Energy
A bridge to where? Gulf states in denial over climate goals
ANALYSIS: Saudi Arabia plans to ramp up clean energy investment and Qatar touts gas as a transition fuel, but officials struggle to see the fossil-free endgame
Solar panel costs set to fall 10% a year
NEWS: Power from the sun could supply 20% of energy worldwide by 2027 on current technology trends, say UK researchers
Vietnam to phase out coal, invest in gas and renewables
NEWS: Prime minister says government will review plans for new coal power plants, indicating country could shift towards lower emission gas and renewables
Greenpeace prepares legal challenge to Norway’s Arctic frontier
NEWS: As investors in Davos tout $1trn investment opportunity in thawing ocean, climate lawyers are gearing up for a courtroom battle
Armed ships embark on secretive plutonium mission
NEWS: Consignment from Japan to the US highlights hidden cost and security risk of growing nuclear waste stockpile
Total CEO: Solar is loss-making at $30 oil
DAVOS 2016: Forget turning a profit on sunshine with crude prices at 12-year lows, says French oil chief Patrick Pouyanne
Africans asked to raise billions for energy access plan
DAVOS 2016: Governments urged to radically boost energy investment under African Development Bank strategy to bring light to 645 million
CCS axe jeopardises UK climate policy, lawmakers hear
NEWS: Pulling the plug on carbon capture competition throws emissions targets into question, industry experts warn
Swapping oil for rays pays for Gulf petropowers
NEWS: Gulf region would spare scarce water and reserve lucrative hydrocarbons for export if it meets renewables targets in ‘Global Sunbelt’
Pakistan signs coal mining deals with China
NEWS: Tharparkar opencast mine will produce 3.8 million tonnes of coal a year, under agreements signed in the past month
UK fracking furore will fizzle out says shale chief
INTERVIEW: Protests are the norm with onshore energy projects – but let industry address ‘fears and myths’ to prove benefits, says top natural gas lobbyist
China coal decline continued in 2015 – official data
NEWS: World’s biggest emitter may have peaked dirty fuel use, analysts say, as clean energy bucks slowdown in economic growth
Wind, solar to thrive despite low oil prices, say experts
ANALYSIS: Crashing hydrocarbon prices are helping consumers and hurting exporters, but won’t halt momentum for clean energy investment
Shareholder activists target ExxonMobil on 2C climate risk
NEWS: New York state and the Church of England lead push for US oil giant to reveal how shift to low carbon energy hits its business
Shift beyond oil ‘unstoppable’ post Paris, says UN climate chief
INTERVIEW: With Middle Eastern governments accepting hydrocarbons’ days are numbered, Christiana Figueres says progress on decarbonising economy is inevitable
Climate change at Davos: What you need to know
ANALYSIS: The global elite gathers at the World Economic Forum for a four-day summit – and energy transition is high up the agenda
Sheikh Mohammed eyes oil-free future for UAE
NEWS: Emir of Dubai to hold ministerial retreat on diversifying economy away from hydrocarbons, citing sustainability concerns
Renewables can make the world richer and happier. Here’s how
ANALYSIS: Doubling clean power generation within 15 years could add a Mexico to global GDP and improve wellbeing, says clean energy think tank tank
Obama blocks new coal mines on public land
UPDATED: US Department of the Interior announces moratorium on leases while overhauling system to reflect climate cost of extracting fossil fuels
Taiwan election points to nuclear phase-out by 2023
NEWS: Ing-wen Tsai, who leads the presidential polls, envisions a ‘nuclear-free homeland’ with a bigger role for energy efficiency and renewables