Taking So Long? (CleanTechnica) - GM plans to export Chinese-made EVs including Spark EUV and Captiva EV to Latin American markets amid rising competition from Chinese manufacturers.

• Electrified Cars From Volvo & Cupra That May Or May Not Come To America (CleanTechnica) - Volvo and Cupra announce new electric and hybrid models for potential US market entry, with Volvo's XC70 PHEV offering 124-mile electric range and Cupra exploring US dealership partnerships through Penske Automotive Group.

• The #1 Benefit of EV Life is the #1 Thing People Worry About (CleanTechnica) - Home charging convenience emerges as top EV benefit despite being primary concern for potential buyers, with charging time actually lower than gas station visits over time.