COP31 weighs Turkey's goal to make electricity 35% of the world's energy by 2035, but its draft counts power from coal and gas

The stories

30 on this beat today.

Every story told the same way: what happened, who is involved, why it matters, how it works, the truth and the good news.

1. 01

   COP31 weighs Turkey's goal to make electricity 35% of the world's energy by 2035, but its draft counts power from coal and gas

   35%

   of the world's energy use to come from electricity by 2035, in Turkey's plan

   up from 23% now, Australia's climate minister says [1]

   80%

   of a petrol engine's fuel energy that can be lost, mostly as heat

   an electric motor turns about 80% of its power into motion [5]

   127 billion euros

   added to the EU's energy import bill by the Hormuz crisis

   the European Commission's estimate, since the Iran war began [4]

   46%

   of the EU's energy use from electricity by 2040, in the Commission's plan

   up from the 23% where it has stuck for a decade [4]

   What happened

   • Turkey, which hosts COP31, wants electricity to supply 35% of the world's energy use by 2035. [1]
   • COP31 is this year's UN climate summit, held in Antalya, Turkey, until 20 November. [2]
   • Electricity supplies 23% of that energy now, says Chris Bowen, Australia's climate minister. [1]
   • Countries pushed back on Tuesday over one question: must the extra electricity be clean? [1]
   • The draft wording does not require clean or renewable power to meet the goal. [1]
   • New Scientist puts electricity at 23.4% of the energy that reaches users. [3] That share rose only 6.7 points since 2000. [3]
   • Reaching 35% would mean electrifying 4 times faster than in the first quarter of this century. [3]
   • Bowen said: "The world has no chance of holding to 1.5 degrees unless we lift that to 35 per cent." [1]
   • Today's government policies point to at least 2.6C of warming. [1] Analysts say a clean 35% could cut that by 0.3C. [1]
   • Judit Hecke, of the German think tank New Climate Institute, says the goal counts any electricity. [3] So a country could make progress while still relying on coal and gas. [3]
   • The EU says the extra electricity must be clean. [2] That could start a fight over coal, oil and gas in Turkey's plan. [2]
   • In September, an EU draft welcomed Turkey's 35% plan. [4] Its final text, agreed on 12 October, only looks forward to discussing it. [4]
   • The Czech Republic is among the doubters, a senior European Commission official told Euronews. [4]
   • Fatih Birol, head of the International Energy Agency, says a 35% goal would tell markets electricity is the future. [1]
   • The European Commission says the Hormuz crisis has added 127 billion euros to the EU's energy import bill. [4]
   • Birol told Euronews that Europe should make more of its own power, from sun, wind, nuclear and water. [4]
   • The European Commission has proposed raising the EU's electricity share to 46% by 2040. [4] It has been stuck at 23% for a decade. [4]
   • A petrol car's engine wastes as much as 80% of its fuel's energy, mostly as heat. [5] Only about 20% moves the car. [5]
   • An electric motor turns about 80% of its electricity into motion, DW reports. [5]
   • So electric machines cut fossil fuel use even on today's grids, says Jan Rosenow of the University of Oxford. [3]
   • The IEA says faster electrification could cut fuel importers' bills by more than $400bn by 2035. [5] The world could need 18 million fewer barrels of oil a day. [5]

   % of world energy use

   Electricity now23

   The 2035 goal35

   Who is involved

   • Judit Hecke New Climate Institute
   • Fatih Birol head of the International Energy Agency; he says the goal would tell markets that electricity is the future
   • Turkey this year's host of COP31; it proposed the goal of 35% of energy from electricity by 2035
   • Chris Bowen Australia's climate and energy minister, who runs the COP31 negotiations; he backs the 35% goal
   • Wopke Hoekstra the EU's climate commissioner; he wants electrification at the heart of COP31, and clean
   • Jan Rosenow an energy researcher at the University of Oxford; he calls 35% about the right ambition

   How it unfolded

   1. September an EU draft welcomes Turkey's 35% plan [4]
   2. 12 Oct the EU's final text only looks forward to discussing it [4]
   3. Wed and Thu leaders speak
   4. 20 Nov talks end
   5. 2000 electricity's share of energy use has risen only 6.7 points since [3]
   6. 10 Nov COP31's energy day; countries push back on the plan [1]
   7. 11-12 Nov the leaders' summit in Antalya [2]

   Why it matters

   Poorer countries face the hardest switch, because their grids must be upgraded or rebuilt to carry clean power. [1]

   For homes and firms, electric cars, heat pumps and electric factory heat are now often the cheapest choice, Rosenow says. [3]

   How it works

   Energy analysts call it carbon intensity: how much carbon dioxide each unit of electricity carries.

   DW notes an electric car on a coal-heavy grid could, in theory, harm the climate more than a petrol car. [5]

   Seen it before

   A lamp plugged into a socket fed by a coal plant burns coal, just somewhere you cannot see.

   The truth

   • What is really going on Turkey's plan to get 35% of the world's energy from electricity by 2035 would count power made from coal and gas. [1]
   • Why it works on people One round number is easy for many countries to back, because it does not say where the power comes from. [3]
   • The goal is voluntary, so no country would be bound to meet it. [3]
   • Who gains Fuel-importing countries that electrify — Each switch from engine to motor cuts the fuel they must buy abroad, the IEA finds. [5]
   • Who pays Poorer countries in the 35% plan — For them, clean electricity means upgrading or rebuilding their grids first. [1]
   • Nobody knows yet

     How much of the world's energy comes from electricity today.

     New Scientist puts it at 23.4% [3], Australia's minister at 23% [1], and The Conversation and AFP at about 20% [27][28]. We used 23%.

   • Nobody knows yet

     Whether the 35% goal will require clean power.

     The draft wording does not, the EU wants it to, and the text can still change before the talks end on 20 November. [1][2]

   What comes next

   Leaders speak on Wednesday and Thursday, and the talks end on 20 November. [2]

1. 02

   Guterres tells COP31 to deliver a fossil fuel exit

   What happened

   • UN chief Antonio Guterres told COP31 on Tuesday: "we must move from discussing the transition to organising it". [17]
   • He meant moving off coal, oil and gas, and he aimed it at the hosts, Turkey and Australia. [17]
   • The document gives each country a menu of "levers" to swap fossil fuels for wind and solar. [18]
   • Ana Toni, who ran last year's talks, said countries should stop building new fossil fuel plants. [18]

   Who is involved

   • Ana Toni ran last year's talks

   How it unfolded

   Brazil, which ran last year's summit, presented a roadmap for that move the same day. [17]

   1. Last year Brazil promises a roadmap
   2. Tuesday Brazil presents it

   Why it matters

   Moving off fossil fuels is not on COP31's official agenda. [10] Alden Meyer, of the think tank E3G, said the roadmap will not be agreed by consensus here. [17]

   How it works

   Investors call a plant that must close before it has paid for itself a stranded asset.

   Toni said fossil fuel plants built now will become stranded assets. [18]

   Seen it before

   A season ticket bought for a team that then moves to another city is paid for and never used.

   The truth

   • Brazil is itself a big oil exporter, and Toni declined to talk about its oil exports. [18]
   • Nobody knows yet

     Whether Brazil's fossil fuel roadmap goes anywhere at COP31.

     Guterres asked the hosts to carry it forward, and the Guardian's report carries no reply from the Turkish hosts. [17]

1. 03

   US clears X-energy and Dow to build reactors

   What happened

   • The US nuclear regulator cleared X-energy and Dow on Monday to build 4 advanced reactors in Texas. [19]
   • The reactors will make electricity and hot steam for Dow's Seadrift chemical plant. [19]
   • Seadrift makes plastics, and now runs on ageing equipment that burns fossil fuels. [19]
   • These reactors are cooled by helium gas, which lets them run much hotter than ordinary nuclear plants. [19]
   • It is the first US approval to build this kind of high-temperature gas reactor in nearly 60 years. [19]

   How it unfolded

   1. Early 2028 fuel factory due
   2. 1 July 2033 earliest finish

   Why it matters

   It would make Seadrift the first US factory powered and heated directly by nuclear power. [19]

   How it works

   Engineers call making electricity and useful heat from one source cogeneration. [19]

   Each reactor makes 200 megawatts of heat and at most 80 of electricity. [19] The plan sends some of that heat to Dow as steam. [19]

   Seen it before

   A car's heater warms you with heat its engine would otherwise throw away.

   Why an electric car needs far less energy than a petrol car

   Engineers call it efficiency: a petrol engine turns most of its fuel into waste heat, while an electric motor turns most of its power into motion.

   The twist

   Switching from engines to motors cuts how much energy a country needs, because an engine wastes most of what it burns.

   The picture

   % of energy turned into motion

   Petrol engine20

   Electric motor80

   Step by step

   1. 1 Burning fuel makes heat
   2. 2 An engine turns only part of that heat into motion
   3. 3 The rest escapes through the exhaust and the radiator
   4. 4 An electric motor turns electricity straight into motion
   5. 5 So the same trip needs far less energy

   The same force, elsewhere today

   Where this chain is also running, in today's other stories.

   • X-energy and Dow get their reactors

     Each reactor makes 200 megawatts of heat but at most 80 of electricity, so sending steam to the plant uses heat a power-only reactor would lose.

   • Huaneng's flywheel at Lanzhou

     The Lanzhou coal plant makes useful heat as well as electricity, so some of the heat a power-only station would waste is put to work.

   • BMW's i3 across Europe

     An electric motor turns most of the battery into motion, so 12.5 kWh carried the car 100 km.

   Where you've seen this

   Light bulbs

   An old filament bulb turns most of its electricity into heat, an LED turns far more into light.

   Your own body

   Muscles turn only about a quarter of the energy in food into movement, which is why exercise makes you hot.

   Power stations

   A coal plant turns well under half of the heat it makes into electricity, and the rest goes up the cooling towers.

   The catch

   If the electricity itself comes from a coal or gas plant, much of the waste just moves to the power station, so the saving is smaller.

   And the whole of it

   Most of us burn fuel every day without seeing how much of it only warms the air. Which machines get built is decided in car factories, energy ministries and at summits like COP31, far from the person paying for the fuel.

   The truth

   • The reactors' fuel depends on a factory in Tennessee that X-energy says will open in early 2028. [19]
   • Who gains Dow — Nuclear steam would replace the ageing fossil-fuelled equipment its Seadrift plant runs on now. [19]
   • Nobody knows yet

     Whether Dow will build the reactors.

     Dow says it will not decide before 2028, though it may make a first, smaller decision next year. [19]

   What comes next

   The permit says building could finish on 1 July 2033 at the earliest. [19]

1. 04

   Trump says no to wind as permits bill moves

   What happened

   • Donald Trump said on Monday he "will not approve wind turbines", though he backs a bill to speed up permits. [20]
   • The bill would speed up permits for data centres, mines and clean power. [21] It would also help gas pipelines. [22]
   • Democratic senator Martin Heinrich, who backs the bill, said Trump "did not help last night". [21]
   • Senator Adam Schiff voted against moving the bill on after Trump's comment, Politico reported. [20]
   • After the midterm elections, analysts at TD Cowen cut the bill's chances from about 40% to 25%. [20]

   Who is involved

   • Adam Schiff voted no

   How it unfolded

   1. Now Senate debate
   2. January new US Congress sits

   Why it matters

   The bill would make large data centres pay $35bn more for grid upgrades over the next decade, Grid Strategies estimates. [21]

   How it works

   Lawyers call these checks permitting: the reviews a project must pass before it can be built.

   Earthjustice and the Sierra Club oppose the bill, saying it weakens NEPA, a US law that reviews harm to nature. [22]

   Seen it before

   A school trip needs signed forms first, and fewer forms means the bus leaves sooner.

   The truth

   • Who gains Other US electricity customers — The permits bill makes large data centres carry the cost of grid upgrades built to serve them. [21]
   • Nobody knows yet

     Whether the US permits bill becomes law this year.

     It still needs more Senate votes and a House vote before the new US Congress sits in January. [22]

   What comes next

   Members elected last week take their seats in January, so the bill's backers have until then. [22]

2. 05

   Kenya braces for El Nino floods

   What happened

   • Kenya's short rainy season has started, with warnings that El Nino could bring floods. [9]
   • Forecasters warn this El Nino, a warming of the Pacific Ocean, could be one of the strongest on record. [9]
   • A regional forecast in September gave an 81% chance of a very strong El Nino from October to December. [9]
   • Nairobi's drains were built 30 years ago for 2.5 million people. [9] About 7 million are in the city by day. [9]

   How it unfolded

   Floods earlier this year killed more than 60 people across Kenya. [9]

   Why it matters

   Up to 100,000 people in Nairobi's low-income areas are at risk, says Bramwell Simiyu, Nairobi's disaster chief. [9]

   How it works

   Forecasters also see a positive Indian Ocean dipole: one side of the Indian Ocean warmer than the other. [9]

   Forecaster Jemima Gacheru said Indian Ocean conditions now are like those in 1997. [9] That pairing brought very heavy rain then. [9]

   Seen it before

   Two taps running into one sink fill it faster than either tap alone.

   The truth

   • The city needs up to $192m to fix its drains, and there is little sign it can raise that. [9]
   • Who pays Families in Kibera, Nairobi — Officials told riverbank families to leave for the rains, but people like Agnes Shikoli earn about $2 a day and cannot afford to move. [9]
   • Nobody knows yet

     Whether Kenya's heavy rains will come, and how hard.

     Nobody knows when or how much rain will fall, and the UN's migration agency says almost 900,000 people could be forced from their homes this year. [9]

   What comes next

   November is usually the wettest month of the short rains, Kenya's weather service says. [9]

3. 06

   Storm Charles shuts Portugal's schools

   What happened

   • Portugal closed its schools and non-essential public services on Wednesday as Storm Charles arrived. [7]
   • Home affairs minister Luis Neves told people: "Stay home if you can." [23]
   • Web Summit, a big tech conference in Lisbon, cancelled its second day on the advice of Portugal's government. [7]
   • Gusts of up to 120km an hour and waves of 6 metres were forecast on the mainland. [8]
   • Madeira, a Portuguese island, was under a red warning, the highest level, overnight. [8]

   Why it matters

   Portugal's government warned that power and phone lines could be cut. [8]

   How it works

   Weather scientists call it a sting jet: air that drops fast from inside a storm to the ground. [24]

   A sting jet can bring gusts over 160km an hour to a small area. [24] Lisbon could be hit on Wednesday afternoon. [24]

   Seen it before

   A ball dropped from a balcony hits the ground harder than one rolled along it.

   The truth

   • Euronews reports a state of emergency, while Bloomberg reports a national state of alert. [7][23]
4. 07

   Lahore's smog runs 8 times the WHO limit

   What happened

   • From 1 October to 9 November, Lahore's fine dust averaged 8 times the World Health Organization's guideline. [25]
   • The report is by the Pakistan Air Quality Initiative, and came out on Tuesday. [25]
   • Satellites spotted 16,714 likely crop-waste fires in Pakistan's Punjab province in that time. [25]
   • On days when the wind came over the burning fields, Lahore averaged 175 micrograms. [25] On other days it averaged 93. [25]

   Who is involved

   • Pakistan Air Quality Initiative published the report

   Why it matters

   The report tested whether Diwali fireworks in India on 8 November caused Lahore's smog after it. [25]

   How it works

   Air scientists trace where air came from with back trajectories: tracking each air mass backwards in time. [25]

   Smog from across the border should rise most in border cities. [25] Instead, inland Faisalabad and Multan rose 40%, more than Lahore's 10%. [25]

   Seen it before

   If the smell of smoke were coming from next door, it would be strongest by the shared fence.

   The truth

   • The report says crop fires and smog rise together, but that does not prove how much the fires cause. [25]
5. 08

   Canada says no decision on Arctic drilling

   What happened

   • Canada's prime minister, Mark Carney, said on Tuesday his government has not decided to lift its Arctic drilling ban. [26]
   • Last week's budget set aside C$11m over four years for oversight of Arctic offshore oil and gas. [26]
   • Carney said the money is "capacity funding" for Inuit leaders, who share control of northern resources with Canada's government. [26]

   Who is involved

   • Inuit leaders share control of resources
   • Canada's government funds them

   How it unfolded

   The ban on offshore oil and gas exploration in Canada's Arctic dates from 2016. [26] It is due to expire in 2028. [26]

   1. 2016 ban agreed
   2. 2028 ban due to expire

   Why it matters

   Some northern leaders, like Nunavut's premier John Main, want drilling so the region can pay its own way. [26]

   Canada's Arctic coasts are home to fish, migrating birds, sea mammals and polar bears. [26]

   The truth

   • The Toronto Star reported on Monday that Carney's government is considering lifting the ban, quoting a finance official. [26]
6. 09

   COP31's host announces two new oilfields

   What happened

   • Turkey, COP31's host, celebrated the discovery of two new oilfields on Monday night. [10]
   • President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called the find "encouraging". [27]
   • Coal made 33% of Turkey's electricity in 2025, and gas another 22%. [27]
   • Early in 2026, Turkey's state oil company signed deals with ExxonMobil, Chevron and BP to find more oil and gas. [27]
   • Turkey's first climate law, passed in 2025, aims for net zero emissions by 2053. [27]

   Who is involved

   • ExxonMobil oil company
   • Chevron oil company
   • BP oil company

   How it unfolded

   In 2001, Turkey left the list of rich countries that must give climate aid. [27] It argued its past emissions were low. [27]

   Why it matters

   Jeni Miller, who leads a network of more than 300 health groups, called it a "deeply troubling message". [10]

7. 10

   COP31's leaders' summit opens with gaps

   What happened

   • World leaders begin two days of speeches at COP31 on Wednesday. [2]
   • More than 90 leaders are due to speak, including Brazil's President Lula. [17]
   • Andy Burnham, Britain's prime minister, is the only G7 leader listed to speak. [2]
   • France's Emmanuel Macron, Germany's Friedrich Merz and Italy's Giorgia Meloni are not coming. [2]
   • China's leader Xi Jinping is sending his vice-president, Han Zheng. [2]

   Who is involved

   • Andy Burnham Britain's prime minister
   • Emmanuel Macron France
   • Friedrich Merz Germany
   • Giorgia Meloni Italy

   How it unfolded

   1. Wednesday speeches begin
   2. Thursday speeches end

   Why it matters

   The EU's climate chief, Wopke Hoekstra, said: "Expectations are low - that's just a reflection of reality." [28]

   How it works

   Political scientists call a rule where every member must agree unanimity: one no can block a deal.

   Hoekstra asked whether COP's rule that every country must agree is still fit for purpose. [28]

   Seen it before

   Friends choosing a film where anyone can say no can end up watching nothing.

   The truth

   • The French government said Macron is staying home because 11 November is Armistice Day. [2]
8. 11

   State-owned power plants cut carbon slowest

   What happened

   • A study of 13,661 fossil fuel power plants in 134 countries found government-owned ones cut emissions slowest. [29]
   • Governments owned 38% of the plants but made 69% of their carbon dioxide. [29]
   • On average a government plant emitted 910,000 tonnes a year, three times an investor-owned plant's 290,000. [29]
   • The study, by Don Grant and colleagues, compared emissions in 2018 with a decade earlier. [29]

   Who is involved

   • Don Grant an author of the study

   Why it matters

   South Africa's state power company Eskom supplies about 90% of the country's power and is its biggest polluter. [29]

   How it works

   The researchers see a conflict when the same government both owns a power company and regulates it. [29]

   Only one policy, rules requiring more renewable power, was linked to big cuts at government plants. [29]

   Seen it before

   A referee who also plays for one team finds it hard to give that team a penalty.

   The truth

   • The study did not measure enforcement, so it cannot say if state plants get special treatment. [29]
9. 12

   Adnoc Gas studies routes around Hormuz

   What happened

   • Adnoc Gas, which supplies about 60% of the UAE's gas, is studying new routes that avoid the Strait of Hormuz. [11]
   • Its chief executive, Fatema Al Nuaimi, said none of the plans has gone beyond study. [11]
   • It will also study a plant to ship gas as liquid from Fujairah, a UAE port outside the strait. [11]
   • Its Habshan gas plant was damaged by debris from Iranian strikes in April. [11] It should be fully restored by the second quarter of 2027. [11]

   Who is involved

   • Fatema Al Nuaimi chief executive, Adnoc Gas

   How it unfolded

   The strait carried about 20% of all oil and gas flows before the Iran war began on 28 February. [11]

   1. April Habshan damaged
   2. By 2027 full capacity due

   Why it matters

   The disruption limited how much liquid gas it could ship abroad, even while prices were high. [11]

10. 13

    Fire on a platform at Iran's South Pars gas field

    What happened

    • A fire broke out on Tuesday on a gas platform at South Pars, the world's largest offshore gas field. [30]
    • 17 workers jumped into the sea to escape. [30] Officials later said all 17 were in good condition. [30]
    • The platform supplies 14.5 million cubic metres of gas a day, of the field's more than 700 million. [30]
    • Iran shares the reservoir with Qatar, a big gas exporter, which calls its part the North Dome. [30]

    Who is involved

    • Iran South Pars
    • Qatar North Dome

    Why it matters

    The reservoir holds enough usable gas to supply the world for 13 years, Al Jazeera reports. [30]

    The truth

    • Nobody knows yet

      What started the South Pars fire.

      Officials are looking at a gas leak or an operating mistake, and have promised more details later. [30]

    Good news

    • All 17 workers who jumped into the sea to escape a fire on a gas platform in Iran's South Pars field were picked up and are in good condition.
11. 14

    Tesla's China sales fall 66%

    What happened

    • Tesla sold only 8,817 cars to buyers in China in October, down 66% from a year earlier. [31]
    • It was Tesla's worst month in China since July 2022, by the China Passenger Car Association's count. [31]
    • Its Shanghai factory built 67,829 cars, but sent 59,012 of them abroad. [31]
    • China's sales of electric and plug-in hybrid cars fell 10% to 1.148 million, as tax breaks shrank. [31]

    Why it matters

    Rival Leapmotor delivered 106,127 cars, up 51%. [31] Tesla now has about 0.8% of China's market for these cars. [31]

    How it works

    Analysts split sales into home sales and exports, because a total can hide a fall in one.

    Tesla China's total rose 10.3%, but only because exports grew while sales at home fell. [31]

    Seen it before

    A shop can sell more in total while its regulars stop coming, if tourists fill the gap.

    The truth

    • Electrek doubts the usual reason, a weak first month of each quarter. [31] This October was a third of last October. [31]
    • Who gains Leapmotor, Xiaomi and BYD — Chinese buyers leaving Tesla can pick from the new models these firms launch every few months. [31]
    • Nobody knows yet

      Whether Tesla's fall in China is timing or lost buyers.

      Tesla usually sells more late in each quarter, and only the November and December figures will show which it is. [31]

12. 15

    Five EU leaders want the UK to pay for power access

    What happened

    • Leaders of 5 EU countries want the UK to pay to join the EU's electricity market. [32]
    • They lead Belgium, Germany, Denmark, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, all linked to the North Sea power system. [32]
    • Their letter links the deal to UK payments into EU funds for poorer regions. [32]
    • Norway pays about 391 million euros a year into similar funds for its access to EU markets. [32]

    Why it matters

    The letter points to plans for up to 300 GW of offshore wind in the North Sea. [32]

    The truth

    • Who pays The UK — Joining the EU power market may cost it payments into EU funds for poorer regions. [32]
    • Nobody knows yet

      Whether the UK will pay for EU power market access, and how much.

      A UK energy minister, Martin McCluskey, says no amount has been agreed, and the draft EU-UK statement can still change. [32]

    What comes next

    EU and UK leaders meet at a summit on 20 November. [32]

13. 16

    Five more countries join a rooftop solar pledge

    What happened

    • Australia backs a pledge to double homes with rooftop solar to at least 300 million by 2030. [1]
    • These 5 countries joined it this week: Bangladesh, Kenya, Nigeria, Palau and Vanuatu. [1]
    • Pakistan and Indonesia's state power company PLN also showed support, as did 34 lawmakers from 21 countries. [1]

    How it unfolded

    Australia first backed the pledge at a Pacific meeting in Fiji last month. [1]

    1. Last month Australia backs it in Fiji
    2. This week more countries join

    Why it matters

    Heidi Lee Douglas, of the campaign group Solar Citizens, said even electric lighting helps children do homework. [1]

    The truth

    • The pledge sets no binding targets. [1] Countries promise faster permits and easier loans. [1]

    Good news

    • Bangladesh, Kenya, Nigeria, Palau and Vanuatu joined a pledge this week to double the number of homes with rooftop solar to at least 300 million by 2030.
14. 17

    Kerry says the world should follow China

    What happened

    • John Kerry, a former US secretary of state, told the Guardian the world must follow China's lead on clean energy. [33]
    • China's clean-tech exports passed $220bn in 2025, the Guardian reports. [33]
    • China has about 85% of the world's capacity to make solar panels and 80% for lithium batteries. [33]
    • In March, China's five-year plan pledged for the first time to "lead global climate governance". [33]

    Who is involved

    • John Kerry former US secretary of state

    Why it matters

    Kerry said other countries made the same choice after the Iran war disrupted the Strait of Hormuz. [33]

    How it works

    Economists call it energy security: relying less on fuel from places that could cut you off.

    Kerry said China realised it had "way too much dependency on oil and gas from other places". [33]

    Seen it before

    A family that grows its own vegetables worries less when the shop runs out.

    The truth

    • Who gains China's clean-tech makers — Countries that want less imported fuel since the Iran war are buying more renewables, Kerry says, and China makes most of them. [33]
15. 18

    India's state miner talks to Russia about lithium

    What happened

    • India's state-run miner NMDC is in talks with Russia's Rosatom over lithium projects, three people told Reuters. [34]
    • India wants lithium, a metal used in batteries, for its electric car industry. [34]
    • Last week India's cabinet approved 28.14 billion rupees to boost home processing of lithium and nickel. [34]

    Who is involved

    • NMDC India's state-run miner
    • Rosatom Russia's state nuclear firm

    Why it matters

    India's capacity to process lithium is still at an early stage, leaving it heavily dependent on imports. [34]

    How it works

    Economists call buying from several countries, so no single one can cut you off, supply diversification.

    NMDC has formed a 12-person team to check mineral assets it might buy abroad. [34]

    Seen it before

    A cafe that buys milk from three farms still opens when one farm's van breaks down.

    The truth

    • A Rosatom spokesperson said it is not in talks with NMDC. [34]
16. 19

    Central Asia's first wind farm with big batteries

    What happened

    • Nukus 2, a wind farm in western Uzbekistan, has 25 of its 26 turbines making power. [12]
    • It pairs 200 megawatts of wind with a battery that stores 100 megawatt-hours. [12]
    • The Asian Development Bank, which lent money for it, calls it Central Asia's first wind farm with large batteries. [12]
    • Saudi company ACWA is building it, and the battery should be running by the end of November. [12]

    Who is involved

    • ACWA Saudi energy company

    Why it matters

    Once complete, it could supply more than 300,000 people, says project director Sardorbek Mahmudov. [12]

    How it works

    Grid engineers call matching the power made to the power used, minute by minute, balancing.

    Mahmudov says the battery can cover three to four hours when the wind drops. [12]

    Seen it before

    A water tank on a roof keeps the taps running when the mains pressure drops.

    Good news

    • In western Uzbekistan, 25 of the 26 turbines at Nukus 2, Central Asia's first wind farm with large batteries, are already making power.
17. 20

    Philippine solar installers fight a price war

    What happened

    • Price wars are now the biggest problem for rooftop solar installers in the Philippines, a survey found. [6]
    • Installs among those surveyed rose from about 30 to nearly 70 a week after an energy emergency began in March. [6]
    • The survey was by New Energy Nexus Philippines, a non-profit group in Manila. [6]

    Who is involved

    • New Energy Nexus Philippines non-profit in Manila

    How it unfolded

    The Philippines buys most of its oil from the Middle East and declared an energy crisis when Hormuz was disrupted. [6]

    Why it matters

    Most installers win a quarter or fewer of their enquiries. [6] Buyers pick the cheapest quote, or cannot pay upfront. [6]

    How it works

    Economists call this a lemons problem: when buyers cannot judge quality, they buy on price.

    Sheryl Estella of New Energy Nexus said customers cannot tell a qualified installer from a cheap one. [6]

    Seen it before

    If every second-hand bike looks the same in photos, people pick the cheapest one.

    The truth

    • The Philippine government shortened permit times but publishes no data on whether the deadlines are met. [6]
    • Who pays Careful solar installers in the Philippines — Buyers who cannot judge quality choose the cheapest quote, so firms that do the job properly lose sales. [6]
18. 21

    Vietnam raises its price caps for solar

    What happened

    • Vietnam raised the most that solar farms can charge for power, from 5 November. [14]
    • Caps for ground solar without batteries rose 15.1% in the north, 16.8% in the centre and 9.1% in the south. [14]
    • Farms get higher caps if they add a battery at least 10% of the farm's size, lasting 2 hours. [14]

    Why it matters

    Vietnam had more than 19 GW of solar by the end of 2025, but added only 586 MW last year. [14]

    How it works

    Economists call a legal top limit on a price a price ceiling. [14]

    Each deal with buyers like the state utility EVN is agreed below the cap. [14] A higher cap leaves more room. [14]

    Seen it before

    A shop can charge up to the price on the label, but may sell for less.

19. 22

    Romania's queue of clean power tops 114 GW

    What happened

    • Romania has 1,625 renewable power projects with permission to connect to its grid, its energy regulator says. [13]
    • Together they could send 114.9 GW into the grid. [13]
    • 238 of the projects with both grid and building permits include energy storage. [13]
    • Projects of 13.02 GW are due to start up in 2027. [13]

    Why it matters

    Romania added about 2.2 GW of solar last year, one of Europe's fastest-growing markets. [13]

    How it works

    Energy planners call a list of projects waiting to be built a pipeline.

    Of the 114.9 GW with grid permits, 41 GW also have building permits and 16.2 GW have every main approval. [13]

    Seen it before

    A school sports trial starts with many names, and fewer make each cut.

20. 23

    China's Huaneng adds a record flywheel to a coal plant

    What happened

    • China's Huaneng Group connected a flywheel system to the grid at its Lanzhou power plant on 6 November. [35]
    • A flywheel stores energy in a heavy wheel spinning fast, here up to 3,200 times a minute. [35]
    • Its main 5 MW wheel is the most powerful single flywheel in China, Huaneng claims. [35]
    • The Lanzhou plant burns coal and makes both electricity and heat. [35]

    Who is involved

    • Huaneng Group Chinese power company

    Why it matters

    Huaneng says it reacts to swings on the grid in under 100 milliseconds, faster than a lithium battery. [35]

    How it works

    Grid engineers call this frequency regulation: keeping the grid's beat steady. [35]

    When demand jumps, a coal plant cannot change pace at once, so the fast wheel fills the gap. [35]

    Seen it before

    A runner sprints the first few metres before settling into a steady pace.

    The Lanzhou coal plant makes useful heat as well as electricity, so some of the heat a power-only station would waste is put to work.

    The idea, in story 03: Why an electric car needs far less energy than a petrol car →

    The truth

    • Huaneng's speed and accuracy figures have not been checked independently. [35]
21. 24

    US electric car prices fall from a year ago

    What happened

    • New electric cars in the US sold for an average $56,220 in October, Kelley Blue Book says. [15]
    • That is 2.7% less than a year earlier, while the average new car hit a record $51,109. [15]
    • Discounts on electric cars averaged 11.3% of the price, against 6.8% across all new cars. [15]
    • Tesla sold an estimated 1,914 Cybertrucks, its best month in over a year, before production ends in mid-2027. [15]
    • Ford's electric pickup due next year, the Fathom, will start at $28,400. [16]

    How it unfolded

    Electric car sales fell after the Trump administration ended federal tax credits last year, Grist reports. [16]

    Why it matters

    Dan Krassner, of the American EV Jobs Alliance, says electric pickups need very big batteries for range and towing. [16] That pushes their prices up. [16]

22. 25

    BMW's new i3 crosses Europe on under 3 hours of charging

    What happened

    • BMW drove its new electric i3 3,658 miles from Norway's North Cape to Tarifa in Spain. [36]
    • It spent 2 hours, 45 minutes and 54 seconds charging, at an average of 275 kW. [36]
    • The trip took 3 days, 2 hours and 41 minutes, beating the old record by more than 7 hours. [36]
    • The car used 12.5 kWh for every 100 km, below its official 13.4 to 18. [36]

    How it unfolded

    1. Old record more than 7 hours slower
    2. This trip 3 days, 2 hours, 41 minutes

    Why it matters

    Its 108.7 kWh battery gives a range of up to 912 km on Europe's official test. [36]

    How it works

    Engineers measure how easily a car slips through air with its drag coefficient. [36]

    The i3's is 0.21, so it pushes less air aside and needs less power at speed. [36]

    Seen it before

    Cycling into the wind with your head down is easier than sitting up.

    An electric motor turns most of the battery into motion, so 12.5 kWh carried the car 100 km.

    The idea, in story 03: Why an electric car needs far less energy than a petrol car →

    The truth

    • It was BMW's own test, with one driver, a standard car and public chargers, BMW says. [36]
23. 26

    Two years on, Mexico's relocated village struggles

    What happened

    • In 2023, El Bosque became the first community in Mexico recognised as displaced by climate change. [37]
    • In November 2024, 51 families moved to new houses in Nuevo Bosque, 7.5 miles inland. [37]
    • The new town opened without running water or a primary school. [37]

    How it unfolded

    The sea had damaged or swept away more than half of its hundred or so homes. [37]

    Why it matters

    A taxi back to the coast and home costs 240 pesos, about $14. [37] So Viviana Velazquez goes back only about once a week. [37]

    How it works

    Planners call moving a whole community away from danger a planned relocation. [37]

    The new homes should be safe from floods for about 30 years. [37] But they are far from the fishing that fed people. [37]

    Seen it before

    Moving to a safer flat across town can mean losing the corner shop and the friends next door.

    The truth

    • Residents left out of the move still do not know why. [37]
    • Who pays Fishing families of El Bosque — Moved inland for safety, they now pay a taxi fare to reach the fishing that fed them. [37]

    What comes next

    An ecologist says the river and the sea will likely join within a decade, putting old El Bosque under water. [37]

24. 27

    Italian start-up plans power storage under the sea

    What happened

    • Sizable Energy, an Italian start-up, plans to store power by moving heavy salt water between the seabed and the surface. [38]
    • Spare power pumps the brine up to a floating tank. [38] When power is needed, it flows down through a turbine. [38]
    • It finished sea tests off Reggio Calabria and is designing first projects in Calabria and Sicily. [38]
    • It needs water at least 500 metres deep. [38]

    Who is involved

    • Sizable Energy Italian start-up

    Why it matters

    Co-founder Simone Biondi says it could move daytime solar power to the evening and night. [38]

    How it works

    Engineers call lifting water when power is spare, and letting it fall when it is needed, pumped storage. [38]

    Here the lift is from the seabed to the surface, so no hill or dam is needed. [38]

    Seen it before

    Carrying a bucket of water upstairs stores effort you get back when you pour it down a slide.

    The truth

    • Biondi admits it is a first-of-its-kind design, with technical risks still to test. [38]

    What comes next

    A demonstrator linked to a data centre in Naples is due in the first half of 2027. [38]

25. 28

    Croatia offers farms 30 million euros for solar

    What happened

    • Croatia opened a 30 million euro fund for solar panels and batteries on farms. [39]
    • 20 million euros is for micro and small firms, and 10 million for bigger ones. [39]
    • Grants run from 5,000 euros to 5 million euros, and applications close on 31 January 2027. [39]
    • The panels must power the farm itself, and the batteries must take in at least 75% of their output. [39]

    Who is involved

    The money comes from the Modernisation Fund, through Croatia's environment ministry. [39]

    Why it matters

    Small farm firms can get up to 65% of solar costs paid, and large ones up to 45%. [39]

26. 29

    Chicago trains people leaving prison for solar jobs

    What happened

    • The Safer Foundation in Chicago trains people leaving prison to install solar panels. [40]
    • Trainees practise on a two-storey mock house built inside an old gym. [40]
    • Trainees get paid while they learn, with a month of basic skills, then three to six weeks of solar training. [40]

    Who is involved

    • Safer Foundation Chicago charity

    How it unfolded

    Illinois clean energy laws from 2017 and 2021 pay for training that puts people from left-out communities first. [40]

    1. 2017 first clean energy law
    2. 2021 second law adds training hubs

    Why it matters

    Employers are often wary of hiring people with convictions, so the foundation works with firms like Sunrun. [40]

    Good news

    • In Chicago, more than 100 people with criminal records earned clean energy certificates through the Safer Foundation in three years, and 79 of them found jobs.
27. 30

    COP31 may be the biggest climate summit yet

    What happened

    • 92,934 people have registered to attend COP31 in person, Carbon Brief counts. [41]
    • Carbon Brief is a specialist news site on climate science and policy. [41]
    • That would beat COP28 in Dubai, which drew more than 80,000. [41]
    • More than 14,000 are listed as host country guests, against about 1,000 at COP30 in Brazil. [41]
    • The US government has sent no delegation, and neither have Israel and Myanmar. [41]

    Why it matters

    On Tuesday, many of the 100,000 people at the talks were stuck in traffic for hours. [17]

    The truth

    • These are registrations: the UN counts badges actually collected only after the summit ends. [41]