Features
Special Focus on AI and Climate Change at COP30
AI's growing energy use can do enormous environmental damage and the technology can magnify climate disinformation. However, it can also improve early warning systems, improve climate change adaptation and reduce CO2 emissions when powered by renewables. Governments and corporations have to choose which path to take.
No Progress on the Global Stocktake at COP30
While scientists increasingly consider the 1.5°C goal impossible to achieve, public and private sector stakeholders at COP30 can still help ensure a livable future for the next generation by uniting and working to urgently phase out fossil fuels, halt and reverse deforestation and scale up renewable energy sources.
Renewable Energy
Can Renewable Energy Replace Fossil Fuels? What the Data Now Shows
Clean energy is no longer an alternative — it’s becoming the backbone of the global power system. Renewables are overtaking fossil fuels in terms of efficiency, cost and deployment, with solar, wind and storage displacing fossil fuel generation and nuclear gaining momentum, signalling an accelerating transition that reshapes economies, jobs and climate outcomes.
Is Renewable Energy Reliable in a High-demand World?
Renewable energy has transitioned from the fringe to the backbone, with advancements in storage, forecasting and smarter grids enabling the delivery of reliable and cost-effective power. New data show that wind and solar are delivering record shares globally, supported by regional interconnections and long-duration storage that enhance resilience and grid stability.
Fossil Fuel
Proposed Ammonia Co-firing Solutions More Expensive than Renewables
The LCOE for ammonia co-firing exceeds that of renewable electricity, rendering Southeast Asia’s plans economically unfeasible. According to experts, instead of exposing themselves to the financial, environmental and health risks associated with ammonia co-firing, ASEAN nations should prioritise the accelerated deployment of renewable energy.
Gas Turbine Shortage in Vietnam and the Philippines
Experts note that delays, exacerbated by global gas turbine shortages, and regulatory and bankability challenges are giving clear market signals to move away from gas projects and scale up renewables and battery storage deployments instead.
Region
The Most Polluted River in India Is Not the Ganga or Yamuna
India’s river pollution crisis has a new face: the Cooum in Chennai, now considered the country’s most polluted waterway. Across 46% of India’s rivers, contamination from untreated sewage, industrial discharges and waste is threatening public health, livelihoods and ecosystems, with major stretches, such as the Yamuna and Sabarmati, illustrating the depth of the challenge. The drivers, impacts and the urgent policy gaps must be addressed to reverse decades of neglect.
Water Pollution in India and Its Toll on Rivers and People
Water pollution in India remains an urgent crisis, threatening public health, ecosystems and the economy despite ongoing cleanup efforts. With 40% of monitored river stretches failing to meet basic water-quality norms and groundwater contamination on the rise, urgent, coordinated action is needed to safeguard the country’s scarce freshwater resources.