Global Climate News

UAE-based ADNOC Gas awarded three contracts worth $2.1 billion for the Ruwais Liquefied Natural Gas project. The largest contract, exceeding $1.24 billion, went to a consortium of Engineering for Petroleum Industries and Operations and Petrojet. China Petroleum Pipeline Engineering received a contract worth approximately $514 million, and Petrofac UAE secured a contract valued at $335 million. The project aims to double LNG production capacity to over 15 million tons annually and will be one of the lowest carbon-intensity LNG plants globally.

India and Scotland discussed cooperation in green energy, IT, AI, and other sectors. The Indian Parliament's use of AI and technology has enhanced productivity. India's New Education Policy may open avenues for Scottish universities.

The UK launched the Global Clean Power Alliance, bringing twelve countries together to accelerate clean energy deployment and green job creation. The UK also committed to increasing its defence spending to 2.5% of GDP and pledged continued military aid to Ukraine (\"3 billion a year\"). Further, the UK is developing legislation for a new sanctions regime targeting irregular migration, and is reforming the FCDO to better connect its work to domestic priorities.

India and the USA, represented by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and NASDA, respectively, held discussions to strengthen collaboration in key areas of agriculture, including Climate-Smart Agriculture, Voluntary Carbon Credit Initiatives, and Precision Agriculture using AI. The meeting also covered Cold Chain Management, Crop Insurance, and Capacity Building.

Generative AI is changing enterprise procurement by enabling the discovery and connection with diverse suppliers, facilitating seamless sharing of supplier profiles, and accelerating the onboarding process. It analyzes supplier performance, market conditions, and cost variables to recommend the best-fit suppliers, also evaluating risks and ESG compliance. This helps create fairer and more competitive supplier ecosystems, promoting supplier diversity and sustainability.

Sweden-based Alfa Laval is investing in a new Food Innovation Centre in Copenhagen, Denmark, to be completed in 2027. The center will focus on developing sustainable food production technologies, including plant-based and fermentation-based foods, aiming to reduce the environmental impact of food production. Initial focus will be on protein processing to improve efficiency and reduce resource consumption.

Norway-based Cemit, a rail tech company, has developed technology using sensors and AI to increase train efficiency and reduce maintenance costs. They secured funding from Nordea with a guarantee from the European Investment Fund (EIF), aiming for a NOK 500m turnover and 300 employees by 2025. Their technology improves punctuality, efficiency, and reliability, contributing to the green transformation of the railway industry.

France hosted the 30th Conference of Ambassadors, addressing major international challenges and focusing on supporting the French economy and the European agenda. The conference also discussed the upcoming AI Action Summit, Nutrition for Growth Summit, and UN Ocean Conference, all of which have sustainability implications.

US-based Edison International saw its shares drop due to the impact of major wildfires in California.

National Taiwan University of Science and Technology's Department of Chemical Engineering is recruiting 1-2 project teachers with expertise in chemical engineering, chemistry, biochemistry, energy, materials, environmental engineering, or artificial intelligence. The selected candidates will teach chemical engineering courses, support international exchange services, and assist with administrative/advisory tasks.

US-based Clean Power Research had a record year in 2024, adding new utility customers in the US, Canada, and Central America. They expanded software solutions for transmission interconnection, distributed generation interconnection, incentive management, and transportation electrification. In 2025, they plan to evolve AI/ML features in PowerClerk, launch a partnership program, and expand into Europe.

India's Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) launched several key knowledge products to drive urban transformation, including the Urban Learnathon 2.0, NULP 4.0, and a discussion paper on \"Pathways for Mainstreaming Urban Climate Action.\" The initiatives aim to build institutional capacity for sustainable urban governance and empower urban officials for digital governance, focusing on citizen-centric approaches and resilient, inclusive, and sustainable urban futures.

India and the United Kingdom are working together to address climate change. The Lok Sabha Speaker highlighted the use of digital technology in the Indian Parliament to improve efficiency and called for increased parliamentary exchanges between the two countries, including collaboration between youth and women legislators. He also noted that the Parliamentary Research and Training Institute for Democracies (PRIDE) is a world-class institution for parliamentary training.

Encube, a company founded by Hugo Nordell, offers an AI-powered platform to streamline the manufacturing process, reducing time-to-market by 20-50% and potentially lowering cost per part. The platform tackles challenges like talent scarcity and sustainability targets by using AI for tasks such as manufacturability analysis and manufacturing process simulation.

Norwegian grocery chain Rema 1000 unveiled a concept store aiming to reduce energy consumption by up to 50%, built using sustainable materials, with solar cells and recycled rock wool. Stockholm-based Lifv transports wooden containers to remote locations as unmanned stores. In Copenhagen, Mond added a 3D body scanner to its store, connecting in-store and online experiences. Swedish pharmacy Apopket used local stores as mini-warehouses to fulfill online demand. PostNord, ICA, and Glue piloted an in-fridge delivery service.

Taiwan's Executive Yuan held a technology advisory meeting in 2025, focusing on climate change adaptation and low-carbon energy. The meeting resulted in recommendations for achieving net-zero emissions and improving climate adaptation strategies, including strengthening science-based public communication, developing localized climate adaptation technologies, promoting diversified low-carbon energy sources, and considering national security in net-zero planning. The government aims to achieve a net-zero transition by 2050 and build Taiwan into an ‘artificial intelligence island’.

The European Central Bank (ECB) assessed recent signals from different uncertainty proxies, categorizing them as short-term economic situation and longer-term policy issues. While short-term uncertainty measures are currently low, those related to longer-term policies, including climate policy, remain significantly above historical means.

The Panasonic Group showcased innovations at CES 2025, focusing on technologies to improve social sustainability. They introduced Panasonic Go, an AI-based business model initiative, and highlighted solutions contributing to carbon neutrality and a circular economy. Specific examples include the OASYS residential central air conditioning system (reducing energy consumption by over 50%), use of natural refrigerants, and hydrogen energy solutions. Panasonic also emphasized its commitment to a circular economy through product design and recycling initiatives.

Singapore's KPMG and the Singapore Institute of Directors (SID) have jointly released recommendations for Budget 2025, focusing on ESG adoption, innovation in sustainable technologies, and talent development. Key recommendations include fostering ESG adoption through national frameworks and grants, accelerating innovation through funding for sustainable technologies, and strengthening workforce capabilities with targeted programs. The proposal aims to position Singapore as a global leader in value creation and sustainability.

Researchers at MIT have developed a software platform, DyMonDS, to improve grid resiliency and integrate renewable energy. The system, tested using Puerto Rico data, can prevent widespread outages and optimize resource use, potentially reducing the need for new power plants. The platform supports real-time decision-making and long-term planning, aiding in the transition to renewable energy sources.