The amount of floating sea ice around Antarctica has fallen below 2m square kilometres for the third year in a row, the Observer reports, adding that this threshold had not previously been crossed since satellite measurements began in 1979. The paper says: “The latest data from the US National Snow and Ice Data Center confirms the past three years have been the three lowest on record for the amount of sea ice floating around the continent. Scientists said another exceptionally low year was further evidence of a ‘regime shift’, with new research indicating the continent’s sea ice has undergone an ‘abrupt critical transition’.” The Financial Times uses the data to make its “climate graphic of the week”, which says: “Antarctica is coming under intense pressure from climate change, with sea ice levels nearing a record low at the same time as a rapid melting of swaths of the continent’s ice mass.” It adds: “The latest melting season in Antarctica, which takes place in the southern hemisphere summer during December, January and February, was more than a month longer in some areas of the continent.” [For more on the record lows in Antarctic sea ice last year, read Carbon Brief’s recent guest post.]

Some jacaranda trees in Mexico City began blooming in early January “when they normally awaken in spring”, Reuters reports, adding: “The early onset bloom has set off alarm bells among residents and scientists in Mexico City, where the trees have become an iconic, photogenic mainstay of city streets. Local scientists have begun investigating how widespread the early-bloom phenomenon is, but they point to climate change as the first culprit.” In other coverage of climate change impacts across the world, a feature from NBC News says: “Climate change is throwing the water cycle into chaos across the US.” In Australia, Reuters reports that prime minister Anthony Albanese pledged on Sunday to support the state of Victoria amid a “days-long wildfire emergency”. The newswire quotes him saying: “It’s a reminder of the need for us to be vigilant for us to continue to work and act on the threat that is climate change.” The Age reports: “Australia needs drastic economic reform to avoid a future where it could be forced to resettle large populations of climate refugees from the Pacific and the food bowl of the Murray Darling Basin could be decimated. That is the view of the UN’s top climate official, Simon Stiell, who spoke exclusively to this masthead following a meeting last week with prime minister Anthony Albanese and climate change and energy minister Chris Bowen.” Indian outlet the quint reports under the headline: “Climate change, modernity, replicas: What’s threatening Kashmir’s Kangri pot.” The Independent says Canada’s wildfire season has started early “with fears that this year could be worse than 2023’s unprecedented number of blazes”. Finally, a comment for Al Jazeera by Robert Kampala, regional director of WaterAid Southern Africa, says global warming is exacerbating cholera outbreaks. He writes: “In the 21st century, every case of and every death from cholera is preventable. Yet to this day, children around the world are still suffering and dying unnecessarily from the disease – and climate change is making the situation worse. Climate change-related extreme weather and the destruction it causes are making headlines on a regular basis across the world. Yet the profound health implications of the climate emergency are often left untold.”

The national development and reform commission (NDRC), the top economic planning body, and the national energy administration (NEA), China’s main energy regulatory body, have approved a new “pilot scheme for green power trading in the Inner Mongolia power market”, reports China Energy Net. This makes Inner Mongolia the third operator of an approved green power trading pilot project, alongside the State Grid Corporation and the Southern Power Grid. Meanwhile, state news agency Xinhua reports that draft regulations on ecological protection compensation were adopted at a meeting of the state council chaired by premier Li Qiang. Chinese energy outlet IN-EN.com reports that China has issued a plan that, by 2025, the country will promote “advanced…low-carbon technologies [that promote] significant carbon reduction efficiency”. Chinese power industry outlet BJX News reports that the NEA issued the 2024 guidelines for establishing energy sector standards programmes, which calls for focusing on “energy security” and energy industry’s “green and low-carbon transformation”. 

Another article in IN-EN.com reports that the Inner Mongolia local government’s development plan for 2024 calls for advancing the “clean and efficient utilisation of coal” and that coal production is kept stable at around 1.2bn tonnes. China Energy Net reports that in 2023, China’s Shandong province discovered coal deposits of around 4.3bn tonnes. Separately, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reports that Chinese health authorities in recent years have found that electric vehicle (EV) battery production can “involve high noise and dust levels, and the release of chemical toxins, laser radiation, and other harmful elements”, although the reports adds that “occupational health hazards were lower for EV batteries than for traditional products such as lead-acid batteries”. Finance outlet Yicai reports on rumours that “the government will conduct another round of environmental inspections in the lithium hub of Yichun”, due to “renewed environmental concerns in the lithium-rich area”.

In other news, the Zimbabwean state-run newspaper the Herald reports that “youth from Africa and China are sharing ideas and strategies on how to mitigate and adapt to climate change”. And China Daily carries a commentary by Lin Boqiang, dean of the China institute for energy policy studies at Xiamen University, who writes that some developed countries are exacerbating the “emission reduction burden on developing countries and global inequality”, which undermines the prospects for global climate governance cooperation.

The head of the centre-right European People’s Party (EPP) Manfred Weber says the European Parliament could become blocked if far-right parties gain too many seats in elections this June, Bloomberg reports. It says: “The warning from the head of the European People’s Party reflects growing concerns about how the European Union-wide elections from 6-9 June could impact the bloc’s ability to support Ukraine, stick to its climate goals and tackle migration.” Politico carries a “survey of national debates taking place in the EU and the UK”, where it says “hard-right and centre-right politicians are seeking to drive wedges between voters and the champions of green policy – fueling and feeding on a sense of grievance”. It continues: “They argue that climate zealotry has gone too far, too fast, that the costs are too great, or, in rarer cases, that climate change is a fantasy.” It runs through a “country-by-country look at the ‘wedge’ climate policies that are splitting European politics”. 

Separately, Reuters reports new analysis from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) on the EU’s carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM): “A European Union plan to impose tariffs on high-carbon imports could hurt developing countries in Asia, but is unlikely to lead to big reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, the ADB said in a report published on Monday.” A Euractiv feature says: “An EU Industrial Carbon Management Strategy published alongside the 2040 EU emissions target recommendation holds great promise for [carbon capture, use and storage]. Not everyone is happy about that.” A comment from outgoing Euractiv editor Frédéric Simon says: “When I joined Euractiv 20 years ago to cover the EU’s environment policies, the talk in Brussels was all about the trade-off between green policies and economic growth…As I draw the curtain on my two decades at Euractiv, these debates are now a thing of the past. Or so we thought.” He says: “Hobbled by budgetary constraints, the European Commission is structurally unable to implement redistributive policies. The EU’s cohesion programme is a good start, of course, but it’s like a drop of water on a hot plate, lacking the required scale. As a result, the losers of the green transition – think coal or car industry workers – are left dependent on their national governments to provide a safety net for green policies that are ‘decided in Brussels’, fuelling discontent against the EU.”

Meanwhile, the Financial Times reports on comments by petrochemicals billionaire and owner of Ineos Jim Ratcliffe saying that the EU’s “suffocating bureaucracy” is pushing investors to look outside the bloc. It says: “The European Commission’s Green Deal, an ambitious push to decarbonise the EU, needed to also take into account the importance of supporting industry, Ratcliffe told the Financial Times, warning of the rising backlash from businesses towards Brussels’ ‘uncompetitive’ policies.” It continues: “‘I don’t think anybody’s objecting to the Green Deal,’ said Ratcliffe, but [he] added that Brussels should not see the route to decarbonisation through deindustrialisation.” The Times says Ratcliffe “is going green with the launch of an all-electric version of his Ineos Grenadier 4×4”. It adds: “The all-electric Fusilier will have a range of about 250 miles on one charge, although Ratcliffe said that, given the choice, he would drive a ‘range-extended’ hybrid version, which Ineos intends to manufacture alongside the purely electric model.” The Daily Telegraph says Ratcliffe “accused British and European governments of forcing electric cars ‘down the consumer’s throat’”.

UK prime minister Rishi Sunak “attended a protest alongside a group which has posted conspiracy theories about climate change, and which campaigns against net-zero”, the Observer reports. It says: “On Friday, he attended a farmers’ protest against the Welsh Labour government, which is proposing to bring in a new payments scheme in which farmers will have to prove 10% of their land is woodland and 10% of it is quality habitat for wildlife. He appeared alongside farmer Gareth Wyn Jones and stood next to placards emblazoned with the logo for the campaign ‘No Farmers No Food’. Wyn Jones is a leading supporter of the campaign, which was started and is being run by James Melville, a GB News pundit and communications consultant.” The paper adds: “The No Farmers No Food campaign is anti net-zero and has shared conspiracy theories about climate change action, while Melville has questioned the effects of climate breakdown as well as sharing conspiracy theories about net-zero.” An article for the Daily Mail, spread across two pages, reports on farmers protesting against the Welsh government plans and runs under the print headline: “Revolt against the soil Stasi.” It says: “Wales’s net zero-obsessed Labour government has gone to war on farmers”. [The Welsh government consultation proposals describe “how farmers will be rewarded for responding to the climate and nature emergencies, as well as producing food in a sustainable way”.] A comment for the Financial Times by Camilla Cavendish, former head of the Number 10 policy unit under David Cameron, says: “It’s time for political leaders to balance reducing carbon emissions with maintaining cheap food production.” A New York Times article reports from France on ongoing farmer protests. It says: “Agriculture accounts for about 30% of global greenhouse gas emissions, and the European Union says drastic change is required. Farmers say European targets are imposing suffocating administrative and financial burdens.” Die Zeit reports that Polish farmers paralysed the highway between Berlin and Warsaw with hundreds of tractors, protesting against EU environmental regulations, which they view as “unacceptable”.

Elsewhere, a Reuters article is headlined: “Flooded Greek lake a warning to European farmers battling climate change.” It reports that “tens of thousands of acres of cotton fields, almond trees and grazing lands…were wiped out by unprecedented flooding last year in one of Greece’s key breadbaskets”. The newswire continues: “The situation has fuelled anger among farmers who, like many across Europe, have found their livelihoods under threat from rising costs and climate change, and created a headache for governments expected to pay the bill. Farmers from India to France and Poland have taken to the streets in recent days, bemoaning competition from abroad, a lack of government support and low prices.” In the Financial Times, business columnist John Gapper says: “Climate change and attacks on ships in the Red Sea are disrupting supplies of drinks from the global south.” He says: “Agricultural commodities were always volatile, with good growing seasons one year and failures the next. But climate change increases the risks and is making it difficult for farmers and farm workers to earn a consistent living.” An editorial in Japan’s Mainichi says “Japan must prioritise food security amid climate change, global instability.”

UK ministers need to “move faster” on reforms to support private investment in decarbonising the electricity sector, according to John Armitt, the head of the government’s advisory National Infrastructure Commission, the Financial Times reports. Citing a letter sent by Armitt to government ministers, the paper says: “Armitt also called for ‘greater urgency’ on developing areas where hydrogen can be stored at scale in his letter, which was sent to the chancellor and energy secretary Claire Coutinho last week.” It continues: “New wind and solar farms are backed by government guarantees on their electricity price, but Armitt accused ministers of taking too long to set up similar mechanisms to support the decarbonisation of gas-fired power stations and to develop other sources of flexible generation.” The paper adds: “Armitt’s intervention follows a warning by the NIC in its latest five-yearly assessment of UK infrastructure that ‘significant deficiencies’ were holding the country back. It also comes at a sensitive time for Sunak, prime minister, with rising competition for investment in clean energy from the US and the EU, among others.” 

Meanwhile, BusinessGreen reports that MPs on the parliamentary environmental audit committee warned on Friday that the government risks running out of parliamentary time for “several key, delayed pieces of net-zero policy ahead of general election”. The Daily Telegraph reports calls by National Gas, which operates the country’s gas transmission network, for the government to approve blending of hydrogen into domestic gas supplies. It explains: “National Gas, which runs the high-pressure gas transmission network, is understood to have alerted Downing Street and Claire Coutinho, the energy secretary, that a decision on so-called hydrogen blending is needed no later than July this year. The company has claimed that without a decision, it will be forced to invest in costly facilities to ensure it can keep importing gas via interconnectors from Europe, where blending is expected to begin in 2025.” The Independent, in an article on its digital frontpage, reports that energy firms “raked in ‘eye-watering’ profits of more than £1bn a week around the world last year as millions of hard-pressed Britons struggled to heat their homes”.

Separately, Sky News reports on plans from the opposition Labour Party for a “patriotic economy”. The article quotes Conservative housing minister Lee Rowley repeating a false assertion about Labour’s “2030 decarbonisation promise which they themselves said costs £28bn”. Elsewhere, Politico reports: “The government is on the hunt for ‘trusted messengers’ to help promote the push to net-zero.” It explains: “[C]ontract documents reviewed by Politico show [prime minister Rishi] Sunak’s government is now on the hunt for the right messengers on hot-button issues from convincing homeowners to overhaul their heating systems to getting buy-in for more electricity pylons.” DeSmog says that at this week’s upcoming Rochdale byelection, “climate policy is also on the ballot”. It explains: “Simon Danczuk, who is standing for Reform UK, and George Galloway, the candidate for the Workers Party of Britain, have both repeatedly attacked the UK’s legally-binding net-zero targets, while Galloway has spread climate misinformation and backed new fossil fuel extraction.”

In an article trailed on its frontpage, the Daily Telegraph reports that a project to “power Britain using solar farms thousands of miles away in the Sahara” has moved “a step closer to fruition” after the Xlinks project prepared to “commission the world’s biggest cable-laying ship”. It quotes a spokesperson for the scheme saying: “Designs for the ship are complete and we expect to commission it later this year.” 

Elsewhere, the Sunday Times reports that London’s Heathrow airport has “shelved” plans for a third runway. It says: “New chief executive Thomas Woldbye is understood to have begun disbanding Heathrow’s third runway team in favour of exploring how to squeeze millions more passengers through the airport without expanding its footprint.” The Daily Telegraph reports that new analysis from thinktank Green Alliance, which it says shows that “using biomass to capture emissions and help meet net-zero could be a poor use of taxpayer money”. It says: “Analysis by Green Alliance, a thinktank, suggests that other methods of greenhouse gas removal (GGR) could be as cheap and equally as effective as [bioenergy with carbon capture and storage, BECCS], whereas using more tree planting would be cheaper. It says developments in other engineered GGR options make it ‘increasingly likely’ that the UK would be able to meet its goals without using power BECCS.” Separately, a Daily Telegraph feature reports on the “scrap-metal millionaires turning trash into net-zero treasure”. It describes the value in scrap metal found in washing machines, old bikes and other waste. The Sunday Telegraph reports criticism of government proposals to require larger shops to “take back” waste electrical items. Its coverage is headlined: “Shoppers face £1bn ‘toaster tax’ under plans for new set of net-zero rules.” Another Daily Telegraph article says small firms are being “forced to fill out 300-question spreadsheets on their eco-credentials as part of a net-zero drive by big business”. 

Meanwhile, an article in the Sunday Times begins by saying that heat pumps “are not as much hassle as they used to be”, with the advent of high-temperature models that can replace boilers without the need to get new radiators. It profiles a couple that installed a heat pump for “far less than the £4,000 they expected to pay for a new oil boiler”, after a government grant. The paper quotes “Adam Chapman, the founder of the heat pump installer network Heat Geek”, saying: “They now work in hard-to-heat homes. They now heat all your hot water. You don’t need a back-up electrical heater like you did for the old refrigerants that didn’t get up to higher temperatures. All these arguments and moans about heat pumps have been answered with this new wave of high-temperature models.” Finally, the Daily Mail reports: “Militant Just Stop Oil activists have circulated a sinister manual to help protesters track down and occupy politicians’ homes.”

European gas prices have fallen “to a level last seen before Russia started curtailing supplies in 2021, offering hope that an energy crisis that has engulfed the region for the past three years may be coming to an end”, the Financial Times reports. It cites “strong imports of liquified natural gas [LNG], warm weather and demand reduction” as being behind the falling price, which has reached levels not seen since May 2021. In the Observer, analysis from Guardian business correspondent Alex Lawson says the future of gas “looks cloudy” ahead of a conference in London this week. He writes: “​​A significant talking point at the conference will be the role of gas in the energy transition – and the impact of falling wholesale prices.”

Separately, the Financial Times reports that Qatar, a major exporter, plans to “further increase” its LNG export capacity “as it looks to tap surging demand from China and other Asian nations”. It says production capacity in the state will rise 85% by the end of the decade and adds: “The plans mark a bet by the Gulf state that strong demand for the fuel will continue, with Asian economies switching from coal as part of efforts to cut carbon dioxide emissions. The move also comes as the US reviews its own LNG export plans to consider the impact on the country’s energy security and carbon footprint.” Reuters reports Qatar’s expansion plans saying they have been announced “despite a steep drop in global gas prices”. It adds: “Despite the price drop all major gas producers including the US, Australia and Russia want to further increase output betting on further demand growth and worries that their gas might not be needed decades from now if energy transition makes green energy cheaper.” Bloomberg also has the story.

The “controversial” LNG terminal on Germany’s Baltic Sea island of Rügen began its trial operation on Saturday, adding to existing LNG unloading locations in Wilhelmshaven, Lubmin, Brunsbüttel and Stade, reports Tagesspiegel. It notes that the specialised ship Energos Power has already reached the industrial port of Mukran. The East Commissioner of the German government, Carsten Schneider (SPD), is quoted saying that “this secures Germany’s energy independence and the production capability of many companies”. Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) details that the ship was loading Norwegian LNG. In the future, the story continues, the ship will receive LNG from other tankers in the port of Mukran, return it to a gaseous state and feed it into a 50km-long, already completed connecting pipeline that will bring the gas to the German town Lubmin on the mainland. However, Deutsche Welle reports that environmental groups, such as Environmental Action Germany (DUH), oppose the new terminal, saying it threatens to “turn the popular vacation island of Rügen into a fossil fuel energy park”. Critics argue “the project poses dangerous threats to the island’s nature, landscape and climate”, adds DW. Bloomberg also covers the story. 

Meanwhile, the Financial Times carries a “big read” on how Germany’s steelmakers plan to “go green”, noting that the steel sector accounts for more than a quarter of the country’s total industrial CO2 emissions. It highlights that German steelmaker Salzgitter plans to become one of Europe’s first producers of “low-carbon steel” by the end of 2026, adding that once the plant is operational, its annual CO2 emissions, which currently stand at 8m tonnes, will drop by 95%. The article also adds that the German authorities have pledged more than €6bn in subsidies to steelmakers. Finally, Reuters reports on EU “frustration” over “infighting” among Germany’s ruling coalition partners. It says: “Germany’s FDP-led transport ministry has again forced last minute changes to an EU law on curbing CO2 truck emissions, while labour ministry’s objections contributed to the scuppering of an EU law that would boost gig workers’ rights. Germany also helped sink an EU law that would require large companies to determine if their supply chains use forced labour or cause environmental damage.”

In the Financial Times, Daleep Singh, who recently served as chief global economist at asset manager PGIM and is now deputy national security adviser to for international economics to the Biden administration, and Arnab Datta, managing director of policy implementation at research and advocacy organisation Employ America, suggest that the US should reform its strategic petroleum reserve (SPR). They write: “Global energy markets have changed and grown dramatically since the creation of the SPR nearly 50 years ago. The purpose and operations of the SPR should change and grow as well.” They suggest the scheme should become a “strategic resilience reserve” (SRR) with a mandate to “bolster resilience against future commodity shocks”. They explain: “With sufficient scale and scope, the SRR would provide relatively cheap insurance against economic coercion from adversaries, and perhaps even deter aggression during the transition to cleaner sources of energy.” The article carries a note saying that it was worked on prior to Singh joining the Biden administration and reflects the authors’ views “strictly in their personal capacity”.

Elsewhere in the Financial Times, the Lex opinion column says proposals for European carmakers to collaborate on electric vehicles is an “intriguing concept”. The piece says: “It isn’t hard to see why EU carmakers might be keen on collaboration of some description. The transition to EVs may be slower than hoped – which is good news for near-term cash flows – but it is unstoppable. Incumbents are ill-equipped to compete with new entrants such as Tesla and BYD. The problem is that they have already lost more than half the battle – literally.” The FT’s Lex also carries a column discussing recent departures from the Climate Action 100+, “an association of investors that engages with polluting companies to reduce emissions”. It says: “This backlash puts climate associations seeking to harness the world’s trillions in a tight spot. If they want to sign up mainstream investors, they will need to limit how tough a stance they take on fossil fuels. If they aim to use their heft to influence company policy, they may find their members limited to ‘impact’ investors, who prioritise the social effect of their choices. It also removes a tailwind for the energy transition, which is now much less likely to be propelled to success by a wave of cheap capital. That puts the onus squarely back on policymakers’ shoulders. They will need to mandate carbon reductions rather than hoping that the market delivers them on its own.”

An editorial in the Guardian says the UK opposition Labour Party’s scaling back of its “green prosperity plan was disappointing”. However, pointing to a report from thinktank Common Wealth, it says Labour’s proposed Great British Energy “could be the vehicle to deliver Labour’s 2030 clean power goal”. It adds: “Renewable investment financed out of Labour’s £8.3bn capitalisation of GB Energy saves up to £208m a year on debt interest payments alone compared with corporate borrowing…GB Energy could provide for a faster, fairer and far cheaper green transition.” In the Scotland section of the Sunday Times, meanwhile, Scottish business editor Greig Cameron says the Scottish government “deserves credit” for working with industry to come up with plans for “30 projects, involving about £6.5bn of investment”, in the wind industry. He adds: “The key thing now is delivering this new greener manufacturing age which, if successful, might begin to repair some past wounds.” He concludes: “Scotland is privileged with natural resources that should put it at the heart of the renewable energy revolution. Expertise honed here since the oil boom in the 1970s has been exported around the world, with many Scots carving out internationally successful careers. Many more could do similar with renewables. Our political leaders need to ensure the environment here is welcoming to business or the ambition for the just transition will fail.” (The Scotsman reports the comments of David Whitehouse, head of oil and gas industry group Offshore Energies UK: “The prospect of a green industrial revolution is “in the balance” ahead of the general election, the chief executive of the offshore industry trade body has warned.” It adds: “[He] said policies that undermine oil and gas will harm investment in carbon capture and wind.”)

In other UK comment, another editorial in the Sun calls on chancellor Jeremy Hunt to maintain the cut in fuel duty, which had already been frozen for more than a decade. The comment pages of the Daily Telegraph continue to host climate sceptic columnists and commentators, offering space to Reform UK leader Richard Tice to say the country “must scrap net-zero”, for commentator Ross Clark to claim that the country is “much closer to blackouts than anyone dares to admit”, and for Liam Halligan, economics and business editor of GB News to write: “The process of spreading around the vast costs of net-zero 2050 is becoming increasingly politically contentious. Any government wanting support for such targets must find a way to ensure renewables start delivering much cheaper energy bills.” Finally, in the Spectator, climate-sceptic author Rupert Darwall selectively quotes the head of the International Monetary Fund Olivier Blanchard and economist Dieter Helm speaking to a parliamentary committee last week.

In the Hill, Delavane Diaz, Steven Davis and Carbon Brief climate science contributor Zeke Hausfather explain why they find “more cause for optimism than despair” on climate change. They explain: “We see an energy transition underway that isn’t getting nearly enough attention, and rising investments in adaptation that can make us more resilient to extreme weather. Even as the international community remains far from meeting its climate goals, recent progress shows that widespread change is possible and paves the way for broader action.” 

Elsewhere, an editorial in the Wall Street Journal criticises Biden administration plans for new air quality standards, which it says “means higher costs for little benefit”. In the New York Times, Nate Loewentheil, founder and managing partner of venture capital firm Commonweal Ventures says a memorial should be erected in Washington DC: “Carve on this memorial the names of public figures actively denying the existence of climate change. Carve the names so deep and large, our grandchildren and great-grandchildren need not search the archives.” He adds: “Misaligned incentives are at the heart of why some political and business leaders deny and delay. For them, there can be immediate political and economic benefits to avowed ignorance, and by the time the waters rise, their deeds and words will be forgotten. A memorial would help adjust for this temporal gap.”

Total annual precipitation increased twice as quickly in dry regions of the planet as in wet regions over 1961-2018, new research finds. Using both models and observations, the authors find that total annual precipitation increased by 5.6-7.4% over dry regions and 2.4-2.8% over wet regions during 1961-2018. Up to 89% of this increase can be attributed to climate change, the study finds. “This phenomenon can be explained by the faster warming and precipitation response rates as well as the stronger moisture transport in dry regions under anthropogenic climate change,” the authors say.

A new study finds that “ongoing warming favours the release of rockfall” in the Swiss Alps. The authors produce a time series of “periglacial rockfall activity” over 1920-2020, using tree ring data from 375 trees damaged by past rockfall at a site in the Swiss Alps. They find “an initial increase in rockfall occurred in the late 1940s to early 1950s following early 20th century warming”, adding that “from the mid-1980s, activity reached new and hitherto unprecedented levels”.

Without climate change, ocean CO2 uptake over 2000-19 would have been 13% larger, a new study finds. The authors use a biogeochemistry model to assess how climate change affects the ability of the ocean to absorb CO2. They find that changes in wind, which affects carbon transport and mixing, are the main driver of reduced ocean CO2 uptake. The paper adds that sea surface warming also reduces ocean CO2 uptake, and this effect is increasing over time. Over 1958-2019, average carbon update would have been 27% larger without climate change, the researchers add.