Many publications report that countries have formed a new agreement to protect the world’s oceans after 10 years of talks. The High Seas Treaty aims to protect 30% of international waters for nature by 2030, BBC News reports. Before the treaty, only 1.2% of international waters were protected, according to BBC News. It says: “The agreement was reached on Saturday evening, after 38 hours of talks, at UN headquarters in New York. The negotiations had been held up for years over disagreements on funding and fishing rights.” The Guardian reports that the treaty “is crucial for enforcing the 30×30 pledge [protecting 30% of Earth by 2030] made by countries at theUN biodiversity conferencein December”. It adds: “Without a treaty, this target would certainly fail, as until now no legal mechanism existed to set up marine protected areas on the high seas.” Adding more detail on the deal, it says: “Covering almost two-thirds of the ocean that lies outside national boundaries, the treaty will provide a legal framework for establishing vast marine protected areas to protect against the loss of wildlife and share out the genetic resources of the high seas. It will establish a conference of the parties (COP) that will meet periodically and enable member states to be held to account on issues such as governance and biodiversity.” The Guardian also carries avideoshowing the moment the deal was reached after gruelling negotiations. TheFinancial Timesadds the deal will have to be ratified by 60 states before it can enter into force and will be officially adopted at a later UN session. The news is also covered by theNew York Times,i newspaper,PoliticoandIndependent.

Afrontpagestory in the Observer reports on “secret documents” showing UK ministers were warned by senior civil servants that they face legal action over “their catastrophic failure to develop policies for tackling climate change”. It reports: “The leaked briefings from senior mandarins – marked ‘official sensitive’ and dated 20 February this year – make clear the government as a whole is way behind in spelling out how it will reach its net-zero targets and comply with legal duties to save the planet.” The documents say that the UK’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is particularly behind on laying out policies for net-zero, the Observer says: “The documents show [environment minister Therese] Coffey’s department is by far the worst offender in failing to develop green policy, lagging a staggering 24% behind its official target, while the transport department has a gap ‘that is considerably over 5%’.”

It comes as several publications report on dangers to further development of wind power in the UK. TheFinancial Timesspeaks to the head of Scottish Power, who warns wind power projects will be put at risk without urgent government reforms to the planning process. TheTimes与开发者社区风能,说s new projects are not going ahead because of the government’s tax on electricity generators.Bloombergspeaks to Orsted, the world’s biggest wind power company, about plans to scrap UK projects over soaring costs. TheDaily Telegraphexplores the issue with an article headlined: “Why Britain is suddenly blowing cold on a wind power revolution.” (See Comment below.)

Elsewhere, theDaily Telegraphreports that households that have hydrogen boilers installed “could be forced to drill a 4×4-inch hole in their wall to mitigate risks of explosion, according to recommendations in a government-backed safety report”. TheDaily Expressreports on research showing the average three-bedroom house would save £3,000 over the course of 15 years by installing a heat pump rather than a gas boiler.

TheDaily Telegraphalso publishes an article with the headline: “Race to net-zero drives up new car prices by £12,000.” The article itself explains that car prices are up for several reasons, including “higher energy prices, a shortage of parts and consumers’ preference for bigger, safer cars with more technology in them”. TheDaily Expressreports that the UK’s electric car roll-out is being delayed by a lack of cars being produced.

中国已经表示,煤炭将“保留其方式e as the country’s mainstay fuel even as the government continues to support the expansion of its world-leading clean energy industry” reports Bloomberg. In a speech in Beijing, the outgoing premier Li Keqiang highlighted yesterday the role coal played in “ensuring energy supplies and keeping domestic prices at comparatively low levels last year despite global inflation”, adds the outlet, continuing: “The support for coal won’t come at the expense of clean energy, with the country’s top planning agency saying it would make renewable mega-projects, electricity storage and power grid upgrades priorities for 2023. The government also targeted a 2% reduction in energy intensity this year after leaving out a numeric goal in last year’s reports.”

TheSouth China Morning Postexplains that “China’s top legislature, the National People’s Congress (NPC), open[ed] its annual meeting on Sunday”. The NPC meeting is part of the “two sessions” and is an “important window” into the central government’s policies “on areas from the economy and trade, to diplomacy and science and technology”, it says, adding that the gathering this year “caps a twice-a-decade leadership transition in which President Xi Jinping is expected to begin his third term”. [China’s National People’s Congress (NPC) and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) are known as “two sessions”.] The outlet adds that premier Li Keqiang delivered his “last government work report, before Li Qiang, now ranked second in the Communist Party, takes over his responsibilities”. According to Li Keqiang, China has “improved pollution control and is pursuing green and low-carbon development”, adding that “the proportion of days with good air quality is now at 86.5% in more than 300 cities across the country”. The installed capacity of renewable energy sources has “increased from 650GW (gigawatts) to 1200GW in the past five years and the share of clean energy in total energy consumption has increased from 20.8% to over 25%”, Li stressed.Reuterswrites that China’s state planner National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) “underlined a greater role for coal in its power supply” in Sunday’s NPC, saying the “fossil fuel would be used to improve the reliability and security of its energy system”. The NDRC said that “we will strengthen the basic supporting role of coal (and) take orderly steps to increase advanced coal production while ensuring safety” in a report to the annual gathering of parliament.

Other media focus on Li Keqiang’s comments about China’s economic growth targets. TheFinancial Timessays “China will aim for an economic expansion of ‘around 5%’ for 2023, its lowest target for more than three decades, as President Xi Jinping seeks to restore pre-pandemic levels of growth and prepares to further centralise power in his own hands” The FT adds: “Announcing the target, which was below last year’s goal of 5.5%, China’s outgoing premier Li Keqiang told the annual National People’s Congress – its rubber-stamp parliament – that the aim this year was to ‘prioritise economic stability’.”Xinhua, the state-controlled newswire, says China aims to achieve a “better quality of development in 2023” with the new target, adding: “While giving weight to economic growth, the Chinese government will not seek growth at all costs. Instead, it wants a greener and more efficient economy.” Writing in theSouth China Morning Post, Frank Tang says that “Beijing is being a bit more reserved in 2023, and analysts say this reflects the need to cultivate better-quality growth long-term”.Bloombergsays that “having missed the GDP goal last year by a wide margin for the first time ever, a more cautious aim this year could restore Beijing’s credibility”.

Meanwhile, the online magazineChinaFile由研究员发表了评论亚洲的社会吗ety Policy Institute’s Center for China Analysis (CCA), focused on the “two sessions”. Taylah Bland writes that “China’s achievement of its ambitious 2030 and 2060 climate targets hinges on its continued progress towards carbon emissions reduction, elimination of coal-fired plants, and adoption of cleaner energy. Economic growth and development may involve the redirection of funds originally set aside for environmental progress.” She continues: “Specifically, we will see if China changes or reaffirms its position on loss and damage financing, which was one of the major outcomes of COP27. If China decides to contribute to a loss and damage fund, it would be a pioneer of climate finance leadership; failure to contribute could signal disregard for the devastating impacts of climate change, caused in large part by China’s own emissions.” Finally, the state news agencyXinhuacarries a column by Rick O’Shea titled: “Why does China’s ‘two sessions’ matter to the world?” He writes: “I believe, despite the twists and turns that happened in their [the US-China] bilateral relations in the past several years, there is still a need for cooperation.” Finally, the state-run newspaperChina Dailyhas published excerpts of “four experts who share views on China’s economic prospects and global economic trends in 2023 at a recent forum”.

The Financial Times reports on a draft EU document showing the bloc will aim to meet 40% of its needs with domestic production in five sectors – solar, wind, heat pumps, batteries and electrolysers – as it strives for net-zero. The FT says: “The document, due to be presented on 14 March, is a direct response to theUS Inflation Reduction Act, announced last August, which provides $369bn in tax credits and subsidies for clean energy technologies.”Reutersreports that, under plans to counter the IRA, the EU will introduce new permits, regulatory support and easier access to public and private funding for certain green technologies.Bloombergalso has the story. It comes asReutersreports that a senior EU official has said that the EU and US are currently working on a deal to make European minerals eligible for IRA tax credits. A secondReutersstory says EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said on Sunday that she was “determined” to counter challenges posed by the IRA.

Elsewhere, theFinancial Timesreports that industry experts are questioning the bloc’s continued spending on fossil fuel subsidies amid its strive to reach net-zero. A secondFTreports that Germany and Italy have “blown apart” an EU plan to ban internal combustion engines by 2035.

Shell’s new chief executive is contemplating abandoning plans to cut oil production this decade, declaring that it is “not healthy” to cut production, according to the Times. Shell previously said its oil output peaked in 2019 and would decline each year until 2030. New boss Wael Sawan tells the Times’ energy editor Emily Gosden that Shell was “reflecting on what is the right guidance to the market” because it had made steeper cuts than were anticipated since the target was set. Sawan said that he was “of a firm view that the world will need oil and gas for a long time to come” and that “as such, cutting oil and gas production is not healthy”, the Times said. The newspaper also carries thefull interviewwith Sawan. It comes as theFinancial Timesreports that the boss of BP’s US business has “insisted that the company is sticking with its promised transition away from fossil fuels even though it plans an aggressive oil output increase in the country and is slowing down its planned production cuts elsewhere”.

The Times reports on newCarbon Brief analysiswhich shows that UK greenhouse gas emissions fell by more than 3% last year. Carbon Brief’s senior policy editor Dr Simon Evans tells the Times: “The global energy crisis sparked fears of a ‘return to coal’ in the UK and that has clearly failed to materialise. The UK recorded strong economic growth even as emissions fell again.”

《纽约时报》的一篇社论检查面临的问题the UK’s wind power sector (see above), including difficult planning rules and a tax on electricity generators. It says: “The government should look at these measures again. It may encounter some resistance from Tory MPs, keenly aware of the need to keep onside those rural voters who think turbines are eyesores. Yet this anxiety should not be overstated. In December, a YouGov poll for the Times found support for wind power across the political spectrum. Some 64% of Tory voters even said they would support the construction of a wind farm near their own home.”

Elsewhere, an editorial in theScotsmanargues that the SNP leadership race to replace Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon is “an opportunity to get serious about global warming”. It says that candidates should “resist any siren calls to get rid of all the green crap like David Cameron”, notingCarbon Brief analysisshowing this decision has added £2.5bn to energy bills. The Sun has an editorial urging the government to keep the fuel-duty freeze on petrol and diesel in his upcoming budget. It comes as the newspaper carries astoryon a letter from “two dozen” Tory MPs urging Hunt to keep the freeze, (which hassignificantly raisedUK emissions over the past decade). In addition, theGuardianhas an editorial on protests in the Netherlands over the government’s decision to slash fertiliser use to meet climate and biodiversity goals. It says: “As extreme political forces seek to leverage the green transition for their own ends, the stakes are huge. In farming, as with car manufacturing and in other industries, meaningful progress towards net-zero will only come if those at the sharp end are persuaded to come on board for the journey.”

Elsewhere, theObserver科学编辑罗宾·麦基的分yabo亚博体育app下载析亚慱彩票APPon why the UK is behind on meeting its net-zero target. He says: “Ultimately, the failure to deliver on net-zero is the responsibility of successive prime ministers. During her leadership campaign Liz Truss said little about net-zero, while appealing to anti-green Tory members by insisting that she didn’t want to see farmers’ fields ‘full of solar panels’. Nor was delivery on net-zero among Rishi Sunak’s five priorities, which he listed at the start of the year. In fact, he has barely mentioned the issue since becoming leader. The government is now required by court to produce a more detailed net-zero strategy this month. Time is fast running out for it.”

New research suggests that a “surge” in the price of “critical materials” could hinder electric vehicle (EV) uptake in China, driving a 28% increase in carbon emissions from road transport over 2020-60. The authors “expand and enrich” an integrated assessment model to assess how a “surge” in lithium, cobalt, nickel, and manganese prices would impact EV uptake in China – the world’s largest EV market. They find that a “cost surge” would cause the percentage of vehicles on China’s roads that are electric to drop from 49% to 35% in 2030 and 67% to 51% in 2060.