Daily Debrief · Weekend edition

Britain’s National Wealth Fund (NWF) has unveiled a focused five-year strategy aiming to deploy £4–5 billion annually in projects spanning carbon capture, energy storage, battery manufacturing, and critical infrastructure.

Solar roll out hits 10-year high, boosted by connection of largest project to date and ramping up of domestic installations

Fully-electric 'robotaxis' set to launch in the UK later this year, with testing of driverless vehicles already underway

UK companies looking to fast track technology within the offshore wind sector can apply to join the Launch Academy

To scale sustainable aviation fuel to meet global demand, the industry must move beyond single-source solutions toward "feedstock agnostic" refineries and standardized, bankable project models that attract conservative investors, according to Johnson Matthey. Speaking at India Energy Week 2026, Maurits van Tol, CEO of catalyst technologies at Johnson Matthey, argued that the variability of raw

Electric vehicles are ‘batteries on wheels’ and have capabilities beyond transportation. Because of the recent frigid weather and snow, someone mentioned the fact that a Ford Lightning can be used as backup power during an outage. Of course, it isn’t only Lightnings that can provide such backup power. Potentially, any ...

Speculation and debate over long-awaited decision on proposed Mingyang offshore wind turbine factory has ramped up during UK PM Starmer’s visit to China

UK's largest energy supplier announces major new joint venture during Prime Minister Keir Starmer's visit to China, as BYD, Omoda, and Jaecoo all commit to strengthening presence in UK market

A wave of affordable Chinese-made EVs is accelerating the shift away from petrol cars, challenging long‑held assumptions about how transport decarbonisation unfolds • Don’t get Down to Earth delivered to your inbox? Sign up here Last year, almost every new car sold in Norway, the nature-loving country flush with oil wealth, was fully electric. In prosperous Denmark, which was all-in on petrol and diesel cars until just before Covid, sales of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) reached a share of 68%. In California, the share of zero-emissions vehicles hit 20%. And at least every third new car now bought by the Dutch, Finns, Belgians and Swedes burns no fuel. These figures, which would have felt fanciful just five years ago, show the rich world leading the shift away from cars that pump out toxic gas and planet-heating pollutants. But a more startling trend is that electric car sales are also racing ahead in many developing countries. While China is known for its embrace of electric vehicles (EVs), demand has also soared in emerging markets from South America to south-east Asia. BEV sales in Turkey have caught up with the EU’s, data published this week shows. The Fukushima towns frozen in time: nature has thrived since the nuclear disaster but what happens if humans return? The UK government didn’t want you to see this report on ecosystem collapse. I’m not surprised The 16-month battle to reveal the truth about Sydney Water’s poo balls Powering up: how Ethiopia is becoming an unlikely leader in the electric vehicle revolution ‘My Tesla has become ordinary’: Turkey catches up with EU in electric car sales The electric vehicle revolution is still on course – don’t let your loathing of Elon Musk stop you joining up Continue reading...

The Morecambe and Mona projects have entered into lease with The Crown Estate, helping to support the government’s clean power ambitions.

Octopus Energy enters joint venture to trade power in China as it deepens ties with country after entering pact with turbine supplier Mingyang last year

Harsh winter and policy changes push prices to 10-month high

Responding to Ofgem’s decision on smart meter guaranteed standards of performance, Energy UK’s Deputy Director, Policy (Customers), Ned Hammond said: “Smart meters are an essential part of the current and future energy system. Through real-time measurement, they allow customers to monitor their energy usage and see where they can make savings. Time-of-use tariffs can also help customers reduce bills, one of the many benefits from… Read more

Researchers are developing new materials to improve the performance of earth-abundant, sodium-ion batteries for stationary energy storage and EVs, too.

Schneider Electric’s performance across major global benchmarks reflects consistent progress on climate, social impact and governance Schneider Electric, a global energy technology leader, has once again been recognized by global environmental, social, and governance (ESG) organizations for the strength, consistency, and long-term credibility of its sustainability performance. Schneider Electric achieved ...