Global Climate News

US-based Bezos Earth Fund, in partnership with Experiment Foundation, announced the winners and finalists of its $1M Greenhouse Gas Removal Ideation Prize. The prize, structured in two phases, awarded funding to projects focusing on diverse greenhouse gas removal technologies, aiming to significantly contribute towards removing gigatonnes of greenhouse gases annually by 2050.

Researchers have developed a novel non-planar g-C12N8 monolayer material that demonstrates superior performance in CO2 capture and separation from natural and fuel gas. The material shows exceptionally high CO2 permeability and selectivity, performing better than most reported 2D membranes, with potential applications in industrial CO2 emission control and gas purification.

Researchers have developed a new catalyst using Palladium nanoparticles loaded on CoNi-hydroxides nanosheets for efficient CO2 methanation. The catalyst achieved a methane production rate of 2255 μmol per gram catalyst per hour at 573K, doubling the performance of pristine CoNi-hydroxides catalyst. The innovation represents advancement in CO2 conversion technology for carbon cycling.

The United States Department of Energy released a study highlighting the environmental and economic impacts of liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports. The study reveals that LNG exports significantly increase methane emissions, harm frontline communities, and are incompatible with climate goals. It also notes that LNG exports raise domestic energy costs and hinder the global transition to renewable energy. The Natural Resources Defense Council has urged the Department of Energy to deny pending LNG permits based on these findings.

A new method for detecting nitrous oxide using alkaline washing and GC-MS was developed. This method effectively removes CO₂ from gas samples, allowing accurate detection of N₂O with a limit of detection of 0.01μL/mL and a relative standard deviation of less than 10%. The method is simple, effective, and does not require specific instruments, making it promising for monitoring nitrous oxide.

US-based DevvStream Corp. has partnered with Strategic Environmental & Energy Resources (SEER) to establish a Carbon Management Program focused on biogas capture and carbon sequestration through biochar production. The program will leverage over 150 existing SEER-affiliate biogas installations across North America and expand to new projects in the US and Saudi Arabia. The initiative aims to generate carbon credits from biogas capture, oil field emission reductions, and sequestration projects, with revenue generation expected to begin in 2025.

China-based researchers from Anhui Normal University have developed an improved photocatalyst using Au/TiO2 that enables highly efficient oxidative coupling of methane. The catalyst achieves a C2 hydrocarbon production rate of 3.3 mmol per gram per hour with 97% selectivity, representing an advancement in methane conversion technology.

TotalEnergies, along with 49 other oil and gas companies, signed the Oil & Gas Decarbonization Charter (OGDC) to accelerate decarbonization efforts. The OGDC aims for net-zero emissions by 2050, near-zero upstream methane emissions by 2030, and elimination of routine flaring by 2030. TotalEnergies is sharing its methane detection technology (AUSEA) with other OGDC members, including Petrobras, SOCAR, Sonangol, NNPC, ONGC, and Oil India.

US-based MIT chemical engineers have developed a new catalyst that can convert methane into useful polymers at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. The hybrid catalyst combines a zeolite (iron-modified aluminum silicate) with an enzyme (alcohol oxidase) to convert methane to formaldehyde, which can then be used to create urea-formaldehyde polymers. The innovation could help reduce greenhouse gas emissions by capturing methane at production sites like power plants and cattle barns.