In brief | 29 April '26
France24: France's 'roadmap' to exit fossil fuels by 2050
France has released a detailed "roadmap" to wean the country from planet-heating oil, gas and coal by 2050, an important signal at a moment when nations are reassessing their reliance on fossil fuels.
Reuters: Germany in talks with Poland over oil deliveries after Russia says to halt supplies
Germany is in talks with Poland to examine whether short-term replacement oil supplies could be delivered to the PCK Schwedt refinery via the port of Gdansk after Russia said it would halt the supply of Kazakh crude oil via the Druzhba pipeline.
Electrive: VW ID.3 now Germany’s most popular battery-electric car
The Tesla Model Y always led the way - that is, until January 1, 2026, when Volkswagen took the top spot.
Bloomberg: Spiking oil prices spurred an EV buying spree in March
Electric car sales surged in Europe and parts of Asia, counteracting a slowdown in the US and China.
The Guardian: One year after Spain’s blackout, its shift to renewables and grid evolution power on
Though solar was initially incorrectly blamed for national outage, renewables have helped insulate Spain from gas price rises caused by war in Middle East.
World Meteorological Organisation: European State of the Climate 2025
Record heatwaves from the Mediterranean to the Arctic, while glaciers shrink and snow cover declines.
Ember: Global Coal Mine Methane Review 2026
Countries’ reported coal mine methane inventories capture only a fraction of actual emissions.
New York Times: The world needs natural gas now, but the US is exporting all it can
Even the largest global supplier of liquefied natural gas can’t make up for the shortfall since the war on Iran cut off an important source.
BBC: United Arab Emirates to quit oil cartel Opec
The move is seen as a blow to the cartel, which oversees oil production and has a major influence on global prices - with one analyst describing the exit as "the beginning of the end of Opec".
Bloomberg: Climate finance funds attract record inflows
The global climate finance landscape reached a milestone in 2025, with 179 investment funds raising a record 92 billion dollars, a doubling from 2024.