Scientists warn that climate change is now a direct threat to the UK’s economic stability, food security and national defence, with advisors stressing that the country is still underprepared for intensifying climate impacts and systemic shocks. At recent high-level briefings in Westminster, experts described climate change as a “threat multiplier” that will strain public finances, disrupt key sectors such as agriculture and infrastructure, and expose geopolitical vulnerabilities if the UK does not accelerate both emissions cuts and climate adaptation.

COP30 in Belém ended with a historic “global mutirão” deal that boosts climate finance and adaptation but skirts a firm commitment to phase out fossil fuels, leaving implementation and ambition as the critical next tests. Countries agreed new finance targets, implementation tools and a just transition mechanism, yet many observers warn that the outcomes still fall short of a Paris‑aligned pathway unless rapidly translated into national policies and investments.

Labour’s first full Budget reshapes how UK households pay for energy and how drivers pay to charge and run electric vehicles, with lower energy unit costs but new EV taxes and charges that will change the payback maths for going green. For solar PV, battery storage and home EV charging, the big picture is that using less grid electricity and charging at home becomes more valuable, while high-mileage EV drivers need to plan carefully around new road pricing.

In a historic development for the European energy landscape, installed energy storage capacity across the European Union, United Kingdom, Norway, and Switzerland is set to exceed 100 GW this month, according to precise modelling and analytics from LCP Delta and Energy Storage Europe. This milestone confirms the region’s rapid acceleration in storage deployment, triggered by the urgent need to accommodate a growing share of renewables, support grid flexibility, and bolster energy security following years of geopolitical turbulence and market volatility.solarpowereurope+2.

Renewable energy is set to become the world's dominant source of electricity by 2026, overtaking coal for the first time ever. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), renewables will comprise 36% of global power supplies by 2026, compared to coal’s declining 32%. This milestone is largely driven by the record-breaking growth of solar and wind, with China alone contributing nearly 56% of new global solar capacity and 60% of new wind installations in 2025, reflecting both scale and international ambition. As governments and markets pursue decarbonisation targets, falling costs, expanding grid infrastructure, and supportive policy frameworks are propelling a dramatic shift away from fossil fuel.

Researchers from Oregon State University and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) have pioneered a large-scale modeling effort to assess the environmental impacts of floating solar photovoltaic (FPV) systems on 11 reservoirs across six distinct states in the U.S.. This comprehensive study is the first to systematically evaluate FPV deployments in such diverse settings, covering reservoirs in Oregon, Ohio, Washington, Idaho, Tennessee, and Arkansas, while analysing two-month periods in both summer and winter for each location.

The world witnessed a watershed moment in 2024, with global investment in the energy transition soaring to a record $2.4 trillion, according to authoritative analysis by IRENA and the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI.). This surge saw $807 billion (over a third of the total) directed towards renewable energy, eclipsing previous years and underscoring the sector’s resilience and growing appeal for governments, institutional investors, and private capital. Investment across clean energy technology, grid modernisation, battery storage, and electrification signals a shift in focus from fossil fuels towards future-ready infrastructure.

The landmark analysis presented at the COP30 climate summit in Belém, Brazil, set out a direct and hope-inspiring message: if nations honour just three key commitments—tripling renewable energy capacity, doubling energy efficiency, and making deep cuts to methane emissions by 2030—the world can cut almost 0.9°C from the path of global heating this century, shifting the warming outlook from approximately 2.6°C down to 1.7°C. This seismic change would reposition humanity much closer to meeting the Paris Agreement’s safe climate target and provide a crucial buffer to avoid climate breakdown.

The UN Energy Transition Report 2025 highlights a historical turning point: the world is experiencing record-breaking growth in renewables, outpacing fossil fuels as the dominant source of new electricity. Solar and wind are now the least expensive options in nearly every region, with solar photovoltaic (PV) generation costs dropping to 4.3 cents/kWh—41% lower than the cheapest fossil fuel alternative. Between 2015 and 2024, 96% of newly installed solar PV and onshore wind capacity beat coal and gas plants for cost.