- 18:44 GMTOcean carbon exports - Researchers have deployed 212 autonomous, floating instruments known as Biogeochemical-Argo (BGC-Argo) floats to estimate carbon export across the Southern Ocean basin, to address a gap in research. These floats roam the upper 2,000 metres of the ocean, can travel beneath sea ice, and are equipped with sensors that measure physical and biogeochemical properties of seawater. Carbon export is a process through which phytoplankton distribute organic carbon as they become food for other organisms, with much of this carbon eventually returning to the atmosphere, but some ending up sequestered in the deep ocean. In an April study, researchers estimated about 2.69 bln tonnes of carbon sink to the deep sea each year in the Southern Ocean, although carbon export varies across different parts of the ocean. The researchers said more investigation is needed to clarify the role of the highly active ecosystems in the sea ice zone, especially as climate change drives shifts in sea ice dynamics. (Eos)
- 17:18 GMTThe shipping sector's newly agreed mid-term policy measures create a strong basis for long-term decarbonisation, yet the industry is still in "wait and see" mode when it comes to investing in emission-reducing technologies, according to a report by a clean shipping coalition.
- 14:12 GMTNothing lasts forever - Since the mid-2010s, governments have pledged to reduce fossil fuel subsidies, but actual implementation remains uncertain, finds a new report published this week in the journal Nature Climate Change. An analysis of the 21 countries with the highest gasoline subsidies from 2003–15 found that while subsidy reforms became more frequent and ambitious from 2016 to 2023, their durability declined - only 30% lasted one year, and just 9% lasted three years. Subsidies increased in 12 countries and stayed the same in nine, raising concerns about the effectiveness of current reform strategies, the researchers said.
- 11:26 GMTModel behaviour - A new study, published in the journal Energy, modelled a profit-maximising producer’s behavior under different carbon pricing schemes to examine the likelihood of a producer relocating operations offshore to avoid emission costs. The analysis revealed that under deterministic carbon pricing, the producer chooses either to invest in domestic sustainable infrastructure or to build offshore capacity, based on carbon price levels, but not both. In contrast, under price uncertainty, the producer may invest in both, ensuring carbon leakage. The study also found that a well-designed import duty can mitigate leakage effectively, regardless of carbon price uncertainty. This suggested that combining import duties with either a carbon tax or ETS would enhance the effectiveness of environmental policy, according to the authors.
- 11:13 GMTThe world has already surpassed 1.5C of sustained warming and is on track to exceed 2C around 2032 if emissions continue unchecked, according to recent analysis by a Berlin-based think tank.
- 04:00 GMTAs the US government retreats from climate action and undermines emissions policies, the rest of the world is advancing a global carbon economy that increasingly values nature-based carbon sinks, but mistrust in carbon accounting has devalued credits. Now, atmospheric monitoring technology offers a path to restoring market integrity, investment, and climate impact through more accurate, transparent verification.
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