Climate, in brief

Researchers at UCLA, a university in California, used satellite data to measure methane leaking from the Silivri landfill outside Istanbul. It averages 7.4 tonnes an hour. [1]

Methane is a gas that traps heat in the air. The Guardian reports that this one leak warms the planet as much as 1.5 million large SUVs. [1]

A second Istanbul dump, at Sile, leaks about 4 tonnes an hour. The team listed Turkey's ten worst dumps, from Izmir to Ankara and Antalya. [1]

Turkey hosts COP31, the UN climate summit, in Antalya in November. It has put cutting methane at the top of the list of actions it wants every country to take. [1]

Murat Kurum, Turkey's environment minister and the summit's president, wrote to 196 countries that cutting methane is among the quickest ways to slow warming. [1]

Turkey has not signed the Global Methane Pledge, under which 159 countries aim to cut methane by 30% by 2030. [1]

Turkey's law to monitor emissions, passed last August, counts only carbon dioxide and leaves out landfills. Its environment ministry and Istanbul's city government declined to answer questions. [1]

Villagers near Silivri say the smell forces them to sleep with their windows shut two or three nights a week. Some were too afraid to sign a petition. [1]

Australia chairs the summit's negotiations under a deal with Turkey. Days ago a New South Wales regulator approved the biggest coal mine expansion in that state's history. [2]

A report by 350.org, a campaign group, says Australian coal sent to Turkey has caused more than 75 million tonnes of carbon dioxide since 2015. Three letters from the two hosts about the summit never mention fossil fuels. [2]

The meeting before the summit, called the pre-COP, opened on Monday in Nadi, Fiji. Only five leaders from outside the Pacific were confirmed. [4][3]

Australia gives the Pacific more aid than anyone else and ships about $100 billion of coal and gas a year. Palau's president said that if someone must earn that money, it might as well be Australia. [3]

Why it matters. Watch whether the declaration leaders sign in Fiji this week names fossil fuels, and whether Turkey answers the satellite findings before Antalya; its ministry has so far declined to comment. [3][1]

The G7, a group of seven rich democracies, agreed on Friday to release 100 million barrels of emergency oil and fuel through the International Energy Agency, the West's energy watchdog. [5] The release runs over four months, with a large share of diesel in the first 20 days. [5] It came after the Trump administration threatened to ban US diesel exports unless Europe released its stocks. [6] In return, the countries agreed not to restrict their own oil exports for now. [6]

Why it matters. A writer in The National, a newspaper in Abu Dhabi, estimates the diesel half replaces about a third of the fuel exports lost this year. [6] An earlier coordinated release this year did not help for long, and the stocks may have to be bought back later. [7]

OPEC+, a group of oil-producing countries led by Saudi Arabia and Russia, decided on Sunday not to change its output targets for November. [8] It is the second month without a change, after six months of small rises. [8] Its seven core members pumped 25 million barrels a day in August, about 5 million below February, before the war began. [9] Most of this year's higher targets have stayed on paper, because the Gulf members cannot ship all they could produce. [9]

Why it matters. Because the raised targets stay on paper, the decision changes little about how much oil reaches buyers. [9] The war has also delayed the review that will set each country's limit for 2027, and the group meets again on 1 November. [9][8]

Torrential rain killed two people in Catalonia, in north-eastern Spain, over Saturday night and Sunday, and one more was missing. [10][11] One person died when a wall fell at a campsite in Tordera, and another drowned in a flooded garage. [10] More than 100 millimetres of rain fell overnight in many places, Spain's weather agency said. [10] One Barcelona station recorded 170 millimetres, its highest total in 18 years, and the Besos river passed its danger level. [11]

Why it matters. The storm came from what Spain calls a cold drop: cold air high up meets warm, wet air rising off the Mediterranean. [10] A 2026 study found climate change made the 2024 Valencia floods rainier, but nobody has yet measured its part in this one. [10]

Offshore workers at Apache, a Texas oil company, have backed strike action over pay, the Unite union said. [12] More than 160 workers could be involved. [12] Apache offered a 4% rise, which the union calls a cut once prices are counted. [12] A strike could start later this month at the Forties and Beryl oil fields. [12] The union says it could stop the Forties pipeline system, which carries almost a third of Britain's oil and gas. [12]

Why it matters. It would land in a week when Britain's average diesel price hit a record 2 pounds a litre. [12] Apache says its offshore staff are among Britain's best paid, and its parent company made $1.4 billion after tax last year. [12]

Australians bought a record 157,957 electric and plug-in hybrid cars in the first half of 2026, 117% more than a year earlier, the Electric Vehicle Council reported. [13] That is about one new car in four, up from 12.1% a year before. [14] Sales of petrol and diesel cars fell 14%. [13] The council credits dear fuel since the war and a national rule that makes carmakers meet an average emissions limit across the cars they sell. [13]

Why it matters. BYD, a Chinese carmaker, is now the second-best-selling brand in Australia, and in September it launched the first new electric car there under A$20,000. [15][14] Electric trucks are still under 1% of truck sales. [13][14]

Zerra DC, a developer based in Singapore, plans Australia's largest data centre near Dalby, about 180km west of Brisbane, to run Claude, the AI model made by Anthropic. [16] It would cost A$31 billion and need 2.16 gigawatts at its peak, about a quarter of Queensland's power demand. [16] The site is now a cattle feedlot surrounded by gas wells, and the plan became public only last month. [16] A petition against it has more than 21,500 signatures, mostly from the area. [16]

Why it matters. The area went through a coal seam gas boom that brought crowds of workers and then faded, and many residents expect the same again. [16] The developer promises about 1,400 lasting jobs and a cooling system that uses about as much water as a shopping centre. [16]

Data centre companies have given or invested more than $343 million in Texas communities over the past year, a Texas Tribune count published by Grist shows. [17] QTS, a data centre builder, is replacing the broken water tower in Turkey, a Texas town of about 275 people. [17] Rowan is putting $38 million into water systems in Temple. [17] The count is probably too low, because not every gift is made public. [17]

Why it matters. In an August poll, 57% of Texans said they would oppose a data centre where they live. [17] Texas will also give up at least $3 billion in sales tax for data centres over two years. [17] Elsewhere, a court has paused a Google data centre in Minnesota, and a Microsoft-backed site in New Jersey was fined $1 million for running gas generators without permits. [18]

Britain's government is drawing up possible tariffs on Chinese electric cars, The Times reported on Sunday; Reuters could not confirm it. [19] A government spokesperson said no tariffs had been imposed. [19] The EU already charges up to 45%, and the US has shut Chinese cars out almost completely. [20] EU officials have warned that British-made cars could face new barriers in Europe unless Britain follows. [20]

Why it matters. British drivers have bought cheaper Chinese models in large numbers, so tariffs would raise prices. [20] Jonathan Reynolds, the business secretary, has argued China would probably answer with tariffs on British cars. [20]

Donald Trump said on Friday that South Korea will pay more if it does not soon sign up to a $50 billion project to export gas from Alaska. [21] He did not say what he would double; South Korean media suggested tariffs. [21] South Korea says it is still assessing the project. [21] Trump also announced an $8.4 billion oil project that, South Korean media report, its industry ministry says was not in their agreement. [21]

Why it matters. The two governments disagree in public about what South Korea has agreed to pay for. [21] Until that is settled, the money behind the Alaska export plant is not certain. [21]

Mohsen Paknejad, Iran's oil minister since August 2024, has resigned, Iranian state media said on Sunday. [22] The head of the National Iranian Oil Company, the state oil firm, takes over for now. [22][23] State media gave no reason at first; a government spokesperson later said he had resigned for personal reasons long ago. [22][23] Drivers in Iran face long queues at petrol stations because of the war and US sanctions. [23]

Why it matters. Iran is a member of OPEC, and the seven-month war with the US is squeezing an economy that depends on selling oil. [22]

Pakistan made more electricity from solar than from nuclear power in 2025, for the first time, the World Nuclear Industry Status Report says. [24] Solar made 36.3 terawatt-hours, a unit for a whole country's yearly power, and the report calls that a large underestimate. [24] Nuclear reached a record 22.5 terawatt-hours from six reactors, all built by a Chinese state company. [24]

Why it matters. Solar grew while power from the grid stayed too expensive for many. [24] Pakistan is still paying back the loans for its two newest reactors, finished in 2022 and 2023. [24]

Britain's Financial Conduct Authority, which regulates the City of London, dropped its plan to make listed companies report their climate risks, on 30 September. [25] It had proposed in January that they meet a new UK climate reporting standard. [25] Firms will instead keep the comply-or-explain rule, which lets them say why they did not report. [25] Companies had complained about the cost and about competing with firms abroad. [25]

Why it matters. The EU has watered down its own climate reporting rules, and the US dropped plans for any. [25] The regulator's own review found 92% of Britain's 350 biggest listed firms already report to the older global standard. [25]

China's industry ministry and six other agencies set 2030 as the date for the first large-scale use of all-solid-state batteries, in a plan issued on 28 September. [26] ProLogium, a Taiwanese company, already makes such cells, which hold about 30% more energy for their weight than most car batteries. [26] CATL, China's biggest battery maker, rates the technology four on a scale of nine. [26] Its chairman calls use in a million cars before 2030 very unlikely. [26]

Why it matters. Chinese and South Korean makers supply 90% of Europe's batteries. [26] ProLogium's plant in Dunkirk, France, begun in February, is Europe's largest new battery project since Northvolt, a Swedish maker, went bankrupt. [26]

Nolo, the storm that passed Hawaii a week ago, crossed the international date line on Sunday and is now called a typhoon. [27] It had strengthened into a Category 3 storm and had winds of 185km an hour as it changed names. [27] It is far from land and not forecast to threaten any for days. [27] Such storms are called hurricanes in the eastern Pacific and typhoons in the north-west Pacific. [27]

Why it matters. Hurricane Rachel, a second storm, is moving away from Mexico but still sending dangerous waves to its west coast. [27]

Britain's government wants parts of Norfolk, in eastern England, to be the first where housebuilders pay a nature levy. [28] Builders would pay 2,675 pounds a house, raising about 42 million pounds for wetlands, river restoration and deer culls. [28] In return, 15,780 homes held up by rules protecting rivers could go ahead, Environment Secretary Angela Eagle says. [28] A public consultation runs until 27 October. [28]

Why it matters. Ecologists say the money would improve habitats but not stop the pollution reaching Norfolk's rare chalk streams. [28] Housebuilders say farms and sewage pollute the rivers more than new homes do. [28]

Ampol, an Australian fuel retailer, agreed on Thursday to buy Evie Networks, which runs fast chargers for electric cars, for A$225 million. [29] Evie has 1,031 fast-charging bays at 322 sites. [29] Together the two would have about 1,425 bays at more than 400 sites. [29] Australia's competition regulator must approve the deal, which is due to close in the first half of 2027. [29]

Why it matters. Australia has 4,268 public charging locations, and electric car sales have more than doubled. [13] Ampol said the deal grows its place in a fast-growing charging market. [29]

About 1,200 high school students in Colorado have earned a seal of climate literacy, a mark on their diploma, since lawmakers approved it in 2024. [30] Students take two climate courses and do a project in their community. [30] One student built a garden of plants that show ozone pollution near Denver's airport. [30] Maine adopted a seal this year, and California has just signed one into law. [30]

Why it matters. The state gave less than $20,000 to set it up. [30] The group behind it says donors are worried by federal moves against climate charities. [30]

YMX, a US logistics company, signed a five-year deal with Outrider, a start-up, to run self-driving electric trucks that move trailers around large freight yards. [31] The trucks are electric yard trucks made by Orange EV, fitted with cameras, radar and AI software. [31] YMX says there is a shortage of qualified yard drivers across the US. [31]

Why it matters. Diesel averaged $6.38 a gallon in the US this week, Electrek reports. [31] Electrek says electric trucks shield YMX's customers from those prices, and a self-driving truck does not need one of the scarce drivers. [31]

Some passengers say they get more car-sick in electric cars, BBC News reports. [32] A Chicago neurologist says about two patients a month tell him so. [32] Scientists say the research is early and patchy. [32] One idea is that electric cars lack the engine noise and shaking that tell the body it is speeding up. [32] Another is regenerative braking, where the car slows sharply to charge its battery when the driver lifts off. [32]

Why it matters. Motion sickness comes when the eyes, the inner ear and the body disagree about how you are moving. [32] Many owners told the BBC they feel no worse in electric cars, and some feel better. [32]

Two researchers at New York University built a forecast of Arctic sea ice that uses only the past record of how much ice there was. [33] Tested on past Septembers, it predicted the ice about as well as the models gathered by the Sea Ice Prediction Network. [33] It also says how unsure each forecast is. [33] The study was published on Monday in Scientific Reports. [33]

Why it matters. The authors say any physics or AI model that cannot beat this simple method has a serious weakness. [33]