Global Climate News

The UK and Australia have announced a new UK-Australia Climate and Energy Partnership focusing on renewable energy technologies like green hydrogen and offshore wind. Australia joined the Global Clean Power Alliance Finance Mission to unlock clean energy finance. The UK supports Australia's bid to host COP31 with the Pacific, emphasizing climate finance for Pacific island countries.

The UK Business Secretary and Minister for Defence Procurement and Industry have organized a CEO roundtable focusing on ESG principles in the defense sector. The meeting brings together CEOs from major UK defense companies, trade associations, and investment banks to discuss challenges in attracting investment while navigating ESG requirements. This follows the launch of the Government's Defence Industrial Strategy aimed at growing the defense sector.

US-based Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has partnered with the University of Tennessee's Howard H. Baker Jr. School of Public Policy and Public Affairs to launch a graduate certificate program in nuclear security. The program, which started in fall 2024, aims to provide ORNL staff and UT students with comprehensive understanding of nuclear nonproliferation, combining technical expertise with policy perspectives. Three ORNL staff members have been selected for the inaugural cohort through the National Security Sciences Academy.

UK's Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) has contracted Reds10 to deliver energy-efficient modular accommodation blocks at RAF Marham. The buildings feature air source heat pumps, photovoltaic panels, and SMART building management systems. The project uses offsite manufacturing methods for faster construction and better quality control, with each block providing 94 single bed spaces with sustainable features.

US-based Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has developed a new down-blending and cementation technology for eliminating spent highly enriched uranium (HEU) fuel in Kazakhstan. The technology, developed in collaboration with NNSA, IAEA, Idaho National Laboratory, and Kazakhstan's National Nuclear Center, grinds HEU fuel into fine particles, mixes it with natural uranium to reduce enrichment from 90% to below 5%, and then cements it for safe storage. The system has been fabricated and temporarily installed in Kazakhstan.

UK Prime Minister has announced strengthening climate leadership through new partnerships including the Global Clean Power Alliance launched at G20. The speech emphasized commitment to cutting dependence on fossil fuels by building clean energy infrastructure and addressing climate change impacts on economic growth and flooding.

Researchers from the University of Florida and Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology have conducted the first island-wide examination of PFAS contamination across Okinawa Island, Japan. The study analyzed surface water from 61 sites, detecting 15 different PFAS compounds with concentrations up to 164.3 ng/L, particularly noting contamination near military bases and airports. The research highlights environmental pollution from aviation and military facilities' use of aqueous film forming foams.

Researchers from the University of Florida and Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology have conducted the first island-wide examination of PFAS contamination across Okinawa Island, Japan. The study analyzed 61 surface water sites, detecting 15 different PFAS compounds with concentrations up to 164.3 ng/L, particularly noting contamination near military bases and airports. The research revealed region-specific PFAS profiles and multiple potential source points across the island.

Researchers developed nickel-cobalt-ytterbium ferrite microwave absorbing materials using sol-gel method, achieving optimal absorption performance with Yb3+=0.02 doping ratio.