Developing nations at the UN general assembly have “pleaded” for richer nations to “do more to help them cope with the hardships they face from climate extremes”, Reuters reports. According to the newswire, the Samoan natural resources and environment minister Cedric Schuster, who chairs the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS), “called out” the world’s biggest economies. The Guardian reports that the general assembly will hold a “high-level meeting to address the existential threats posed by sea level rise” on Wednesday, with the aim to “build political consensus on action to address the widespread social, economic and legal consequences of rising seas”. The Associated Press reports that Brazil’s president, Lula da Silva, will open the general assembly today by calling on the world to do more on climate change. However, the outlet adds: “It remains to be seen whether he will address fires ravaging the rainforest back home and criticism of his administration’s own environmental stewardship.” Chinese state news agency Xinhua says that, according to experts and diplomats speaking at an event in New York, “a clean energy transition is the only path to addressing the climate crisis and achieving sustainable development, and the next 10 years will be a breakthrough period for such a transition on a global level”.

Separately, the Guardian covers a new report which finds that “rich countries could raise five times the money that poor countries are demanding in climate finance, through windfall taxes on fossil fuels, ending harmful subsidies and a wealth tax on billionaires”.

Meanwhile, an International Energy Agency (IEA) report released today says the goal set at COP28 last year to triple renewable energy capacity by 2030 is “feasible” if countries work quickly, according to Reuters. The newswire says that “favourable economics, ‘ample’ manufacturing potential and policies” make the goal possible. However, the outlet adds: “In order to fully execute, [the IEA] said countries need to build 25m km of transmission lines and add 1,500 gigawatts of energy storage capacity by 2030, a 15-fold increase on today’s level.” It continues: “The report is the first to outline the specific actions that need to be taken to meet the COP28 goal and comes as world leaders convene in New York for the UN general assembly as well the business-focused Climate Week series of events. On Tuesday, world leaders will speak at a Global Renewable Energy summit about meeting the goal of tripling renewable energy capacity.” 

UK chancellor Rachel Reeves “has paved the way for higher government capital spending, fuelling the debate over the future of her borrowing rules”, according to a frontpage story in the Financial Times. The newspaper continues: “Reeves told the Labour party conference on Monday that her budget would herald ‘an end to the low investment that feeds decline’, with government insiders confirming she wanted to ensure her fiscal rules did not block vital capital spending.” According to the paper, Reeves “insisted a Labour government would invest to grow the economy”. It quotes her saying: “It is time the Treasury moved on from just counting the costs of investment in our economy to recognising the benefits too.” The newspaper adds: “Reeves signalled in her speech that she wanted to find ways of better measuring the benefits of investment in Treasury planning, creating space for greater public spending in roads, rail and green infrastructure.” The Guardian reports on its frontpage that Reeves said the Treasury “undervalued public investment”. It adds: “Her comments reflect a growing belief in the government that its fiscal rules need to be updated to encourage investment and spur growth.” The newspaper says: “Another person familiar with the discussions said the chancellor was considering plans to move Labour’s new institutions, the National Wealth Fund and GB Energy, off the government’s books.”

In other UK news, the Daily Telegraph reports that households could have free electricity on certain days of the week as renewable energy capacity increases, according to the head of EDF Renewables. The newspaper continues: “Matthieu Hue, chief executive, said the increasing role and capacity of renewables such as wind and solar in the UK’s electricity system meant supply would sometimes exceed demand, driving down prices. Sundays were the most likely day that energy would be made free for households, Hue suggested, because demand for electricity was usually lowest when many businesses were closed.” Meanwhile, Channel 4 News reports that some areas have seen “more than a month’s worth of rain in 24 hours, which has caused localised flooding and travel disruption”. The outlet says: “Whilst the primary cause of the heavy rain and flooding is the slow-moving area of low pressure, climate change is also likely to be having some impact.” The Times adds that an amber weather warning was issued for the south Midlands, southern and southwest England. A BBC News live reporting feed includes a section titled: “How climate change can lead to more rain.” It says: “It’s not yet possible to quantify exactly how much of a role climate change has played in this bout of rainfall impacting England and Wales, but scientists say many extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and intense as a result of climate change – and more torrential rain is part of that.”

The Biden administration has “proposed prohibiting key Chinese software and hardware in connected vehicles on American roads due to national security concerns”, Reuters reports, adding that the move could in effect stop “nearly all Chinese cars from entering the US market”. The proposal would also “force American and other major automakers in the coming years to remove key Chinese software and hardware from vehicles” in the US, the newswire adds. This plan “may have ramifications beyond the auto industry and could result in retaliation against US businesses in China”, Bloomberg reports. The Daily Telegraph, the Financial Times and the Global Times, a state-supporting newspaper, also cover the story. Separately, the Financial Times carries a report under the title: “Western nations join forces to break China’s grip on critical minerals.” 

Meanwhile, Japanese news outlet Nikkei Asia reports that the German Environment Agency, Germany’s central environmental authority, has “begun a thorough review of its upstream emission reduction (UER) certificate scheme after it found 45 fraudulent projects in China”. The UER certificates “issued to fossil-fuel companies for emission curtailment projects across the globe” and those in China could “offset around 6m tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions”, adds the outlet. Separately, analysis from the New York Times says that “the prospects of global climate cooperation” have “sunk” to “a low point” because of “three big things”, which include China’s dominance in “the global clean-energy supply chain” that fuels “serious economic and political strains that undermine incentives to cooperate”. 

Elsewhere, energy news outlet BJX News reports that data from China’s National Energy Administration (NEA) shows the total installed power generation capacity has reached 3,130 gigawatts as of August, a year-on-year increase of 14%. Economic news outlet Jiemian reports that energy storage development in China’s Xinjiang province has been “rapid”.

Finally, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post (SCMP) publishes an opinion article by Xuyang Dong and Tim Buckley, analysts at thinktank Climate Energy Finance. They argue: “Viewing China’s overcapacity merely as a threat overlooks the massive potential it brings for an accelerated roll-out of clean energy in a world that must rapidly decarbonise to tackle the existential problem of climate change.”

Europe’s leading battery maker, Northvolt, has announced that it will cut more than one in five jobs and suspend the expansion of its main factory, the Financial Times report. The newspaper continues: “The group said on Monday that it would cut 1,600 jobs in Sweden as part of its effort to attract new capital from investors. The lossmaking group said it had managed to triple its production since the start of the year to 60,000 battery cells a week, but that was still well below an annual level of 1 gigawatt-hour of batteries, the level needed to power about 17,000 cars.” Politico calls the layoffs a “blow to Europe’s industrial strategy as it looks to maintain its position as an automotive leader”. It adds: “Northvolt is the bloc’s premier battery manufacturer to supply European automakers, going up against Chinese giants CATL and BYD, along with longtime manufacturers Panasonic and Samsung. But car brands are contending with slower EV sales, reducing Northvolt orders.”

In other European news, the Associated Press says “officials from nine southern European Union member countries said on Monday they’re focused on harnessing offshore wind and solar energy to try to turn the Mediterranean region into a renewable energy hub and stave off the risks of climate change”. And Reuters reports that “Spain has increased its target for green hydrogen production capacity”. 

Former UN secretary-general, Ban Ki-moon, writes in Foreign Policy that the current financial system – in which “regular taxpayers shoulder the billions of dollars needed to address the harms caused by climate breakdown and subsidise the costs of building new renewable energy infrastructure” – is “ both unfair and unsustainable”. He notes that wealthy individuals contribute the most to global emissions, but says that “when it comes to fixing the climate catastrophe, the burden seems to fall on everyone except those who hold the power and resources to make meaningful changes”. He goes on to suggest how governments can implement fairer tax policies: “First, countries need to make sure the ultra-rich pay greater income and wealth taxes…Second, governments must put in place permanent taxes on the profits of fossil fuel corporations and other major polluters based or operating in their countries – as well as on their shareholder payouts…Third, while governments take action to implement these taxes domestically, they must also advocate for international agreements at COP29 and other UN forums to coordinate on taxation on polluters and meet the global south’s need for climate and development finance.” 

Elsewhere, the Guardian interviews Kumi Naidoo, the new head of the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty. According to the Guardian, the treaty – launched in 2019 – proposes developing concrete plans for the phase-out of fossil fuels and has been endorsed by 13 countries. The newspaper quotes Naidoo responding to questions about efforts to boost the treaty at COP29: “We’ll have to convince especially the most vulnerable countries in the world that there is no contradiction between making sure that we get the positive things from the Paris [Agreement] adhered to, and also get something that is stronger and more enforceable than the agreements that we get out of COP negotiations. Right now, we think that we are on the brink of being able to make that breakthrough. So our focus will be on the most vulnerable countries, small island states, the least developed countries.” The newspaper quotes Naidoo adding that COPs are “deeply imperfect” but “still the best game in town in terms of getting to consensus on solutions”. He is also quoted discussing “why activism is not winning enough” and explaining the importance of art in activism.

In further comment, Michael Bloomberg, the founder of Bloomberg, writes that “this year’s Climate Week NYC has begun with unusual momentum”. He says that last year’s COP28 “resulted in unprecedented commitments”, but adds: “It’s imperative to move faster in breaking down barriers to the spread of renewable energy, especially in the Global South.” 

Chris O’Shea, the chief executive of energy company Centrica, writes in a comment for the Times “Thunderer” column that “the next few years will define Britain’s energy system for a generation”. He continues: “The government’s ambition is to turn the UK into a clean energy superpower, with stable bills, secure energy and decarbonised homes. To achieve this, we need the private and public sectors working together.” He writes that Centrica is “ready to invest” in its Rough gas storage facility in the North Sea and CO2 storage at its Morecambe gas field, if the government offers the right regulatory frameworks. An editorial in the Times discusses new research – also covered in a Times news piece – showing that slower flights might cut emissions. It asks: “Who would begrudge an hour of one’s time in such a cause?”

Elsewhere, the free-market institute of Economic Affairs’ Andy Mayer has been given a comment slot in the Daily Telegraph to complain about “the return of the boiler tax”. [There is no such thing as a “boiler tax” and the policy he is referring to never went away.] Mayer says: “Whatever you think of net-zero…the policy is bad…The sensible policy for die-hard climate activists is to set a competitive carbon price, and let the market decide how best to decarbonise heat.” [Domestic gas use enjoys an implicit subsidy because there is no carbon price on the resulting emissions.] Separately, the Daily Telegraph’s financial columnist Matthew Lynn also writes about the “boiler tax”, saying that “reinstating this backward levy ignores the realities of the UK energy transition”. The Daily Telegraph’s motoring correspondent, Andrew English, writes “I drove an electric car over 3,000 miles in three months. It tested my sanity.” Daily Telegraph technology journalist Andrew Orlowski says that “electric cars are a thief’s dream”. And climate-sceptic commentator Ross Clark writes in the Sun that “Labour’s claim that green policies are going to save us money is a joke”. 

And the Conversation has published multiple pieces by scientists explaining their research, under the headlines “Who’s to blame when climate change turns the lights off?”, “Powering Africa: new model compares options for off-grid solar in 43 countries”, “Grangemouth job losses are a stark reminder of the cost of a greener industrial future” and “Climate change is a pollution problem, and countries know how to deal with pollution threats – think DDT and acid rain”.

The “Anthropocene” – a new geological period defined by humans’ impact on Earth – began around 1952, according to data taken from 137 global sites reaching back more than 7,000 years. The study identified an “unprecedented surge” in the fingerprints of human change in the data in 1952, the authors said, adding: “Notably, the period from 1953 to 1958 saw a nearly simultaneous surge in fingerprints across all regions, including Antarctica, the Arctic, East Asia, Europe, North America, and Oceania. This synchronous upsurge reflects the moment when human impacts led to rapid transformations in various natural processes and cycles, with humans becoming a geological force capable of inscribing abundant and diverse anthropogenic fingerprints in global strata.” (A previous effort to declare the Anthropocene was rejected by geologists.)

Racial minorities are more likely to die in extreme heat in the US, a new study finds. The research uses a “new database of linked administrative and census data with precise meteorological information” to analyse how deaths from 1993-2005 were linked to episodes of extreme heat and extreme cold. The authors say: “Our analysis suggests that recent temperature increases could exacerbate racial disparities in temperature-related deaths, highlighting the need to investigate how climate change affects different population subgroups and exacerbates social inequities.”