In brief | 12 December '25

Reuters: EU ban on combustion engine cars off table, EPP's Weber says

Instead, there will be more flexible rules to achieve a reduction in CO2 emissions from cars, the president of the largest party in the European Parliament says.

PIK: Ten years since the Paris Agreement: "We must, at least so far, admit failure"

Despite progress in expanding renewables, global emissions continue to rise; remaining carbon budget for an orderly phase-out of fossil-fuels is nearly exhausted, researchers warn.

Carbon Brief: Net-zero scenario is ‘cheapest option’ for UK, says energy system operator

A "holistic transition" scenario would have the lowest cost over the next 25 years, saving 36 billion pounds a year – some one percent of GDP – compared to an alternative scenario that slows climate action.

Ember: How cheap is battery storage?

Ember provides the latest capex and Levelised Cost of Storage (LCOS) for large, long-duration utility-scale Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) across global markets outside China and the US.

Reuters: Germany's PCK refinery says no impact from pipeline leak

Crude oil spill from a pipeline near the Polish border was most likely triggered by planned preparatory work for a scheduled safety test, operator says. 

ECA: LIFE projects bridge gap between strategy and implementation, but impact not entirely clear

Projects foster EU cooperation on pollution, biodiversity loss, climate change, but face shortcomings in priorities, monitoring and sharing results.

The Conversation: Polar bears are adapting to climate change at a genetic level

Changing climate driving changes in polar bear genome, potentially allowing them to more readily adapt to warmer habitats and survive new challenging environments.