The California Air Resources Board approved a $2.6-billion investment plan to support the transition to zero-emission transportation. Supported projects range from incentives for cleaner trucks and buses, and mobility options such as bike- and car-sharing, to consumer rebates for clean cars. This year’s investment dollars focus largely on underserved communities,... Read more →

The Global Carbon Project (GCP) published its annual analysis of trends in the global carbon cycle in the journal Earth System Science Data, including an updated full-year projection for 2022. Global fossil CO2 emissions are expected to grow 1.0% (with an uncertainty range of 0.1% to 1.9%) in 2022 as... Read more →

In an open-access report in the journal Environmental Pollution, researchers from UCLA and the University of Chicago estimate that California’s wildfire carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emissions from 2020 (~127 mmt CO2e ) are approximately two times higher than California’s total greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions since 2003. Without considering future... Read more →

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has established a 2050 net-zero carbon dioxide emission goal for international aviation. That agreement came at the ICAO 41st Assembly in Montreal after almost a decade of negotiations, and reflects increased urgency to align aviation with the Paris Agreement. Previous ICAO negotiations have focused... Read more →

The Purdue University researchers who created the world’s whitest paint (earlier post) have developed a new formulation that is thinner and lighter—ideal for radiating heat away from cars, trains and airplanes. The original world’s whitest paint used nanoparticles of barium sulfate to reflect 98.1% of sunlight, cooling outdoor surfaces more... Read more →

The US Department of Energy (DOE) announced up to $32 million in funding (DE-FOA-0002616) toward the research and development of new monitoring, measurement, and mitigation technologies to help detect, quantify, and reduce methane emissions across oil and natural gas producing regions of the United States. The United States has more... Read more →

The US Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) announced a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) for states and municipalities to track and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The new rule would: Establish a national framework for tracking state-by-state progress by adding a new GHG performance management measure to the... Read more →

The rapidly growing space industry may have a greater climate effect than the aviation industry and undo repair to the protective ozone layer if left unregulated, according to a new study led by UCL and published in the journal Earth’s Future as an open-access paper. The space industry is one... Read more →

The ongoing severe drought in the Colorado River Basin has led to the river flowing at 84% of its historic average flow. An even more intense “megadrought” hit the region around 1,800 years ago, according to a new study published in the AGU journal Geophysical Research Letters. At just 68%... Read more →

An international team of researchers has shed light on one way new particles are forming in the upper troposphere. The open-access study, published in Nature, reveals an unexpected volatile reaction between nitric acid, sulfuric acid, and ammonia, synergistically creating new particles at a rapid rate. The findings suggest that in... Read more →

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has released the draft 2022 Climate Change Scoping Plan—the third update to the state’s initial 2008 Scoping Plan. It identifies a path to achieve carbon neutrality over the next two decades while also assessing the progress the State is making towards reducing its greenhouse... Read more →

All regions of the world do not—and will not—experience the effects of CO2 emissions in the same way. Some will suffer greatly from climate change, while others may even benefit. These heterogeneous effects mean that different countries will have differing incentives to abide by the Paris Agreement, which aims to... Read more →

Virginia Tech researchers, in collaboration with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, have discovered that key parts of the global carbon cycle used to track movement of carbon dioxide in the environment are not correct, which could significantly alter conventional carbon cycle models. The findings are published in an open-access paper in... Read more →

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reinstated California’s authority under the Clean Air Act to implement its own greenhouse gas (GHG) emission standards and zero emission vehicle (ZEV) sales mandate. This means that the Clean Air Act (CAA) waiver granted to California to implement its Advanced Clean Car (ACC) program... Read more →

Global energy-related carbon dioxide emissions rose by 6% in 2021 to 36.3 billion tonnes, their highest ever level, as the world economy rebounded strongly from the COVID-19 crisis and relied heavily on coal to power that growth, according to new IEA analysis. The rebound of global CO2 emissions above pre-pandemic... Read more →

In a study published in Nature Climate Change, an international research team reports finding limited evidence that individual or household rebates have increased public support for carbon taxes in Canada and Switzerland. The researchers from UC Santa Barbara, Université de Montréal, University of British Columbia and University of Bern used... Read more →

BASF has signed a joint development agreement with China BlueChemical Limited Company, a leading natural gas producer, and the chemical engineering company Wuhuan Engineering Co., Ltd. to promote low-carbon development and utilization of marine gas resources. In the Dongfang Industrial Park of Hainan Province, China BlueChemical extracts large quantities of... Read more →

Thermo King, the transport refrigeration brand of Trane Technologies, will transition to a lower global warming potential (GWP) refrigerant as standard in its truck and trailer units. This will reduce the carbon footprint of refrigerants used by its customers’ long-haul, middle-mile and last-mile delivery fleets by nearly 50%—approximately 650,000 metric... Read more →

Starting immediately, Deutsche Post is offsetting any unavoidable CO2 emissions due to mail transport with investments in internationally recognized and certified climate protection projects at no extra charge. For the last ten years, DHL has transported all parcels for private customers with its climate-friendly “GoGreen” service. Up until now, the... Read more →

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is finalizing the federal greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions standards for passenger cars and light trucks for Model Years (MY) 2023 through 2026. The standards through 2026 also set the light-duty vehicle greenhouse gas (GHG) program on track to provide a strong launch point for the... Read more →

Alcoa Corp. outlined a technology roadmap to support its vision to reinvent the aluminum industry for a sustainable future. The technologies in Alcoa’s roadmap, including a new, proprietary post-consumer scrap recycling process, have the potential to decarbonize a significant portion of the upstream aluminum supply chain and provide a competitive... Read more →

At COP26 in Glasgow, US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced the US Aviation Climate Action Plan, published by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which sets out to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions from the US aviation sector by 2050. The document focuses on technologies that could substantially reduce the... Read more →

The COP26 pledge by governments, automakers and others to sell only zero-emissions cars and vans from 2035 in leading markets and by 2040 elsewhere (earlier post) needs to be backed up with actual targets set down in law, green NGO Transport & Environment (T&E) said. With China, the US, Germany... Read more →

At COP26 in Glasgow, 23 country governments; 10 governments in emerging markets and developing economies; 40 cities, states and regional governments; 11 automakers; 27 fleet owners and operators or shared mobility platforms; 13 investors with significant shareholdings in automotive manufacturers; 2 financial instituions; and 17 other organizations signed a declaration... Read more →

Ford Motor Company and its financing subsidiary, Ford Motor Credit Company, introduced the North America auto industry’s first sustainable financing framework, focusing on and paying for ambitious plans in vehicle electrification and other environmental and social areas. Separately, Ford today also announced a cash tender offer to repurchase up to... Read more →

The World Economic Forum (WEF), in partnership with US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry, has launched the First Movers Coalition—a new platform for companies to make purchasing commitments that create new market demand for low carbon technologies. The commitments aim to be collectively significant enough to commercialize decarbonization... Read more →

New research led by Mohammad Masnadi, assistant professor of chemical and petroleum engineering at the University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering, offers a closer look at the relationship between decreasing demand for oil and a resilient, varied oil market—and the carbon footprint associated with both. An open-access paper on... Read more →

Daphne Technology, a Swiss startup that has developed multi-pollutant reduction technology—a “green converter”—targeting the maritime industry, has secured strategic investments from Shell Ventures, Trafigura, AET and Saudi Aramco Energy Ventures. Daphne’s technology removes toxic and GHG emissions such as nitrogen oxides, methane and carbon dioxide from the combustion gas of... Read more →

Plastics are on track to contribute more greenhouse gas emissions than coal plants in the US by 2030, according to new report by Beyond Plastics, a nationwide project based at Bennington College in Vermont. The New Coal: Plastics and Climate Change analyzes data from ten stages of plastics production, usage,... Read more →

Automotive Tier 1 supplier Gestamp has signed an agreement with ArcelorMittal to start using XCarb green steel certificates for the production of automotive components, as part of a sustainability strategy aimed at achieving decarbonization in all of its operations. Gestamp products cover the areas of body-in-white, chassis and mechanisms. With... Read more →

An ultra-white paint incorporating barium sulfate (BaSO4) particles that is up to 98.1% reflective, developed by engineers at Purdue University, has earned a Guinness World Records title for the whitest paint. The record appears in the 2022 edition of Guinness World Records. The 98.1% reflectivity compares to a reflectivity of... Read more →

The Second UN Global Sustainable Transport Conference concluded with a call to accelerate progress towards achieving sustainable transport that would result in major reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and in improving the lives of millions of people. The Conference participants agreed that without a profound shift to sustainable mobility, achieving... Read more →

The members of the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM) have collectively committed to a goal of net zero Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050 or sooner in line with the ambitions of the Paris Agreement. The ICMM is an international organization dedicated to a... Read more →

The US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Advanced Research Project Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) has selected four projects to receive a combined $9.4 million to develop technology focused on removing sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) from the US power grid. SF6 has been the standard gas used inside high voltage electrical equipment as an insulating... Read more →

Polestar has released the LCA reports for the new Polestar 2 versions (Long-range Single-motor and Standard-range Single-motor), including all emissions from cradle to grave. The company published an evaluation of the carbon footprint of the Long-range Dual-motor Polestar 2 in 2020. The new LCAs represent a continuation of that work;... Read more →

California Climate Investments—a program designed to put billions of dollars to work to reduce greenhouse gas emissions—is funded with proceeds from the State’s Cap-and-Trade GHG emissions reduction program and is administered by the California Air Resources Board (ARB). Since 2013, the California Legislature has appropriated $15.4 billion in California Climate... Read more →

Kia EV6 (earlier post)has achieved product carbon footprint certification and ‘Carbon Measured’ label from the global climate change and sustainability consultancy the Carbon Trust, becoming the first Korean vehicle manufacturer to achieve the certificate. The first EV6 models are expected to go on sale in the US in early 2022... Read more →

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a proposed rulemaking for model year 2023-2026 light-duty vehicle greenhouse gas emissions standards, and outlined its plans to initiate a subsequent rulemaking to set standards for MY 2027 and beyond, to speed the transition of the light-duty vehicle fleet toward a zero emissions... Read more →

By uprooting carbon trapped in soil, wild pigs (feral swine), are releasing around 4.9 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide annually across the globe, the equivalent of 1.1 million cars, according to a new study by an international team led by researchers from The University of Queensland and The University... Read more →

Though EVs represent a small fraction of delivery vehicles today, the number is growing. In 2019, Amazon announced plans to obtain 100,000 electric delivery vehicles. UPS has ordered 10,000 of them and FedEx plans to be fully electric by 2040. Now, a study from University of Michigan researchers shows that... Read more →

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly affected both consumer and commercial transportation, but global oil demand will probably continue to grow through 2030, according to a new study. Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy and the University of California, Davis Institute of Transportation Studies analyzed four scenarios to understand how... Read more →

The European Council adopted its position at first reading on the European climate law, ending the adoption procedure and setting into legislation the objective of a climate-neutral EU by 2050. This follows a political agreement reached with the European Parliament on 21 April and the Parliament’s adoption of its position... Read more →

Toyota’s first standalone, early-stage venture capital firm, Toyota AI Ventures, will change its name to Toyota Ventures and grow its total assets under management to more than $500 million with the addition of two $150 million early-stage funds: the Toyota Ventures Frontier Fund and the Toyota Ventures Climate Fund. The... Read more →

The governments of Denmark, Norway, and the United States, along with the Global Maritime Forum and the Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping, will lead a new Zero-Emission Shipping Mission as part of Mission Innovation. The Mission aims to accelerate international public-private collaboration to scale and deploy new... Read more →

Total greenhouse gas emissions in the European Union (EU) decreased by 3.8% in 2019, according to latest official data published by the European Environment Agency (EEA). These data confirm the EEA’s preliminary estimates, published in October 2020. The large decline in emissions, achieved before the COVID-19 crisis, was mainly due... Read more →

Volvo Cars announced that its Torslanda site in Sweden is its first car manufacturing plant to reach fully climate-neutral status. This makes Torslanda the second plant in its overall manufacturing network to reach this status, after the Skövde engine plant in Sweden became climate-neutral in 2018. Torslanda plant Volvo Cars... Read more →

According to the ITF Transport Outlook 2021, the biennial flagship report of the International Transport Forum, a sister organization of the OECD, global transport activity will more than double by 2050, and traffic emissions will rise by 16% compared to 2015 even if existing commitments to decarbonize transport are fully... Read more →

As directed in President Biden’s Executive Order 13990 on “Protecting Public Health and the Environment and Restoring Science to Tackle the Climate Crisis,” and in response to requests by states and other stakeholders, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is seeking public input on its reconsideration of the Agency’s 2019... Read more →

US President Joe Biden announced a new target for the United States to achieve a 50-52% reduction from 2005 levels in economy-wide net greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in 2030. According to the most recent GHG inventory from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), US GHG emissions in 2019 (after accounting... Read more →

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its 28th annual Inventory of US Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks (GHG Inventory), which presents a national-level overview of annual greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 to 2019. Key findings from the 1990-2019 US Inventory include: In 2019, US greenhouse gas emissions totaled 6,558... Read more →