Climate Change Solutions Update

Category: Transportation

Cut emissions:
– Enhance Efficiency
– Shift to Alternatives
– Electrify Vehicles
– Switch Fuels

  • Our Power News – What was different about this year’s UN climate talks?

    World leaders marked the 10th anniversary of the Paris Agreement at COP30 in Belém, Brazil, with historic progress towards limiting global warming to 1.5°C and transitioning away from fossil fuels. Indigenous delegations played a crucial role in advocating for climate action, securing the demarcation of territories and pushing for community-led renewable energy. The momentum towards forest protection, accountability for polluters, and clean energy as a right is growing, with renewable energy on track to meet all new electricity needs by 2025. Continued support is needed to demand real climate action and build a powerful climate movement for a safe and better future.

    https://350.org/our-power-news-what-was-different-about-this-years-un-climate-talks/

  • Batteries now cheap enough to make dispatchable solar economically feasible

    Utility-scale battery costs have fallen to $65/MWh outside China and the United States, making solar power more reliable. Ember reports a significant drop in battery costs in 2024 and further declines in 2025, making storage more accessible for dispatchable solar projects. The cost of a full utility-scale battery system is $125/kWh for long-duration projects of four hours or more. The levelized cost of storage (LCOS) is calculated at $65/MWh, factoring in various costs and improvements in efficiency and financing. Solar power is now considered anytime dispatchable electricity, changing the game for countries with high solar resources and growing energy demand.

    https://www.pv-magazine.com/2025/12/12/batteries-now-cheap-enough-to-make-dispatchable-solar-economically-feasible/

  • Rooftop solar and batteries on centre stage: Six key graphs from AEMO’s transition roadmap

    The Australian Energy Market Operator has released the draft of its 2026 Integrated System Plan, outlining the transition of Australia's main grid to renewables and storage. The plan highlights the growth of rooftop solar and the potential for an accelerated transition to green energy, with a focus on addressing transmission concerns and the continuation of coal in Queensland. AEMO is unsure how to keep coal running until 2049 due to aging coal-fired power stations being a threat to grid reliability, but the concept of "baseload" is expected to be phased out. The grid is projected to reach 82% renewables by 2030, leading to a significant drop in emissions and paving the way for further emission cuts in other sectors as they electrify and transition to renewables.

    https://reneweconomy.com.au/rooftop-solar-and-batteries-on-centre-stage-six-key-graphs-from-aemos-transition-roadmap/

  • Small islands, big impact: the role of solar PV for the tropics

    Many island nations are vulnerable to climate change and reliant on costly fossil fuels, creating economic pressures. Renewable energy pathways are feasible and economically viable on islands, but research gaps remain. Studies highlight pathways for islands to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 through high electrification and rapid renewable energy adoption. Solar PV dominates electricity generation in tropical islands, with offshore technologies providing a scalable pathway to a sustainable energy future. Wave power enhances energy system diversity and complements solar PV and wind power generation. The concept of a Solar-to-X Economy in tropical islands, where low-cost solar PV electricity is used to produce e-fuels, e-chemicals, and e-materials, enables deep defossilization of hard-to-abate sectors. Importing e-fuels can play a key role in cost-effective renewable energy systems on islands like the Caribbean and the Maldives. Integrating solar PV-driven solutions within a Solar-to-X Economy provides environmental and economic benefits, with key elements for defossilization including low-cost renewable electricity, energy storage, electrification, e-fuel imports, sector coupling, and grid interconnections. Power-to-X technologies are crucial for achieving carbon neutrality, energy security, and economic growth in island nations, with solar energy being a key focus in research at LUT University.

    https://www.pv-magazine.com/2025/12/12/small-islands-big-impact-the-role-of-solar-pv-for-the-tropics/

  • Snapsun introduces rooftop mounting system made of recycled plastic

    French mounting system provider Snapsun, a unit of recycled plastic provider Cifra, has introduced a new lightweight rooftop PV mounting system made from recycled plastic. The system, weighing only 8 kg, simplifies installation and reduces physical strain with integrated cable guides and clip-on connectors. Compatible with most conventional photovoltaic panels, the system's adjustable mounting bracket housings can accommodate panels up to 1,180 mm wide. Installation is quick and straightforward, requiring minimal training, making it a promising solution for sustainable and efficient solar energy deployment.

    https://www.pv-magazine.com/2025/12/10/snapsun-introduces-rooftop-mounting-system-made-of-recycled-plastic/

  • Five climate trailblazers: UNEP’S 2025 Champions of the Earth

    The UN Environment Programme has named five new climate visionaries as its 2025 Champions of the Earth, recognizing their work on climate justice, sustainable cooling, forest protection, and methane emissions reductions. The laureates, including Pacific Islands Students Fighting Climate Change, Supriya Sahu from Tamil Nadu, Mariam Issoufou Architects, and Imazon from Brazil, are driving real change for people and the planet with their innovative leadership in areas such as climate law, sustainable cooling, resilient buildings, and deforestation prediction models. Imazon's non-profit research institute, using science and AI-driven geospatial tools, is curbing deforestation in the Amazon and supporting legal cases. Cynthia Houniuhi is honored for pioneering forest monitoring systems, while Manfredi Caltagirone, posthumously awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award, dedicated his career to addressing climate challenges, particularly methane emissions, and shaping global energy policy through his work at UNEP's International Methane Emissions Observatory.

    https://news.un.org/en/story/2025/12/1166558

  • Waya Electric Motorcycles’ Daily Use In Kenya’s Tsavo Conservation Area Takes E-Mobility To Where It Is Needed Most

    Kenya's electric motorcycle sector has experienced significant growth, particularly in the context of the motorcycle taxi industry. Companies like Waya Electric have entered the market with a focus on heavy-duty, rural, and B2B applications, designing motorcycles to handle tough conditions like long distances, heat, and steep terrain. These electric motorcycles are being utilized in wildlife conservation areas like the Tsavo Conservation Area, demonstrating their versatility and effectiveness in various applications. The use of electric motorcycles in remote and challenging terrains is proving to be reliable and relevant, showing the potential for electric mobility in similar areas across Africa. Solar-powered charging solutions for electric motorcycles are highlighted as a key innovation to address the unique challenges faced in African markets.

    https://cleantechnica.com/2025/12/09/waya-electric-motorcycles-daily-use-in-kenyas-tsavo-conservation-area-takes-e-mobility-to-where-it-is-needed-most/

  • IEA: Slow energy transition would cost millions of jobs

    The International Energy Agency (IEA) warns that a slower shift to clean energy could result in 1.3 million fewer energy sector jobs by 2035, with continued growth in oil and gas demand until 2050 under the Current Policies Scenario (CPS). However, a faster energy transition could create more jobs in construction, electricians, solar panel installers, and transition mineral miners. The IEA also highlights potential shortages of skilled workers in key areas like electricity grids and the nuclear industry, urging governments to train workers for these roles to ensure a smooth transition to clean energy. Additionally, the establishment of the Belém Action Mechanism at COP30 aims to make the energy transition fairer for workers in industries like oil and gas, giving trade unions a role in shaping just transition policies for the first time. This is seen as a decisive win for the union movement and workers in transition industries.

    https://www.climatechangenews.com/2025/12/05/iea-slow-transition-away-from-fossil-fuels-would-cost-over-a-million-energy-sector-jobs/

  • European Commission launches $6.06bn clean transition funding opportunities

    The European Commission has launched three new funding opportunities under the Innovation Fund, backed by €5.2bn sourced from EU Emissions Trading System revenues, focusing on net-zero technologies, low-carbon hydrogen, and decarbonising industrial process heat. The aim is to advance EU's 2030 climate and energy targets and achieve climate neutrality by 2050 while boosting industrial competitiveness and resilience. The funding supports projects that use innovative technologies with significant greenhouse gas reduction potential, including clean hydrogen as a substitute for fossil fuels in heavy industry and transport. Initiatives include the allocation of funds for renewable fuels production, decarbonisation of industrial process heat, and support for electrified and direct-renewable heat production in various industrial sectors. Hover Energy has won three 2025 Power Technology Excellence Awards for their innovative microgrid technology, including their AI-enabled Microgrid Management SystemTM and networked microgrids, contributing to a more flexible and resilient energy grid for the future.

    https://www.power-technology.com/news/european-commission-clean-transition-funding/

  • CATL Expects Oceanic Electric Ships in 3 Years

    CATL's marine division is leading the way in providing zero-carbon marine transportation by developing comprehensive battery solutions for electric ships, collaborating with shipping partners, and supplying batteries for over 900 vessels. Recent advancements in sodium-ion battery technology and price drops are making long-range electric shipping more feasible, with a focus on electrifying the maritime sector and removing barriers to widespread maritime electrification.

    https://cleantechnica.com/2025/12/05/catl-expects-oceanic-electric-ships-in-3-years/