Daily Digest for

The European Parliament and Council negotiators agreed a preliminary deal to adopt a single EU methodology for calculating GHG emissions from transport services. The Commission will deliver a free calculation tool within four years and will assess including life-cycle emissions within four years after the rules start to apply; the rules would take effect four and a half years after publication and entry into force.

The UK government announced deals with ScottishPower, JERA Nex bp, EnBW and Statera Energy to upgrade port infrastructure, assemble offshore wind projects in Belfast and East Anglia, and to build a 680MW battery at Carrington, supporting around 600 jobs. These commitments form part of over £50 billion of clean energy investment announced since last year and include specific investments such as over £100 million to Belfast Harbour, £90 million for a Belfast deepwater berth and a £1 billion Siemens Gamesa turbine contract.

SINTEF and COWA Thermal Solutions have developed a compact salthydrate-based thermal ‘heat battery’ for homes that stores heat from heat pumps and is up to four times smaller than a conventional hot water tank. As part of the EU-funded Sure2Coat project, researchers improved battery efficiency from 65% to 85%, reduced charging time by over 70%, and cut heat delivery time by over 80%.

The European Commission welcomed Member States’ agreement on a new EU NDC to reduce net GHG emissions by 66.25–72.5% below 1990 levels by 2035 and will submit it to the UNFCCC ahead of COP30 in Belém, Brazil. Member States also agreed a legally binding 2040 target of 90% (85% domestic + up to 5% international carbon credits) with negotiations to follow with the European Parliament.

The UK Government launched a consultation to nearly phase out hydrofluorocarbons, proposing a 98.6% reduction and an almost full phase-out by 2048 with changes starting in 2027. The consultation (closing 17 December) is designed to give manufacturers and importers early HFC quota allocations to support the rollout of heat pumps while transitioning to lower-GWP alternatives.

South Korea’s LiBEST has begun mass production of silicon-anode, high-energy-density aviation batteries at its Daejeon production line in partnership with U.S. Amprius Technologies. The collaboration will use the Korean production base to supply global markets and expand cooperation into robots, lightweight mobility, and AI applications.

The UK government confirmed a new national forest for the Oxford-Cambridge corridor and will run a competition in early 2026 to pick a third forest location, committing over £1 billion this parliament to tree planting and forestry support. It will also explore a Woodland Carbon Purchase Fund backed by up to £250 million to provide upfront payments to landowners and accelerate woodland planting.