Cities around the world are taking bold climate action in 2026 to combat rising temperatures and environmental stress. Adelaide, Athens, Bogotá, Buenos Aires, Chefchaouen, Copenhagen, Dalian, Despeñaderos, Fortaleza, Guelph, Hobart, Quito, Rotterdam, Santiago, Tshwane, and Wuhan are implementing various climate solutions such as urban greening, electric buses, renewable energy, waste management, and sustainable infrastructure projects. These actions aim to make cities cleaner, greener, and more climate-resilient while promoting biodiversity and equitable access to nature, accelerating the path to net zero emissions and carbon neutrality by 2050.
Category: Industry, Materials & Waste
Cut Emissions:
– Improve Materials
– Improve Processes
– Cut Fugitive Emissions
– Use Waste as a Resource
– Shift Energy Sources
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Australia introduces Guarantee of Origin scheme for clean energy exports
The Australian Government has introduced the Guarantee of Origin (GO) scheme, a voluntary framework to support businesses and exporters in tapping into the demand for renewable electricity. The scheme aims to provide emissions accounting and certification of renewable electricity for products, offering transparency for consumers and access to low-emissions markets for Australian producers. The Clean Energy Regulator will administer the scheme, certifying emissions of products like hydrogen and green metals, as well as renewable electricity, providing regulatory certainty for businesses and investors to increase Australia's share in the global clean energy market. Additionally, initiatives such as the Hydrogen HeadStart program, Hydrogen Production Tax Incentive, and Green Aluminium Production Credit are being launched to support the energy transition, showcasing how products are made and their life cycle emissions to compete in a decarbonizing global economy and attract investment in Australia.
https://www.power-technology.com/news/australia-introduces-guarantee-of-origin-scheme/
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Singapore and Sweden Strengthen Energy Partnership at SIEW 2025
The Energy Market Authority of Singapore and the Swedish government have established a bilateral energy forum to enhance clean energy cooperation, focusing on areas such as hydrogen supply chains, grid technologies, energy efficiency, and cross-border electricity trading. The partnership includes the deployment of HVDC transmission technology to integrate into the ASEAN Power Grid architecture. Challenges include significant financial commitments for HVDC interconnection and hydrogen infrastructure development, with success measured by tangible outcomes like project finance commitments and operational hydrogen supply chains. Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and Swedish Deputy Prime Minister Ebba Busch emphasize the strategic significance of the forum in advancing innovation and accelerating the green transition towards a sustainable energy future.
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The Built Environment reimagined: What trees can teach us about design
Andrés Mitnik, CEO of Strong by Form, is pioneering wood-based composites that mimic how trees grow to create lightweight, low-carbon materials for buildings, furniture, and vehicles. The company's breakthrough material, Woodflow®, uses digital modeling and robotic forming to create three-dimensional wood composites that are 90% natural material yet rival steel in performance. By learning from trees, Strong by Form is able to create thin yet powerful composites that can replace carbon-intensive materials in various structures. Collaboration is a key design principle for the company, working with scientists, engineers, and architects to ensure new technologies can be safely scaled and adopted. The interconnectedness of nature and innovation, highlighted by the Biomimicry Institute's AskNature Hive, emphasizes the importance of learning from nature to drive sustainable practices and create energy-efficient and restorative spaces in the Built Environment. The partnership between One Earth and the Biomimicry Institute focuses on collaboration across science, design, and local action to accelerate progress towards a thriving planet by working together with each other and with the natural world.
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C40 cities on track for 50 million good green jobs by 2030 as mayors deliver on World Mayors Summit job creation pledge
C40 Cities are committed to delivering 50 million green jobs by 2030, with a focus on inclusive economic growth and city-led climate action. The recent data highlights the importance of creating good green jobs in sectors like waste management, construction, transport, and energy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve well-being. Mayors are accelerating investments in sustainable initiatives and working towards a just transition, recognizing the central role of cities in driving global climate and economic progress. Efforts are being made to address gender and equity gaps in green jobs, with a focus on providing fair wages, safe working conditions, and stable employment for all workers. The World Mayors Summit in Rio de Janeiro will further emphasize the need to scale up finance for city-led climate action and strengthen skills training to drive the transition to a green economy.
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DOE inks $1B supercomputer deal to shape energy sector
The Department of Energy is partnering with Advanced Micro Devices to build two supercomputers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee, focusing on advancing nuclear power, fusion, grid modernization, and other priorities of the Trump administration. These machines will utilize artificial intelligence to accelerate the development of technologies like advanced reactors and batteries. The first supercomputer, named "Lux," is expected to be operational by early 2026 with triple the AI capacity of current supercomputers. The Department of Energy aims to bring new supercomputers online in a shorter timeline, from years to months, to drive progress in climate solutions.
https://www.eenews.net/articles/doe-inks-1b-supercomputer-deal-to-shape-energy-sector/
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“Forget subsidies:” Solar-battery hybrids can deliver “incredibly competitive” power for big industry
Quinbrook, the developer of Australia's biggest battery, is focusing on hybrid solar and storage projects to power industrial energy needs at a competitive cost without government support. They are planning to build a smelting facility in Townsville powered by renewables, utilizing long-duration "infrastructure batteries" paired with cheap renewables. Australia is seeing a rise in DC-coupled solar-battery hybrid projects, with Quinbrook's partnership with China battery giant CATL allowing them to build batteries at a lower cost. Advancements in solar technology and batteries have led to historically low costs for solar energy, providing cheap and reliable energy for up to 18 hours a day in sunny locations like Gladstone and Townsville, without relying on government subsidies.