The global average temperature on Wednesday matched a new record reached a day earlier, which had, in turn, been the hottest ever recorded, the Associated Press reports. It says: “The average global temperature was 17.18C (62.9 degrees Fahrenheit), according to the University of Maine’s Climate Reanalyzer, a tool that uses satellite data and computer simulations to measure the world’s condition. That matched a record set Tuesday of 17.18C (62.9 Fahrenheit), and came after a previous record of 17.01C (62.6 degrees Fahrenheit) was set Monday.” The newswire continues: “Scientists have warned for months that 2023 could see record heat as human-caused climate change, driven largely by the burning of fossil fuels like coal, natural gas and oil, warmed the atmosphere. They also noted that La Niña, the natural cooling of the ocean that had acted as a counter to that warming, was giving way to El Niño, the reverse phenomenon marked by warming oceans. The North Atlantic has seen record warmth this year.” It quotes Sarah Kapnick, the chief scientist of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, saying that, while the record is not an official government record, “this is showing us an indication of where we are right now”.

The Guardian is one of several outlets reporting the new record set on Tuesday, noting: “Average global temperature hits 17.18C and experts expect record to be broken again very soon.” The Washington Post, Agence-France Presse, the Independent and New Scientist also have the story. The Times reports: “The new record has yet to be confirmed by other measurements, but may be broken again soon. The average global temperature typically continues to rise until the end of July or beginning of August.” NPR covers the new records under the headline: “El Niño plus climate change means record-breaking heat.” Separately, Reuters reports that the threshold to declare El Niño has not yet been crossed, according to Australia’s weather bureau, “despite the World Meteorological Organization announcing the weather pattern had emerged”. A feature for Nature looks back to the record-breaking temperatures recorded in June. Metro reports under the headline: “Striking map charts deadly heatwaves killing people around the world.” Separately, the Guardian reports: “German study finds ambulance callouts increased by a third when average temperatures hit 30C.”

“At least 15 individuals” lost their lives and “thousands” were forced to leave their homes due to flooding in the city of Chongqing in southwest China, writes the South China Morning Post. President Xi Jinping warns that “all seven of China’s major rivers were at risk of flooding”, the outlet adds. BBC News writes that, in recent days, large areas in central and southwestern China have been “hit by torrential rainfall”. Deutsche Welle says that heavy rainfall has led to “devastating floods and “deadly mudslides” in recent weeks. Economic Daily reports that the Ministry of Water Resources initiated a “level IV emergency response” for flood control in some regions in northern China. Global Times writes that, according to the China Meteorological Administration, the weather in June showed “prominent warm and dry climate features” and the heatwave has led to the “rapid development of drought” in the north. The administration forecasts that, from 4 to 13 July, certain regions will witness cumulative rainfall up to 200mm, the state-run newspaper adds. The New York Times says: “Heavy rains and heatwaves have affected parts of China and the Asia Pacific region this week. More of the same was in the forecast.”

Meanwhile, Reuters writes that the EU climate chief Frans Timmermans on Tuesday urged “faster and more decisive joint action” with China to address the “accelerating” climate crisis. State broadcaster CGTN says Timmermans and Chinese vice premier Ding Xuexiang “agree[d] to deepen cooperation and play a leading role in global environmental and climate governance”. Caixin says Timmermans told the financial outlet that the EU and China had agreed to further discussions on the EU’s carbon border tariff (CBAM). ABC News reports that, according to the EU spokesperson Nabila Massrali, China has “abruptly” cancelled the visit of EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, who was scheduled to arrive in China next Monday. Bloomberg says that China’s move to limit the export of “two crucial metals”, gallium and germanium, next month will “hit key sectors” in the EU’s decarbonisation efforts. Nikkei Asia features how one mine in California is trying to challenge China’s “dominance” in rare earths.

Separately, the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) intends to impose a “shipping carbon tax”, reports financial media Yicai. It reports Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin opposing the shipping levy and saying “IMO should adhere to the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities…to address the legitimate concerns of developing countries”. Chinese online media outlet ideacarbon.org also covers the IMO meeting.

In other news, a Chiense website IN-EN.com interviews Zhang Jianhua, an official from the National Energy Administration (NEA), who says that China being “heavily reliant” on coal pose “significant challenges” for the “green and low-carbon transition”. Finally, Chinese outlet Jiemian and state broadcaster CGTN have continuing coverage of a document on industrial energy efficiency, recently released by state planner the National Development and Reform Commission (see Daily Briefing 5 July).

The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) “considered dropping ‘oil’ from its name in [a] green rebranding attempt”, the Times reports, noting that the head of the firm is also the president of the upcoming COP28 climate summit in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The paper says: “Leaked documents reveal that executives at the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company made the suggestion in a brief to advertising agencies. Adnoc’s chief executive is Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, president of this year’s COP28 climate conference.” It continues: “He is leading a $150bn expansion of oil and gas production at Adnoc. But the company wants to promote itself as a provider of ‘low carbon energy’, according to the documents seen by the Times and obtained by the Centre for Climate Reporting. The materials reveal the firm sees its public image as vulnerable in the run-up to the COP28 meeting. The EU wants the conference to agree on the phasing out of fossil fuels and a massive expansion of renewable energy.” It adds: “The mooted Adnoc rebrand would help the UAE’s hosting of COP28, the company said. A new brand would complement ‘UAE positioning leading up to COP28’, according to a presentation titled ‘A new brand for a new era’.” The Centre for Climate Reporting has more details.

Separately, Reuters reports: “The United Arab Emirates’ incoming COP28 president urged the energy industry on Thursday to ‘step up its game’ towards building a clean energy system.” It continues: “Oil and gas firms need to achieve net-zero emissions by or before 2050 while an industry-wide commitment to reach near-zero methane emissions by 2030 needs to be accelerated, Sultan Ahmed al-Jaber told the OPEC International Seminar in Vienna, a meeting of oil industry CEOs with ministers from OPEC and allies.” It quotes Al Jaber saying: “The phase down of fossil fuels is inevitable. It is in fact essential. But it cannot be irresponsible.” Another Reuters article reports: “Critics should stop ‘carping from the sidelines’ about the United Arab Emirates hosting the COP28 climate talks and give the oil producer a chance to show it can lead on decarbonising the energy sector, a senior JPMorgan banker told Reuters.” Reuters also reports the head of oil major TotalEnergies saying oil and gas companies should set targets to cut emissions by 2030, at the COP28 talks.

Meanwhile, BBC News interviews the head of Shell, Wael Sawan, under the headline: “Oil giant Shell warns cutting production ‘dangerous’.” The broadcaster reports: “Prof Emily Shuckburgh, a climate scientist at the University of Cambridge, said firms such as Shell should focus on accelerating the green transition ‘rather than trying to suggest the most vulnerable in society are in any way best served by prolonging our use of oil and gas’. Sawan told the BBC: ‘I respectfully disagree.’ He added: ‘What would be dangerous and irresponsible is cutting oil and gas production so that the cost of living, as we saw last year, starts to shoot up again.’” The Press Association picks up the interview.

There is ongoing coverage of reports that the UK could be abandoning its pledge to give £11.6bn in climate finance by 2026. The Guardian reports: “Rishi Sunak risks damaging trust in the UK among developing countries and reducing the country’s standing in negotiations, because of a failure to meet climate spending pledges, civil servants have told ministers. They said that under current policies the only way to meet the £11.6bn international climate funding target agreed at COP26 was to take a drastic combination of ‘hugely reputationally damaging’ measures including delaying meeting the target, redefining already committed spending as climate funding, and cutting money for research and development, biodiversity and plastic pollution mitigation.” The paper quotes an internal memo, written this spring, saying: “If we do not take bold and deliberate action now, we judge that we will quickly render the £11.6bn target (and associated sub-targets) out of reach.” It adds that another internal document “confirms that the government continues to underspend on its climate commitments”. The Press Association reports: “Rishi Sunak’s promise to meet an £11.6bn climate and nature pledge looks set to be missed, according to a leaked internal memo.” Bloomberg reports: “The UK is falling ‘below the internal target trajectory,’ according to the memo drawn up by foreign, energy and environment officials, which was was first reported by the Guardian newspaper and later seen by Bloomberg. Meeting the climate finance pledge will be a ‘huge challenge,’ the officials wrote, and will require the government to scale back other humanitarian aid commitments.” The outlet continues: “In an emailed statement, a government spokesperson denied that the funding pledge ‘is being dropped’ – wording that leaves apparent wiggle room between maintaining the target even as doubts emerge about the UK’s likelihood of meeting it. ‘We are delivering on that pledge,’ they said.” The Daily Express reports campaigners saying a failure to meet the £11.6bn pledge would be a “shameful betrayal”. BusinessGreen also covers the row.

Conservative MP, former minister and ex-climate adviser Chris Skidmore has “has warned of a ‘vacuum and silence’ in government on climate change”, BBC News reports. The broadcaster says Skidmore, speaking at an event in London yesterday, warned that a lack of vision from ministers could allow “climate detractors” to set the agenda. The Press Association reports: “Conservative MP Chris Skidmore said the prime minister needs to set out a vision to ensure the UK remains a leader on tackling climate change, but at the moment is not doing so.” It quotes him saying: “Politicians can hope that they can set out individual policies and the public will thank them for the individual policies, but that’s not the case in my experience unless you can stand up and give a vision for who you are, where you’re going, why you need to take the rest of the country and communities with you. That’s what’s needed at this moment in time to deliver on net-zero.” BusinessGreen has a comment piece by Skidmore titled: “European nations must work together to deliver net-zero.”

The Daily Telegraph says Skidmore “is pushing for a legal ban on coal power generation, setting up a showdown with ministers after Rishi Sunak dropped the pledge”. The paper explains: “Ministers insist that passing such a law is no longer necessary because all of the country’s coal power stations are currently scheduled to close before then. Experts have suggested this could technically allow coal power plants to be kept operational beyond this winter to help shore up electricity supplies in future.” (Bloomberg reports: “The UK ordered one of the country’s biggest wind farms to cut output over the weekend even as the grid paid a coal plant to help maintain supply security.”) Elsewhere, the Financial Times reports: “The UK faces a ‘big threat’ from US green mega-subsidies and needs a complete culture change in the way it attracts inward investment, according to a key adviser to chancellor Jeremy Hunt.” Another Financial Times article quotes billionaire industrialist Jim Ratcliffe saying the UK’s energy policy is “crap”, whereas the US has “got most of it right”.

Electric vehicle sales grew by 39% in June, compared to a year earlier, claiming 18% of the market overall, the Times reports, adding that the car industry is calling for a cut in VAT on electricity sold at public car chargers. The paper says the 18% share “still leaves the car industry facing a significant challenge to meet a government target of battery electric vehicles accounting for 22% of registrations per manufacturer from next year”. BusinessGreen reports: “EV market defies critics, as sales surge continues.” Separately, the Financial Times reports: “The European Commission has insisted it will stick by plans to impose tariffs on electric vehicles shipped between the UK and EU from next year after warning that the bloc was losing out in the global battle for battery investments.” Another Financial Times article reports: “General Motors’ US electric vehicle sales more than doubled in the second quarter from the same period a year earlier, adding to evidence of a growing appetite among consumers for battery-powered cars and trucks.”

Meanwhile, the Daily Mail continues its week-long campaign against electric cars, reporting comments from government “infrastructure tsar” Sir John Armitt that the 2030 ban on petrol and diesel cars is achievable, but could be “scuppered” unless the electricity grid is also upgraded. It reports Armitt’s views under the headline: “National Grid ‘needs £30bn boost to meet e-car deadline’.” An accompanying Daily Mail editorial complains about the need to invest in the electricity grid at the same time as shifting to electric cars and calls the UK’s net-zero target “unscientific and damaging”. [It is backed by the government’s independent advisers on climate change, who say meeting the target would boost GDP.]

In other news on electric vehicles, the Financial Times asks where Toyota’s recently announced solid-state battery “breakthrough” sits between “hope and hype”. A comment for the Financial Times says shares in the company have “continued their cruise towards an all-time high” and adds: “The Japanese company has been accused of entering the global EV race grudgingly and at half-throttle…The factor that helps explain the share price-versus-setback paradox are the words ‘solid state’ – the elusive, game-changing technology that could in theory allow for much lighter, quicker-charging and more powerful batteries and in which Toyota said last month it had made a breakthrough.” An editorial in the Guardian says: “The global north cannot just bet on a Toyota- or Tesla-style decarbonisation. The volume of critical minerals needed for decarbonising the rich world on its current growth path would leave nothing for poorer nations. Sunsetting undesirable technologies and infrastructures (such as carbon-intensive motoring) must be accompanied by a recognition that we all have to live within the world’s material constraints. In the richer world that must mean prioritising mass transportation and rethinking urban planning, not vesting so much hope in our current pattern of living continuing unchanged.”

A frontpage story for the Financial Times reports a “year-long experiment” from Japan Airlines designed to cut CO2 emissions: “Visitors to Japan are being offered the ultimate chance to travel light: pack underwear and a toothbrush but rent all your clothes on arrival and ditch the environmentally unfriendly suitcase.” The paper adds: “The site handling the clothing rental system claims that a 10kg reduction in a flight passenger’s luggage results in an estimated 7.5kg reduction in carbon dioxide emissions. A 7.5kg reduction in CO₂ emissions, it adds for reference, is the equivalent of forgoing using a hairdryer for 78 days.” [A return economy flight from London to Tokyo would emit 768kg of CO2, according to the International Civil Aviation Organization’s carbon calculator, making a 7.5kg one-way saving equivalent to a 2% cut overall.]

A frontpage story for the Guardian reports: “More than 1,500 lobbyists in the US are working on behalf of fossil-fuel companies while at the same time representing hundreds of liberal-run cities, universities, technology companies and environmental groups that say they are tackling the climate crisis, the Guardian can reveal.” The paper continues: “For instance, State Farm, the insurance company that announced in May it would halt new homeowner policies in California due to the ‘catastrophic’ risk of wildfires worsened by the climate crisis, employs lobbyists that also advocate for fossil fuel interests to lawmakers in 18 states.” A second Guardian article has more on State Farm. A third Guardian article is titled: “Oil lobbyists spend millions to stall California’s game-changing climate bill.”

India has been in talks over a “possible deal” to supply the EU and Singapore more than 11m tonnes (Mt) of “green” hydrogen a year, Reuters reports, citing government and industry sources. The EU and Singapore, in turn, “would invest in these Indian clean energy projects” and “claim carbon credits”, the story adds. While the EU and India explored agreements for 10Mt of green hydrogen, Singapore is “looking to get 5Mt per annum of green ammonia”, the newswire says. Just as talks are ongoing, India’s renewable energy minister RK Singh has told reporters that India “will put retaliatory barriers on green hydrogen trade”, according to another Reuters story. “Some countries are putting barriers on green hydrogen (trade and technology). If they are putting up barriers we will also put up barriers, then you will be losing out on our market,” Singh is reported to have said. India is already in talks with Germany over clauses in its hydrogen purchase tender with the EU that “members of Indian industry found restrictive”, the story adds. Singh’s ministry, meanwhile, “is looking to tighten wind turbine standards”, a “route that is increasingly being taken by the government to take on China”, Mint reports. Another Mint story points to a new national push to use sugarcane for biofuel production. 

In other climate news, South India recorded its lowest June rainfall in 122 years, Down to Earth reports. Meanwhile, suburban Kochi residents “refused to shift to temporary relief camps” as sea water flooded their homes, demanding a permanent solution to what they say is now  “an annual phenomenon”, the News Minute reports. India’s environment authorities have eased “approval for projects that fall in the vicinity of a coastlines”, but “ did not provide any public notice for people to submit objections to these clauses,” Hindustan Times reports.

The recent resignation of international environment minister Zac Goldsmith is “just the latest warning to government that it must ramp up its support of climate and environmental issues”, writes Cameron Smith, head of communications at the Conservative Environment Network, in a comment for BusinessGreen. Smith writes: “While not a publicly prominent minister, Goldsmith’s resignation will speak to voters concerned about the environment, civil society groups and other countries he built links with as international environment minister who fear the UK might backslide on the environment. It demonstrates the prime minister’s [Rishi Sunak’s] mistake in not putting the environment explicitly in his five-point plan despite its importance at home and abroad.” He continues: “In the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, our reliance on oil and gas costs the public dearly, and the ensuing economic damage is hurting the Conservatives in the polls…But with all of these challenges to be met and opportunities grasped, the Conservatives under Sunak have focused their rhetoric not on its green record but on its support for oil and gas…this approach means the Conservatives will spend far more time discussing unpopular fossil fuels than championing its renewable success.” An editorial in the Daily Mirror says: “The climate emergency is the greatest challenge facing this generation. Without action there will be irreversible damage to the environment and wildlife. Far from confronting these dangers, PM Rishi Sunak is running away from them…As Sunak fiddles, the world is burning.”

In other UK comment, Robbie MacPherson, adviser to NGO Uplift, writes for the New Statesman under the headline: “Approving Rosebank would sink Sunak’s green credentials.” He says: “[I]f reports are true that the government is going to allow the [Rosebank North Sea oil] venture there is no doubt that the prime minister’s already-stained green credentials – not helped by reports that he is planning to drop a 2019 commitment to double international climate finance to £11.6bn – will be left in tatters.” For the Daily Express, Hugo Tagholm of NGO Oceana says approving Rosebank “is the wrong decision”.

In the Daily Telegraph, meanwhile, climate-sceptic commentator Matthew Lynn writes under the headline: “Good riddance to the Tory greens.” He says: “[The pledged] £12bn on climate aid is money the UK can ill-afford to spend. If that upsets the Conservative party’s green wing, so much the better.” Lynn concludes: “Rishi Sunak will almost certainly go down to a crushing defeat at the election next year. But if he can turn the Conservatives into economic realists rather than green idealists, he will leave the party in better shape than he found it – and perhaps carve out the issue that will eventually return it to power.” Also in the Daily Telegraph, the climate-sceptic Sunday Telegraph editor Allister Heath rails – yet again – against “the Blob”, the “woke takeover”, “eco-insanity” and the “hegemonically Left-wing” arts.

In an article published as part of a Financial Times “special report” on sustainability “business school insights”, Luigi Zingales of the University of Chicago Booth School of Business discusses research he co-authored that finds “socially conscious investors” would “in most cases” do better to retain their stakes and engage for reform, rather than divest their holdings. Other articles in the report cover insurance and climate risks, carbon pricing, a “slowdown” in ESG stock returns and the need for adaptation.

A new study estimates that 81% of catchments in Brazil may see reduced water security by 2100. The authors use models from the sixth coupled model intercomparison project (CMIP6) to “introduce a new framework” to assess the impacts of climate change and water on water availability in 708 Brazilian catchments. The framework considers “an open water balance, the effect of CO2 concentrations on potential evapotranspiration, and water demand projections”, according to the paper.

Two-thirds of mass loss from the Argentière glacier in the European Alps over 1850-2014 was due to “anthropogenic activities”, according to new research. The authors simulate the evolution of the glacier over 1850-2014 both with and without human-caused greenhouse gases and aerosols. Since the late 19th century, aerosol cooling has partly countered warming from greenhouse gases, the study finds. It adds that “the anthropogenic imprint on Argentière Glacier mass emerged in 2008, 30 years after the emergence of the temperature signal”.

New research suggests that the fire regime in Vietnam’s Bidoup NuiBa National Park has “shifted from one driven primarily by climate to one in which human activities dominate the occurrence of fire within these seasonal tropical landscapes”. The authors analysed tree ring data from tropical conifers to reconstruct more than 200 years of fire activity in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. They find that fire occurrence was “highly correlated” with climate conditions before 1963, but since then “an increase in human settlement and activities within these landscapes has led to a massive increase in fire frequency and extent”.