The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) moved on Friday to stop requiring thousands of polluting facilities to report the amount of heat-trapping greenhouse gases that they release into the air, reports New York Times. The EPA proposal “would end requirements for thousands of coal-burning power plants, oil refineries, steel mills and other industrial facilities across the country. The government has been collecting this data since 2010 and it is a key tool to track carbon dioxide, methane and other gases that are driving climate change. The Friday announcement followed months of efforts by the Trump administration to systematically erase mentions of climate change from government websites while slashing federal funding for research on global warming.”
The Times reports that the number of Britons who think the dangers of global warming have been exaggerated has jumped by more than 50 per cent in the past four years. “One in four voters now believe that concerns over climate change are not as real as scientists have said, amid growing public concern at the cost of the government’s net zero policies. . . . Four years ago climate change was identified as the fourth most important issue facing the country ahead of immigration and asylum, education and crime. . . . Now climate change has fallen right down the list of the public concerns while there has been a marked increase in climate scepticism. The environment has fallen behind issues such as the economy and immigration, but is still above education, transport and Brexit. . . . Today 16 per cent of voters think global warming is not the result of human activity, while 25 per cent think the threat has been exaggerated. . . . People are far less prepared to pay for the cost of net zero than they were four years ago, even from a low base.”
The International Energy Agency has just published the Green Hydrogen Review 2025, reporting that the sector has progressed significantly since the first publication of the Global Hydrogen Review in 2021. “Low-emissions hydrogen production projects have gone from just a handful of demonstrations to more than 200 committed investments for projects that are increasing in number and in scale, reflecting the importance of hydrogen for climate goals, energy security and industrial competitiveness. Nevertheless, growth has not met all of the expectations raised at the start of the decade and remains uneven. Uncertainties about costs, infrastructure readiness and evolving regulatory frameworks all present barriers to faster deployment.” A Financial Times newsletter, discussing the IEA report, concludes that “low-emission hydrogen production is likely to keep rising, from its low base. Whether the sector can gain sufficient scale to make a serious impact on the climate challenge, however, remains unclear.” What’s the consensus of EiD readers? Let us know your views.
Check out the new Zero Carbon For All tool from the World Sufficiency Lab that delivers country-specific timelines and fossil fuel emissions trajectories toward zero carbon, grounded in an emissions sufficientarianism approach. Please use it this week and let us know what you think of this tool!
Don’t forget eceee’s Zero Carbon Industry event in Rome in February 2026. The deadline for submitting abstracts has been extended to September 22nd!
To ensure that the zero carbon energy transition gains momentum we need a new generation of experts to continue the good work. EiD encourages all young researchers (born after 1990) in energy efficiency and biomass to submit contributions for next year’s Young Energy Researchers Conference next February 24th as part of World Sustainable Energy Days, February 24-27, 2026 in Wels, Austria. Altogether there are five dedicated conferences and a tradeshow packed into the four days. The theme of this year’s energy efficiency conference is “Energy transition = Energy independence.” The young energy researchers conference has 2 tracks, one for energy efficiency and one for biomass. Submissions (in English only) are welcome from all scientific fields (e.g. technology, engineering, economics, social sciences, architecture, law, arts). The deadline for submissions is October 10th.
In planning travel over the upcoming weeks, here are some useful ideas to help you along:
- Country Living Magazine provides 3 European train routes set to transform travel in 2025.
- Check out the Good Night Train website for the unique way to travel through Europe while you sleep.
- World Walks provides us with walking holidays in Europe.
- For those who want to combine hiking with food and wine in Europe and Australia, check out the Hedonistic Hiking website.
- Cycling for Softies provides us with the 15 Best Cycling Holidays in Europe 2025.
Gulzar, born Sampooran Singh Kalra (b. 1934), an Indian Urdu poet, lyricist, author, screenwriter, and film director, regarded as one of greatest Urdu poets of this era, provides a message to reflect on this week: “Dreams heed no borders, the eyes need no visas. With eyes shut I walk across the line in time. All the time.”
EiD welcomes your views about this week’s selection of posts on the zero-carbon energy transition:
- More support being given to SMEs in Europe to become more energy efficient
- Criticism that the IPCC prioritises technological solutions and innovation over restraint
- Understanding the negative footprint illusion to help nudge ourselves towards the sustainable future we urgently need
- The UK’s net zero policy is “nonsense” according to US Energy Secretary Chris Wright
- Blog by Rose Morrison – Energy poverty metrics: new frameworks for measuring access in developed economies
- Latest survey asked Americans about their views on how global warming is affecting insurance costs
- Researchers got it wrong 20 years ago – the UK has used less energy but also missed out on emissions cuts
- European Parliament gave its final green light to new measures to prevent and reduce waste from food and textiles across the EU
Please send your comments on any of the posts. Please recommend EiD to your friends and colleagues.
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Energy in Demand - Sustainable Energy - Rod Janssen 