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Historic agreement tackling shipping emissions: After nearly a decade of negotiations, countries have agreed to a historic international agreement to tackle shipping emissions. Starting in 2028, ship owners will have to use cleaner fuels or face fines.

At any given moment there are about 50,000 ships transporting goods across the world’s oceans and with global trade increasing, shipping routes are likely to keep getting more crowded. Shipping accounts for around 3% of global emissions but unlike many other sectors it has struggled to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels and associated carbon footprint.

However, the new agreement will make shipping the first industry in the world to have internationally mandated targets to reduce its emissions. Large international vessels will be required to use less carbon intensive fuels or face fines of up to £280 per tonne of carbon emissions from burning fuel. It is estimated that the agreement could achieve an 8% reduction in emissions from the shipping industry by 2030.

Some environmental groups and island states were disappointed with the deal, saying that it fell short of what they were hoping for and was heavily influenced by oil-producing nations. The Global Maritime Forum said that the deal was a compromise based on a “difficult set of decisions” but that it was “the first regulation of its kind and that is to be celebrated.”

Area burned by UK wildfires already at annual record in April: Satellite data suggests that the area burned by wildlife in the UK so far this year is already higher than the total for any year in more than a decade.

Wildfires are common in the UK in early spring, as dead or dormant vegetation at the end of winter dries out quickly, but the prolonged dry, sunny weather in March and April created ideal conditions for widespread burning. More than 80 large wildfires (30 hectares or more) have been detected across the UK since the beginning of the year.

Certain plants, such as heather, are adapted to fire-prone environments, so not all wildfires are catastrophic, particularly smaller and low intensity ones. However, increasingly frequent and intense wildfires can impair vegetations ability to naturally recover.

Scientists and researchers are more worried about what is going to happen in the summer where there are fewer wildfires, but they are often bigger and more intense. They are calling for the UK to be more prepared to manage wildfires as they become a more common occurrence.

Finland phases out coal power: Finland has shut down its last coal-fired power plant, becoming the latest country to fully phase out coal power in favour of renewables.

In 2019, the Finnish Government passed a law to ban coal from 2029. Since then, Finland’s renewable energy generation, such as from wind and solar, increased rapidly and coal use collapsed. Shutting down the last coal-fired power plant is expected to reduce Finland’s emissions by 2% and accelerate their transition towards clean energy.       

Natural History GCSE: The UK Government has confirmed that they will be moving ahead with a Natural History GCSE. The course content has been designed to deepen student’s understanding of the natural world and equip them to contribute to its protection and conservation, both locally and globally.

Education is one of the most powerful tools we have to tackle the climate crisis, so confirmation that the Natural History GCSE is going ahead is great news. As David Attenborough said, “no-one will protect what they don’t care about; and no-one will care about what they have never experienced.” We know young people are a powerful force for change, so hopefully the new Natural History GCSE will help young people experience and care for their local environment and empower them to take action both locally and globally.

Subject to accreditation, the Natural History GCSE could be taught from September 2025.

Europe’s largest battery, located in the UK, begins operations: The largest battery site in Europe has commenced operations. Located in Moray, Scotland, the total capacity of the site is the equivalent of powering more than 3.1 million homes for two hours.

The site is located between Aberdeen and Inverness to address grid congestion from three large offshore wind farms in the area. Grid congestion is essentially an ‘electricity grid traffic jam’, where the grid infrastructure can’t handle the amount of electricity being transported. For example, if it suddenly becomes very windy there is a huge spike in the amount of electricity being generated by the wind farm, which can overload the grid if it is higher than current demand.

Renewable energy sources, such as wind, can also be wasted due to a lack of storage capabilities. Battery sites, like the new one in Moray, can help address the grid congestion and energy wastage by capturing and storing excess electricity until it is needed. It is expected that this new battery site will prevent approximately 2.6 million tonnes of CO₂ from entering the atmosphere by integrating more wind power onto the grid.

High-speed rail network proposed for Europe: A high-speed rail network called Starline has been proposed by 21^st Europe. Designed like a metro system, it could connect 39 European cities by 2040.

It would run at speeds of 185 – 250 mph, making journeys like Helsinki to Berlin possible in just over five hours, a route that currently takes over 16 hours with multiple train changes. 21^st Europe also propose streamlining Europe’s rail network into one system, simplifying things like ticketing and cross-border security to make it easier to travel efficiently across Europe. It is estimated that a network like Starline could cut emissions by 95%, as short haul flights are replaced with high-speed rail.

Starline would also carry time-sensitive cargo such as fresh produce and medical supplies, reducing the need for short haul freight flights and over-burdened road networks.

Learn more about the proposed high-speed rail network Starline here: https://21st-europe.com/blueprints/starline

Pilot scheme to support oil and gas workers to transition to renewables: Through a pilot scheme, oil and gas workers will be supported to transition to a career in renewables, initially into a variety of roles in offshore wind.

Research from Offshore Energies UK showed that 90% of oil and gas workers have skills that are relevant to the clean energy transition. The pilot scheme will help oil and gas workers recognise their existing transferable skills and support them to undertake further training if needed to transition to a career path in renewables. Additionally, four areas across the UK, where large numbers of workers are employed in oil or gas industries, will receive funding for targeted measures such as training centres and skills courses: Aberdeen, Cheshire, Lincolnshire and Pembrokeshire.

UK Government invests in Nuclear Fusion: The UK Government has committed £410 million to support the rapid development of the UK fusion energy sector, including the possible construction of a world-leading nuclear fusion power project on the site of the old West Burton coal plant in Nottinghamshire.

Ed Miliband, the energy secretary, said that the investment means that the UK is “now within grasping distance of unlocking the power of the sun and providing families with secure, clean, unlimited energy.” (The Guardian, 2025)

The sun, along with all other stars, is powered by a reaction: nuclear fusion. Simply put, nuclear fusion is the process of joining two light atomic nuclei together to form a single heavier one, releasing massive amounts of energy in the process.

Currently nuclear power plants use nuclear fission to generate energy. Nuclear fission is a reaction where a heavier atomic nucleus splits into two or more smaller nuclei, releasing energy in the process. However nuclear fission produces unstable nuclei which are radioactive. This radioactive waste is extremely hazardous and long lasting, so expensive measures have to be taken to safely store it whilst its radioactivity diminishes.

Nuclear fusion on the other hand does not produce any long-lived radioactive waste. If we can replicate nuclear fusion on Earth, we could have access to virtually limitless clean, safe and affordable energy to meet all the world’s energy demands.

Global sea ice hit record low: Scientists from Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) said that global sea ice fell to a record low in February, one of the consequences of a warming world.

C3S have been monitoring sea ice levels through satellite observations since the 1970s. Global sea ice extent varies, but it typically reaches its annual minimum in February, when it is summer in the southern hemisphere. Scientists are worried about the lower levels of sea ice as ice reflects sunlight, helping to keep the planet cool. A lack of sea ice means darker ocean surfaces which accelerates warming as the Earth absorbs more sunlight.

UK’s Electricity Generation Was Cleanest Ever in 2024: The UK’s electricity generation was the cleanest ever in 2024. Renewables, such as wind and solar power, generated 45% of the UK’s electricity in 2024, a record high, whilst fossil fuels generated only 29% of the UK’s electricity in 2024, the lowest level on record.

The UK has now phased out coal and is getting less than half as much electricity from burning fossil fuels as it did a decade ago. As a result of this transition to renewable generation, carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions per unit have fallen by more than two-thirds in a decade.

To learn more about the UK’s transition to renewables, we recommend the Energy Dashboard website. You can see how electricity is being generated in the UK today, and in the past, as well as a map of current, planned and in-construction generation sites across the UK. It provides lots of interesting discussion points, including the location of and investment into different types of renewables.

Millions of Children’s Education Disrupted by the Climate Crisis in 2024: A new UNICEF analysis released this month says that at least 242 million students in 85 countries had their education disrupted by extreme climate events in 2024. These extreme climate events, including heatwaves, storms, droughts, floods and tropical cyclones, resulted in either school closures or significant interruption to school timetables.

Heatwaves were the predominant climate hazard shutting schools last year, with over 118 million students affected in April alone. Bangladesh and the Philippines experienced widespread school closures in April, while Cambodia shortened the school day by two hours. In May, temperatures spiked to 47°C in parts of South Asia, placing children at significant risk of heat stroke.

“Children are more vulnerable to the impacts of weather-related crises, including stronger and more frequent heatwaves, storms, droughts and flooding,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. “Children’s bodies are uniquely vulnerable. They heat up faster, they sweat less efficiently, and cool down more slowly than adults. Children cannot concentrate in classrooms that offer no respite from sweltering heat, and they cannot get to school if the path is flooded, or if schools are washed away.”

Some countries experienced multiple climate hazards. For example, in Afghanistan, in addition to heatwaves, the country experienced severe flash floods that damaged or destroyed over 110 schools in May, disrupting education for thousands of students.

“Education is one of the services most frequently disrupted due to climate hazards. Yet it is often overlooked in policy discussions, despite its role in preparing children for climate adaptation,” said Russell. “Children’s futures must be at the forefront of all climate related plans and actions.”

Scientists Say California Wildfires Made Worse by Climate Change: Climate change was a major factor behind the hot, dry weather that gave rise to the devastating wildfires that tore across Los Angeles (LA) earlier this month. A scientific study, by World Weather Attribution, found that climate change made the hot, dry weather conditions about 35% more likely. The scientists highlighted that whilst wildfires are highly complex with multiple factors playing a role, the LA wildfire season is getting longer and more intense, and rains that normally put the blazes out have reduced.

The lead author, Dr. Clair Barnes (Imperial College London) said “climate change increased the risk of the devastating LA wildfires. Drought conditions are more frequently pushing into winter, increasing the chance a fire will break out during strong Santa Ana winds that can turn small ignitions into deadly wildfires.”

More than 12,000 homes and buildings were destroyed by the fires.

Balcony Solar Panels: Millions of people across Europe have installed solar panels on their balconies, coining the term ‘balcony power plants.’

Installing a couple of panels on the balcony can give a saving of up to 30% on a typical household’s electricity bill. Buying and installing the panels costs on average £300 – £650, so the panels can often pay for themselves within six years.

In Spain, where two-thirds of the population live in apartments, getting permission to install solar panels on a communal roof can be challenging. But installing panels on balconies is a great solution to this problem, as it doesn’t require the permission of all the residents in the building.  

Santiago Vernetta, CEO of Tornasol Energy, says “the beauty of the solar balconies is they are flexible, cheap and plug straight into the domestic network via a converter, so you don’t have to pay for the instillation.”

No Snow in Finland: In early December, Lapland, a region of Finland largely in the Arctic Circle, would typically have 20-30cm of snow on the ground, but, due to unseasonably warm and wet weather conditions, much of the region is entirely snow-free at the moment. Finnish Lapland had its warmest summer on record this year and temperatures have continued to be milder than average in Autumn and Winter. The lack of snow impacts animals and plants, and the local tourism industry, with many tourists cancelling their trips if they cannot take part in snow-based activities.

Historic Shift Towards Renewable Energy: For the first time, investment in solar power is higher than investment in oil, marking a historic shift towards renewable energy. As solar panel costs continue to fall, making it a more affordable option, and solar technology becomes more efficient, over $1 billion is being invested in solar power every day. Unlike oil, a fossil fuel, generating electricity from solar does not generate greenhouse gas emissions. Solar power can also be used to help bring electricity to remote communities without having to connect them to a national energy grid.

Climate Literacy of School Leavers Report: Research commissioned by the Department for Education (DfE) in 23/ 24 has been published, assessing the level of climate literacy of school leavers (Year 11) in England. The survey was conducted with a sample of 522 Year 11 pupils and provides evidence of the state of climate awareness of young people and keys gaps in climate education. Some key findings are:

• The 1.5°C / 2°C climate goals are poorly understood. Many young people thought that the climate had already warmed more than this.
• The concept of Net Zero is poorly understood, despite it being used widely by media, schools, politicians and employers.
• Most school leavers are “fairly concerned about climate change.” We should continue to make sure the focus is on making young people “concerned and hopeful” as this will lead to effective individual and collective climate action.  
• Young people have low awareness of climate change in the UK, including projected impacts on the UK and what adaptation and mitigation are already in place or will be needed in the UK.
• A significant proportion of young people do not appreciate that future global warming can still be limited or avoided, highlighting an opportunity for increasing hope and awareness of climate action amongst young people.
• Young people’s awareness of green careers and renewable energy could be increased.
• Young people place high trust in their teacher’s understanding of climate change, highlighting the importance of giving teachers time and support to stay up to date with climate developments.
• There is still a high level of confusion between climate change mitigation strategies and other sustainability issues, such as plastic pollution.

For further reading you can view and download the report on the Gov UK website, or visit the Royal Meteorological Society news page for an excellent overview. Additionally, as part of your ECO₂ Smart Schools support an OASES Officer can visit your school to deliver climate and energy workshops to your pupils or staff training. Please contact us to book in a workshop or training.

Typhoons in the Philippines: The 2024 typhoon season in the Philippines was extraordinary, with 24 named storms, including six typhoons, hitting the country. This is significantly more than the average three storms and one typhoon that the country typically sees during the season. The huge increase in the number of typhoons and storms affected over 13 million people and put a huge strain on resources and infrastructure. Many of these extreme weather events also fell back to back giving little or no time for repairs and preparation. In response to the 2024 typhoon season, the Philippines government is investing in improving emergency responses and adapting infrastructure to prepare for future extreme weather events.

Update on Brazil’s Pledge to End Deforestation by 2030: In June 2023, Brazil’s government, led by President Lula, unveiled an action plan to eliminate illegal deforestation in the Amazon by 2030. The Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Deforestation in the Amazon will boost the use of intelligence and satellite imager to track criminal deforestation activity and provide incentives for conservation and sustainable forest management. Degraded forest will be recovered, and more native plants and trees will be planted across the country.

The Amazon rainforest is home to three million species of plants and animals and one million indigenous people. Indigenous leaders have welcomed the plan but have stressed that more areas need full protection from any mining, farming or logging activity. Since setting out the plan in June 2023, the rate of illegal deforestation in the Amazon rainforest has decreased by nearly 50%, a significant step in the right direction.  

Heavy Downpours and Flooding in South-Eastern Spain: At the end of October 2024, South-Eastern Spain was hit by exceptionally heavy rainfall. Hundreds of thousands of people lost access to water and electricity, and over 400 people had to leave their homes. Over 200 people lost their lives as a result of the flooding. Many people in the region felt that they didn’t receive enough warning of the extreme weather forecast and so didn’t have adequate time to prepare or evacuate. They have called for better early warning systems to be put in the place in the region.

Electric Buses in India: The Indian Government announced a $7 billion fund to electrify public transport, providing thousands of emission free buses across the country. India now has the highest population of any country in the world, and so the government hope to make public transport an integral part of the culture of travel to reduce the number of private vehicles and reliance on them.