Daily Digest for

Rio Tinto and ENAMI signed a binding JV for the Salares Altoandinos lithium project; Rio Tinto to acquire 51% and provide up to $425 million (cash and non-cash, including DLE technology); closing expected in H1 2026 subject to approvals.

McKinsey & Company has published an in-depth analysis on decarbonizing aluminum production through increased circularity and recycling.

• Global aluminum demand is projected to grow at 2.1% CAGR from 2025 to 2035, reaching 130 million metric tons, driven by energy transition and automotive sectors. Secondary aluminum supply is expected to grow significantly, especially from postconsumer scrap in China, supported by regulations like the EU’s Critical Raw Materials Act and the US Inflation Reduction Act.
• Challenges include high shares of mixed scrap limiting recycling quality, regional discrepancies in collection rates, and the need for advanced sorting technologies. Partnerships such as Constellium with OSR and Hydro with Padnos demonstrate collaborative efforts to improve sorting and upcycling of aluminum scrap, aiming to increase recycling rates and reduce carbon emissions.

ArcelorMittal Poland will temporarily idle blast furnace no. 3 at its Dąbrowa Górnicza unit from September 2025 due to deteriorating market conditions including high energy prices, EU ETS CO2 costs and surging low-priced imports (imports meet ~80% of consumption; flat products ~95%).

The UK government announced a £30 million funding boost to support decarbonisation of shipping and stimulate local economies in coastal communities.

• The funding is part of the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition (CMDC) and UK SHORE programmes, which have already allocated over £136 million to 142 organisations across the UK, supporting clean maritime fuels and technologies including ammonia, hydrogen, methanol, solar, and electric power.
• Key projects include the deployment of the FastRig high-tech wing sail in Glasgow, which reduces fuel use and emissions by up to 40%, and investments in port infrastructure such as Peel Ports Clydeport’s £3 million upgrade to handle wind turbine components for renewables.

Spain welcomes the advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on state obligations regarding climate change.

• The ICJ states that climate treaties obligate States Parties to protect the climate and environment against greenhouse gas emissions, and that failure to meet these obligations constitutes an internationally wrongful act potentially requiring reparations.
• Spain participated by affirming that preventing climate damage is part of States’ obligations under International Law and defended the human right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment.

The UK Government announced a landmark UK-India trade deal expected to unlock nearly £6 billion in new investment and export wins, creating over 2,200 British jobs across sectors including aerospace, technology, advanced manufacturing, and clean energy.

• The deal includes tariff reductions (e.g., Indian tariffs on UK products dropping from 15% to 3%, whisky tariffs halved immediately and further reduced over 10 years), projected to increase UK exports to India by nearly 60% and bilateral trade by nearly 39% by 2040, with an estimated £4.8 billion annual GDP boost.
• Multiple UK and Indian companies, including Airbus, Rolls-Royce, Zerowatt Energy, Carbon Clean, and several AI and technology firms, have committed investments totaling nearly £6 billion, with detailed job creation and expansion plans across the UK and India, alongside enhanced cooperation on technology, climate, and security initiatives.

NetZeroNitrogen announced an oversubscribed $6.6M Seed funding round co-led by World Fund (Germany) and Azolla Ventures (US), with participation from Ananke, Zero Carbon Capital, Revent, and Kibo Invest.

• The funding will accelerate NZN’s biofertiliser solution, targeting a $200B synthetic nitrogen fertiliser market, with significant commercial traction in Asia and a clear regulatory pathway in ASEAN countries.
• NZN’s biofertiliser uses endophytic bacteria to reduce both production and application emissions of synthetic nitrogen fertilisers, addressing major greenhouse gas emissions and environmental issues associated with current fertiliser use.

The Canadian Energy Regulator (CER) has released a market snapshot projecting a significant increase in Canada’s grid-connected energy storage capacity by 2030.

• Installed capacity expected to more than double from 552 MW in 2024 to 1,149 MW by 2030 based on 12 projects under construction, with an additional 27 approved projects potentially increasing capacity to 2,768 MW.
• Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) are the dominant and fastest growing technology, with government support including $500 million additional funding announced under the Smart Renewables and Electrification Pathways program (SREPs) Utility Support Stream to modernize grids and integrate renewables.

NANO Nuclear Energy Inc. announced the assembly and integration of its proprietary Annular Linear Induction Pump (ALIP) technology prototype at its Demonstration Facility in Westchester County, New York.

• The ALIP technology supports advanced molten salt and liquid metal nuclear reactors and is progressing through the SBIR Phase III program funded by the U.S Department of Energy, with commercial sales targeted by end of 2025 or 2026.
• Collaboration with aRobotics Company aids in fabrication and testing; future work includes performance testing with various fluids, failure simulations, and material testing to advance readiness for deployment.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued an advisory opinion affirming States’ legal obligations to protect the environment by curbing greenhouse gas emissions and cooperating under international law, including the Paris Agreement.

• The ICJ ruled that States must act with due diligence to limit global warming to 1.5°C and face legal responsibility if they breach these obligations, including ceasing wrongful conduct and making reparations.
• The advisory opinion was requested by Vanuatu and supported by many UN Member States, marking the largest case in ICJ history with 91 written statements and 97 States participating orally.

Google Research, in partnership with Earth Fire Alliance and Muon Space, announced the first wildfire detection images from FireSat, a new satellite constellation designed for global wildfire monitoring.

• FireSat uses custom Mid-Wave Infrared sensors to detect fires through smoke, providing near real-time tracking and detecting fires as small as 5x5 meters.
• The constellation will scan the entire Earth every 20 minutes, enabling faster detection and response to wildfires worldwide.

The UK government has announced that 10 projects from the first phase of its flagship Hydrogen Allocation Round (HAR1) can begin construction, marking a major step in scaling commercial green hydrogen production.

• These projects will create over 700 skilled jobs across UK industrial regions including South Wales, Bradford, North Scotland, and Teesside, and attract over £400 million in private investment between 2024 and 2026.
• Kimberly-Clark commits £125 million to HAR1 projects at two plants, while the government plans a £500 million hydrogen transport and storage network and will consult on hydrogen blending into the gas transmission network to reduce costs and support decarbonisation efforts.

The Centre for Economic Transition Expertise (CETEx) published a study urging central banks to prepare for labour market disruptions due to climate change.

• Study highlights the economic impacts of climate change on employment and the need for financial institutions to anticipate these changes.
• Call to action for central banks to integrate climate-related labour market risks into their planning and policy frameworks.

The SalYsAse project led by Prof. Dr Mirjam Perner at GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel aims to produce green hydrogen directly at offshore wind farms using saltwater electrolysis with marine microbes as biocatalysts.

• Funded by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space with 733,000 euros over three years, the project involves Kiel University of Applied Sciences and Element22 GmbH, focusing on using porous titanium structures to carry microbes and conduct electrolysis efficiently in seawater.
• The project addresses challenges of seawater electrolysis such as corrosion and chlorine gas production by replacing rare chemical catalysts like iridium with marine microbes adapted to saltwater, enabling environmentally friendly, cost-effective hydrogen production onsite at offshore wind turbines.