Climate policy and UN Cop meetings
Overview
Argus provides key insights on how global climate policies will affect the global energy and commodity markets. We shine a light on decisions made at UN Cop meetings, which have far-reaching effects on the markets we serve.
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News
France prepares first NZIA-compliant wind tender
France prepares first NZIA-compliant wind tender
London, 7 October (Argus) — French energy regulator CRE has approved the rules for an onshore wind tender to open in December, the first to exclude foreign-made components in line with Europe's Net-Zero Industry Act (NZIA). Under the tender rules, for 1GW of onshore wind, developers cannot source more than 85pc of permanent magnets in their turbines from the dominant provider China. CRE, while in favour of this move to "favour European industry", noted that there is no visibility on the availability of components that comply with the rule. Alongside French rules on the height of turbines, this could raise the price at which the subsidy is attributed, it said. Prices in the 11th round of the tender, the last to be announced, hit a three-year low of €77.08/MWh thanks to a high proportion of cheaper repowering projects , CRE said. Other changes to the 13th round include higher requirements for approval from local government, and a tightening of the rules on holding two support contracts for the same project. By Rhys Talbot Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
North Sea's Ninian fields breach venting limit again
North Sea's Ninian fields breach venting limit again
Edinburgh, 7 October (Argus) — North Sea operator CNR International has been fined £300,000 ($396,300) after exceeding its venting limit at the Ninian fields in 2024, the UK's North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) said. CNR reported on 26 November 2024 that it had exceeded its consent to vent 273.2t of gas between 15 June and 31 December that year. It exceeded the limit by 20.9t. The company was fined £250,000 earlier this year for exceeding venting limits twice at the same fields in 2023. Venting occurs when excess gas, predominantly methane, is released unignited into the atmosphere. The NSTA increased the penalty for the latest breach, even though it was small and limited in time, because it was CNR's third breach of a venting consent at the same location. The repeated breaches showed "an absence of effective internal process and a failure to learn sufficiently from the previous breaches", the regulator said. CNR argued that the fine was disproportionate and excessive, according to the NSTA. "Failure to comply with the terms and conditions of a licence or consent has the potential to undermine public confidence in the ability of the industry to operate within prescribed limits," the NSTA said, adding that such breaches could also undermine investor confidence. Emissions from North Sea oil and gas production still account for just over 3pc of total UK greenhouse gas emissions, and the industry must maintain its focus on cutting emissions to help the UK reach net zero by 2050, the NSTA said. CNR has begun decommissioning the Ninian fields. A consultation on draft decommissioning programmes for the Ninian Central topsides closes on 16 October, while the decommissioning programme for the Ninian Southern topsides was approved in February. By Caroline Varin Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Australia’s high court blocks NSW coal mine expansion
Australia’s high court blocks NSW coal mine expansion
Sydney, 7 October (Argus) — Australia's highest court has upheld a ruling which blocked the expansion of Australian producer Mach Energy's 10.5mn t/yr Mount Pleasant thermal coal mine in New South Wales (NSW) in a landmark climate decision that could curb future coal mine approvals. The High Court of Australia today dismissed Mach Energy's appeal against a July 2025 NSW Court of Appeal ruling which found the state's Independent Planning Commission (IPC) had failed to properly consider indirect greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions when it approved Mount Pleasant's expansion in September 2022 . The proposal sought to extend Mount Pleasant's operations from 2026 to 2048 and raise its annual ROM production limit to 21mn t/yr. The proposed Mount Pleasant expansion will need to be reassessed by NSW authorities following this latest decision. The case against Mach Energy was lodged by community group the Denman, Aberdeen, Muswellbrook and Scone Health Environment Group, represented by Johnson Legal. The NSW court in 2025 determined that the IPC's approval of Mount Pleasant was invalid because the planning authority failed to fulfill its legal obligation to consider whether to impose conditions to minimise GHG emissions, including scope 3 emissions, to the greatest extent practicable. Mach Energy appealed the decision in May. The High Court upheld the NSW court's determination, finding that the IPC had imposed conditions relating to the project's scope 1 and 2 emissions, but failed to do the same for scope 3 emissions. Scope 3 emissions accounted for 98pc of the project's estimated emissions. The High Court ruling suggests NSW planning authorities will need to demonstrate they have considered imposing conditions to manage scope 3 emissions to the greatest extent practicable before issuing approvals. This could mean additional hurdles for coal mine approvals, where scope 3 emissions are often a significant issue. Mach Energy said it was disappointed with the High Court ruling and would actively pursue all available options to ensure long-term continuity at Mount Pleasant. The decision does not affect a separate approval granted to Mount Pleasant in August, which raised its approved extraction rate to 12.5mn t/yr and extended its operations from 2026 to 2032. The ruling comes a week after the IPC approved a 19-year extension to the nearby Hunter Valley Operations (HVO) complex after finding the project's social and economic benefits outweighed its climate impacts. Scope 3 emissions account for 98pc of HVO's estimated emissions. The Mount Pleasant ruling comes at a time of rising climate litigation risks following a 2025 judgement from the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which found that countries have binding legal obligations to cut emissions , and could be found legally responsible if they did not regulate emissions caused by "private actors" in their jurisdictions. The NSW state government said in March it would stop issuing permits for greenfield thermal coal developments under its NSW Coal Industry 2026-50 framework but would continue to assess extensions of existing coal mines. By Emma Partis Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
EU insists methane delay will be limited to one year
EU insists methane delay will be limited to one year
Brussels, 6 October (Argus) — The EU should not make wider changes to the bloc's methane emissions regulation (MER), EU energy commissioner Dan Jorgensen told the European Parliament on Tuesday, stressing that a proposed delay would last only one year and would apply solely to the regulation's import provisions. Jorgensen — responding to calls from lawmakers for a postponement of the MER until 2030 — said he had to listen when a "clear" majority of member states and many others tell him implementation is not possible within the current timeframe. "We can live with a one-year postponement, not of the whole regulation, but of the import provisions," he said. Jorgensen was speaking after European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen detailed the delay earlier on Tuesday as part of a package of measures aimed at reducing energy prices, including a new taskforce for joint energy procurement. "I would also warn against introducing different kinds of other demands," Jorgensen said. Once the commission proposes legislation to delay the MER import provisions by a year, both parliament and EU member states will be able to suggest broader amendments. The EU should suspend the methane regulation not just for one year, but until 2030, German lawmaker Christian Ehler said. "Otherwise we'll quite simply be sitting here again next year," said Ehler, a member of the parliament's largest political group, the centre-right EPP, adding that he could "in principle" support the commission's proposal. But postponing the MER until 2030 would not "get the effects that we want with regards to fighting climate change and stopping the emissions of methane", Jorgensen replied. He added that a longer postponement would be unfair to companies that have already invested to comply with the legislation from 1 January. "Now the obligation is on member states to make sure that they are ready in one year," Jorgensen said, adding that "a lot of new" contracts have been signed in recent months. German Green lawmaker Jutta Paulus said suspending the methane regulation puts the EU's climate targets at risk and opens the door to further weakening of the rules. "With the announcement of the delay, the fossil fuel lobby has smelt blood and is already making further demands," said Paulus, who led Parliament's negotiations with EU member states on the final text of the law in 2024. Dafydd ab Iago Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Analysis
G7 starts immediate 100mn bl oil stock release
G7 starts immediate 100mn bl oil stock release
The move comes in response to tightening diesel markets and a rapid run-up in prices, particularly in the US, writes James Keates London, 2 October (Argus) — The G7 will immediately begin a four-month release of 100mn bl of oil stocks, with a substantial diesel release within 20 days, it said on 2 October. The group asked the IEA to monitor the "immediate and full implementation" of stock release commitments made in March. This indicates that the 100mn bl is a portion of these commitments, rather than an extra pledge. The move comes in response to increasing concerns about European diesel supply and pressure on US president Donald Trump to restrict or even ban exports of the diesel on which Europe has become reliant. European diesel prices dropped sharply relative to prices in Asia-Pacific in response to the prospect of a "front-loaded" oil inventory release by G7 members (see graph). The G7 statement does not specify the amount of diesel or how the 100mn bl will be divided between crude and products. Europe has become increasingly dependent on US diesel since Mideast Gulf flows were constrained by the near closure of the strait of Hormuz and after Russia halted diesel exports. The EU, the UK and Norway received 430,000 b/d of US diesel and other gasoil in August, according to Kpler. US supplies have accounted for around 40pc of the region's diesel and gasoil imports on average this year. Any US export ban would intensify competition between Europe, Latin America and other importing regions for alternative supplies. A number of market participants have questioned whether a full US ban would be sustainable. Excess diesel would accumulate in the US, potentially forcing refiners to cut crude runs and reducing domestic gasoline production. The G7 statement also addresses the possibility of a US diesel export ban. Members pledged not to restrict trade in energy and energy products between G7 countries and called on other producers to avoid bans that could exacerbate market tensions. Such a ban would undermine its trust in the US as a reliable partner, the European Commission said on 2 October. G7 members will meet through the IEA in the coming days to discuss additional diesel releases if needed. They will also co-ordinate refinery maintenance schedules to avoid simultaneous shutdowns and temporarily raise refinery utilisation where possible, and will encourage countries with significant refining capacity to increase production of refined products, particularly diesel. IEA members agreed in March to make 400mn bl of oil available from their emergency reserves in response to the supply disruptions stemming from the war in the Middle East. The IEA subsequently put members' planned contributions at 426mn bl, comprising just over 300mn bl of crude and 125mn bl of products. Europe appears to have released very little of this during the initial Hormuz shock of March-June, IEA data show (see graph). OECD Asia — South Korea and Japan — released an initial 72mn bl of crude in April but even their stocks had begun to build again by June. Monitor wizard EU diesel supplies are stable for now, although prices are high because of tight global markets, the commission said. The IEA will monitor the effect of the stocks release and other supply measures on energy security and market stability and report within 20 days. Its report will include recommendations on further action, including replenishing emergency stocks, the G7 said. The G7 also addressed the wider conflicts behind the disruption to energy markets. It condemned Iran's attacks on neighbouring countries, called for the immediate restoration of navigational rights through the strait of Hormuz and pledged to maintain sanctions against Russia. Diesel east-west spread OECD oil inventories OECD Europe monthly stock change Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Cop: Article 6 activity mounts but key gaps remain
Cop: Article 6 activity mounts but key gaps remain
London, 25 September (Argus) — Countries are increasingly engaging in the carbon market mechanisms established under Article 6 of the Paris climate agreement. But two years after its rulebook was agreed, the number of buyer countries remains limited, developing nations hosting emissions-saving projects have reservations about participating, and disagreements rumble on over some underpinning standards, writes Victoria Hatherick The Article 6 rulebook was eventually finalised at the UN Cop 29 climate conference in Baku, Azerbaijan, in 2024, nine years after negotiations began. But the promised centralised UN-regulated carbon market under Article 6.4 — the Paris agreement crediting mechanism (Pacm) — has not yet materialised, with its registry expected to launch in the fourth quarter of this year. And only seven countries have so far traded so-called internationally traded mitigation outcomes (Itmos) under the Article 6.2 mechanism, according to UN Environment Programme (Unep) data, a system which allows countries to exchange emissions savings bilaterally to be counted towards their nationally determined contributions (NDCs) to the Paris Agreement. There are so far 10 buyer countries under Article 6.2, Unep data show. Japan has signed 32 agreements under the mechanism, followed by Singapore at 28, Switzerland at 20, South Korea at 14 and Norway at nine. Norway recently indicated its intention to deepen its engagement with Article 6 going forward. "At the next Cop we want to contribute to building infrastructure, including registries," deputy director-general of the Norwegian climate ministry's climate change department Guri Storaas told delegates at the Nordic Climate Finance Summit in Oslo earlier this month. The country also expects to sign more Article 6 agreements, she said. Article 6 is a "priority" for Norway because of its role in reducing the risk of Norway not meeting its climate targets solely through collaboration with the EU, and its cost effectiveness, Storaas said. And Norway "wants to make it work", she said, which is why the country is deliberately positioning itself as an early mover under the mechanism. It has set aside a 15bn Norwegian krone ($1.6bn) "buying envelope" for Article 6 credits. Norway's bilateral agreement signed last year with Switzerland on carbon removals also sends an important signal that Article 6 is not just relevant for developing countries, Storaas said. Switzerland signed a similar agreement in May with Sweden, which itself has a further six bilateral agreements. Sweden is hoping to sign another Article 6 agreement by the end of the month, fund manager for the Swedish Article 6 climate co-operation fund at the Global Green Growth Institute Ash Sharma told delegates at the summit in Oslo. Singapore this month advanced its tender for at least 12mn Itmos, following a first tender for 2.17mn Itmos last year. Project host countries are higher in number. A total of 55 have signed bilateral agreements under Article 6.2 across the Americas, Africa, Europe, Australasia and Asia. Kenya and Ghana have signed the most, at five each, followed by Zambia, Senegal, Mongolia and Indonesia with four each, according to Unep data. And 58 countries are listed by Unep as having approved activities under Pacm, led by Brazil with 92 activities, followed by Chile with 30 and Vietnam with 23. Hurdles to participation But project host countries must strike a delicate balance between trading emissions savings to raise climate finance without damaging their ability to meet their own NDCs, a factor that has been limiting some countries' engagement with Article 6. Kenya did a "good job standing up for its needs to meet its NDC" in the case of clean cookstove developer Koko, Sharma said at the Oslo conference. The company shut down earlier this year after failing to obtain a letter of authorisation from the Kenyan government to sell credits generated by its projects internationally, a result of the government's uncertainty about its capacity to retain sufficient emissions reductions to meet its targets. Countries also need people engaging with the mechanism full time, and not many have the capacity to do so, Charlotte Streck of consultancy Climate Focus said at an online event this week. It is therefore important for like-minded groups to come together to avoid being overwhelmed by complexity, she said. Private sector on the sidelines Private-sector interest in Article 6 has been dampened by the perceived complexities of the mechanism, the head of special funds at international financial institution the Nordic Environment Finance Corporation (Nefco), Dennis Hamro-Drotz, told delegates at the conference in Oslo. They are engaging a bit later than governments, he said. Nordic companies are more likely to participate by exporting their technology solutions first, before becoming credit offtakers later, Hamro-Drotz said. Nefco is "looking at re-engaging in carbon markets", he added, having been involved in the Paris Agreement's predecessor the Kyoto Protocol. Governments also stepped up first under the Kyoto Protocol, Sharma said, but linking that framework's so-called certified emission reduction credits with the EU emissions trading system brought lots of other actors into the market. "I am sure we will see this again," he said. The European Commission in July proposed using up to 260mn international credits underpinned by Article 6.4 standards over 2036-40 to count towards its 2040 climate target. But the commission as it stands will not review whether there are sufficient high-integrity credits available to justify the approach until 2033. This is "way too late" to provide the necessary demand signals to the market, International Emissions Trading Association international policy director Andrea Bonzanni told Argus . Underpinning standards edge forward In the meantime, parties to the Paris deal continue to disagree on the standards themselves. So far only three methodologies governing project activities under Pacm have been adopted, relating to flaring or use of landfill gas, N2O abatement from nitric acid production, and electricity generation from renewable sources connected to an electricity system. Experts tasked to work on the methodologies indicated last week that they are sticking to their controversial decision to require clean cooking activities to contribute some of the credits they generate to a buffer for reversals, a debate that has held up agreement on clean cooking standards. Scant progress on getting Pacm up and running has also left many in the wider carbon credit market in limbo. Demand in the voluntary carbon market has seen a marked shift lately to credits linked with compliance mechanisms, after a series of environmental integrity concerns in recent years undermined confidence in purely voluntary approaches. But developers hoping to set up projects that will issue credits remain constricted by a lack of clarity on which standards they should adhere to, and uncertainty as to whether countries will give them the approval they need to sell generated units internationally. The Article 6.4 supervisory body will meet in Germany in the first week of October, where it is scheduled to discuss a range of issues including methodologies. But debate on the mechanism's approach to certain activities is likely to spill over once again into the UN climate conference, with Cop 31 to be held in Antalya, Turkey in November. Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
UN carbon market sticks to clean cooking reversal rules
UN carbon market sticks to clean cooking reversal rules
Berlin, 18 September (Argus) — Experts tasked to work on methodologies for the new UN-regulated Paris agreement crediting mechanism (Pacm) are sticking to their controversial decision to require clean cooking activities to contribute some of the credits they generate to a buffer for reversals. Holding clean cooking activities accountable for the non-permanence of emissions reductions is in line with the latest science on this matter, to which Pacm is committed, Pacm's methodological expert panel said in an information note published on UN climate arm the UNFCCC's website on Friday. The buffer pool requirements have been strongly criticised by project developers, prompting Pacm's supervisory body to ask the panel for clarification. Project developers argue that clean cooking activities will be made economically unviable under the non-permanence requirements, on top of other methodology criteria that have been strongly tightened compared with Pacm predecessor the clean development mechanism (CDM) and the voluntary carbon market. Pacm clean cooking projects will be more expensive and this may lead to a shift towards other activities — either non-clean cooking within Pacm or clean cooking outside Pacm, the expert panel said in the information note. Contributing to the reversal risk buffer pool account could reduce the number of Pacm credits — so-called A6.4ERs — issued to activity participants by around 6pc in a charcoal-to-electricity activity under a 10pc reversal reduction scenario, or by around 60pc in a fuelwood-efficiency activity and assuming a 50pc reversal reduction scenario. But the central benefit of accounting for reversal risk is the "preservation of the environmental integrity of the Article 6.4 mechanism as a whole", the panel said, referring to the article of the Paris climate agreement governing the mechanism. The expert panel also proposed alternatives to a buffer pool contribution, while emphasising that they might require changes to the Article 6.4 rules. The issue is likely to be debated at the UN Cop 31 climate conference in Turkey in November. Alternatives include exempting mitigation contribution units — A6.4ERs whose emissions savings remain in the host country — from a buffer contribution. But this would create a different level of substantive claims between units, the experts cautioned. Or other activity types that are not subject to reversal risks could be required to make buffer pool contributions for clean cooking activities, perhaps as a bridging measure, or to allow clean cooking activities that are nested under a jurisdictional carbon crediting activity — mainly Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation — to be exempted. The panel recommended a list of natural reversal risk factors for different regions, nations and sub-nations, mirroring the Pacm factors for the fraction of non-renewable biomass. For Asia-Pacific, the wildfire risk factor has been put at 2.1pc, and the risk factor for all other natural reversal risks at 24.6pc. For Latin America and the Caribbean, the factors are 7.1pc and 24.9pc, respectively, and for sub-Saharan Africa they are 0.2pc and 12.3pc. Proposed national reversal risk factors vary greatly. The expert panel last week recommended two clean cooking methodology drafts to the supervisory body for the latter's next meeting — the CLEAR methodology submitted by the Clean Cooking and Climate Consortium, and a legacy CDM clean cooking methodology update focused on fuel-switching. Should the supervisory body adopt the two methodologies at its October meeting, this would bring the total number of Pacm methodologies to five, all passed this year. A range of further methodology proposals are under discussion but will not be adopted before next year. By Chloe Jardine Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Middle East crisis bolsters case for fossil fuel shift
Middle East crisis bolsters case for fossil fuel shift
Edinburgh, 23 April (Argus) — The war in the Middle East is strengthening the case for a transition away from fossil fuels, but countries must balance the crisis' shorter-term consequences on energy costs with longer-term policies. The situation will spur energy shifts, as others crises have done before, IEA executive director Fatih Birol said this week, pointing to increased fuel efficiency in vehicles, the rise of biofuels in Brazil and an increase in nuclear power in Europe and some countries in Asia-Pacific after the oil crises in the 1970s. "I believe there will be a major response on the energy side, and we are more fortunate now because we have many available technologies which are cost effective," he said. Turkey's environment minister Murat Kurum, the upcoming Cop 31 climate summit president, said this week that the crisis has "clearly shown us that fossil fuels do not guarantee energy supply security" and countries should invest in "alternative energy sources" to support stability, resilient and clean development. He recalled the agreement taken in Dubai in 2023, when almost 200 countries agreed on "transitioning away from fossil fuels in energy systems" and to triple renewable energy capacity and double energy efficiency rates by 2030. Kurum highlighted how important the need for alternative energy sources and economic diversification is now, considering national circumstances. "Doubling down on fossil fuels is not the answer to that crisis," Australia's climate and energy minister Chris Bowen said on 21 April , the same day UK energy minister Ed Miliband said "the era of fossil fuels is over". "In response to recent events, our actions must be faster, deeper and more wide-ranging to protect energy security", Ed Miliband said as he laid out measures to cut electricity costs . He said it will be irresponsible "to carry on with business as usual", because there are compelling clean alternatives to fossil fuels. EU energy commissioner Dan Jorgensen said more actions need to be taken to protect citizens and industries from future shocks, saying the current crisis "must be a wake-up call". But he cautioned about the costs being felt now and the long-term effects the crisis will have on member states' economies as countries find themselves having to balance short-term measures with longer term policies. Jorgensen warned against "burning" public money in fossil fuels subsidies, and suggested looking at targeted measures delivering "double value", such as offering support to change from boilers to heat pumps or electric vehicle (EV) leasing. He also said the crisis should not derail long term signals deployed alongside climate policies. Some countries in Asia-Pacific, including South Korea and Vietnam, have turned to increased coal-fired power generation to reduce LNG consumption, as the disruptions in the Mideast Gulf have cut off around 20pc of global LNG supply. Japan has moved to lift restrictions on coal-fired power plants until March 2027. Globally, power generation from fossil fuels fell in the first month since the maritime traffic halted through the strait of Hormuz, according to Helsinki-based Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air lead analyst Lauri Myllyvirta. But the IEA's Birol warned the longer the conflict goes on, the more severe the effects will be. Long-term strategy resilience is important because short-term reactions are always costly, Indian think-tank senior modelling specialist Niti Aayog Venugopal Mothkoor told Non-profit World Resources Institute (WRI). India is looking at electrification in terms of decarbonisation and as an important strategy to support resilience, because electricity can be produced domestically and most of the renewable resources are located in the country, he said. Long term policies to shift to cleaner energy cut emissions and contribute to bolster energy security and help insulate countries from fossil fuel price swings. "Long term strategies are indispensable in an unstable world," he said. "At the end of the day, we have to take steps to help countries to transition towards clean energies and in terms of phasing out fossil fuels," Turkey's Kurum said this week. By Caroline Varin Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Country focus
US rolls back strict fuel-economy standards
US rolls back strict fuel-economy standards
Washington, 28 September (Argus) — US president Donald Trump's administration on Monday, 29 September finalized a rule that weakens fuel-economy standards for cars and pickup trucks, further dismantling earlier policies that had supported sales of electric vehicles and hybrids. The new standards will require cars and trucks to achieve an average fuel economy of 34.9 miles/USG by model year 2031, down from a standard of 50.4 miles/USG that former-president Joe Biden had set in 2024. The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said the revised standards will cut the price of a new vehicle by about $1,300. The prior standards would have "forced Americans into cars they never wanted, and wasted Billions on Chargers that were never built", Trump said in a social media post Sunday after giving final approval to the rollback. Despite the upfront savings on the vehicle price, drivers will end up paying an extra $1,300-$1,600 on fuel over the lifespan of the vehicles sold through model year 2031 because of the rollback, according to NHTSA, translating to 738mn bl of additional fuel consumption. Democrats said weakening existing rules will mean higher fuel prices in the future. "Gas prices are at near-record highs and Trump's response is to force you to get fewer miles out of every tank of gas," California governor Gavin Newsom (D) said in a social media post over the weekend. The Republican-led US Congress had already effectively nullified NHTSA's fuel-economy standards last year, when they voted to eliminate all non-compliance penalties on automakers. Congress in the same law also repealed a $7,500 tax credit for electric vehicles. Separately, the Trump administration earlier this year repealed all climate regulations for cars and trucks, while blocking California's ability to enforce clean car standards that would have encouraged a switch to electric vehicles. Critics say those combined policies could allow Chinese automakers to take market share from the US on the production of electric vehicles. By Chris Knight Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Oman eyes potential 33pc emissions cut over 2024-35
Oman eyes potential 33pc emissions cut over 2024-35
London, 3 August (Argus) — Oman has released a new climate plan, with an absolute emissions reduction target of up to 33pc over 2024-35, depending on the level of international support received. The country's government committed to an unconditional reduction of 7pc in emissions by 2035, from a 2024 baseline, and an additional 26pc reduction over the same timeframe on a conditional basis. National climate plans submitted by developing countries to UN climate body the UNFCCC are often split into unconditional and conditional actions — the latter reliant on external financial or technical support. Oman estimated its total emissions in 2024 at 93.6mn t/CO2 equivalent (CO2e). It has changed its approach, now using 2024 as its baseline, rather than using a business-as-usual trajectory. Oman plans to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050. The government plans to reduce emissions by expanding renewable energy, improving energy efficiency and managing land and water resources sustainably to maximise carbon sinks. It aims to ramp up waste-to-energy, address methane from landfill sites and look at "gradual adoption" of carbon capture, use and storage (CCUS) in heavy industry. The government also flagged green hydrogen as a "major diversification pathway". Oman has a green hydrogen production target of at least 1mn t/yr by 2030 and up to 8.5mn t/yr by 2050, according to the plan. But for the time being, Oman's economy "remains heavily dependent on oil and gas exports", the plan noted. The country has a "clear direction toward economic diversification", it said. The government plans to reduce the oil sector's share of GDP to 16pc by 2030 and 8.4pc by 2040. "Oil activities" accounted for 32pc of GDP in the fourth quarter of 2024, according to the country's foreign ministry. Oman, a member of the Opec+ group, produced 923,500 b/d of crude in June . Oman's new plan also set out the estimated investment needed to reach its emission reduction targets — a total of $31bn over 2026-35 to abate 30.4mn t/yr of CO2e across energy, industry, waste and agriculture. Much of the plan also focuses on adaptation — adjusting to the effects of climate change where possible. Water stress and availability is a key area for Oman, and the plan notes a "clear warming trend" in the country — its mean temperature increased by around 0.4°C per decade between 1980 and 2013. The plan is Oman's third nationally determined contribution (NDC) under the Paris climate agreement. Signatories to the Paris agreement are required to submit NDCs every five years, rising in ambition each time. While countries reach decisions at Cops, the NDCs are the chief route for the implementation of climate action. By Georgia Gratton Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Colombia gets ball rolling on fossil fuel shift talks
Colombia gets ball rolling on fossil fuel shift talks
The conference offered a calmer space to discuss fraught topics and how to convert words into actions, writes Lucas Parolin Rio de Janeiro, 8 May (Argus) — A conference on transitioning away from fossil fuels, held in Santa Marta, Colombia, at the end of April did not bring any new commitments to phase out hydrocarbons, but it did look to keep the topic at the top of the climate agenda. Delegates attended from about 60 countries, including some oil and gas-producing nations committed to advancing energy transition talks. Countries represented accounted for about a fifth of global oil production, a third of oil consumption and a third of the world's GDP, according to Colombian officials. Colombia and the Netherlands — co-hosts of the conference — were looking to push the topic forward outside official UN channels. Despite the historic UN Cop 28 climate summit pledge in 2023 , discussions on transitioning away from fossil fuels continue to face opposition from large hydrocarbon-producing and consuming countries, such as China, Russia, the US and Saudi Arabia, which tend to want the focus to be on reducing emissions, rather than fossil fuel output. These countries were not invited because the conference was intended to work as a ‘coalition of the willing'. Only countries " already convinced and ready to work on solutions for the transition " were invited, the Colombian environment ministry's head of international affairs, Daniela Duran, said. Santa Marta kept its focus on fossil fuels, according to non-governmental organisation Earth Insight's engagement director, Juan Pablo Osornio. Participants discussed "the input for combustion", rather than the resulting emissions, he said, adding that this could change the way countries address the topic in future. The debate is shifting from discussing climate change drivers — emissions — to their root cause — fossil fuels — something largely overlooked until Dubai. The disruption to oil and gas supplies from the closure of the strait of Hormuz could make energy security, rather than climate change, the key driver of any acceleration in consumer moves away from these fuels . But fossil fuels are responsible for 80pc of all global emissions, according to a study by the Energy Transitions Commission, a global coalition of leaders from across the energy landscape committed to achieving net zero emissions by 2050. Some countries invited to Santa Marta are still looking to only reduce emissions, but not necessarily fossil fuel usage and production. Canada and Norway stuck to their positions on production. And Nigeria — Africa's largest oil and gas producer — reiterated its call for a just transition for developing economies, saying countries should discuss a phase-down, not a phase-out, of fossil fuels. Safe space Santa Marta was not a place for new commitments, but a space for productive discussions on controversial topics. It aimed for "multilateralism without de facto vetoes" that is "capable of translating agreements into implementation", according to Colombia's environment minister, Irene Velez Torres. Three workstream plans were laid down, including one to help nations develop their own voluntary transition roadmaps. France presented one during the event, and Colombia published a draft document, intended to work as a potential template for other countries. Brazil is also working on one . The impact of Santa Marta on future Cop negotiations is difficult to assess, with the Turkish Cop 31 presidency putting progress in phasing out fossil fuels lower down the list of priorities . No country has shown it is willing to propose putting transition on the summit agenda. But Cop 30's presidency has pledged to present a roadmap in Turkey. The ball is rolling, Osornio said, and conversations at Santa Marta and future phase-out conferences "will continue to push the issue of fossil fuels and will undoubtedly have an impact within the [UN Framework Convention on Climate Change]". Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
France's fossil fuel roadmap a key step: think tanks
France's fossil fuel roadmap a key step: think tanks
Edinburgh, 29 April (Argus) — France's roadmap to transition away from fossil fuels, which combines energy policies and climate targets in one document, is an important step, even though no new goals were announced, energy and climate think tanks said today. France released the roadmap yesterday, during the first conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels, ongoing in Santa Marta, Colombia. The plan matches France's climate goals with its energy policies in one document, including its national low carbon strategy and its new electrification plan set out in April . It reiterates the country's goal to move from a share of around 60pc fossil fuels in final energy consumption in 2023 to 40pc in 2030 and 30pc in 2035, to reach net zero emissions in 2050. The government plans to phase out coal by 2030, oil by 2045 and natural gas by 2050, under its national low carbon strategy and its roadmap. "France is one of the few countries in the world to have such a precise schedule for a gradual exit from fossil fuels," the French environment ministry said. The French roadmap aims to inspire partner countries on long-term planning, it said. France's last two remaining coal-fired power plants are scheduled to close or be converted by next year. The roadmap also states that over 95pc of fossil fuels burned in the country are imported. France eyes a 50pc reduction in gross greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2030 compared with 1990, to reach net zero emissions by 2050. Although the country did not announce new goals, the roadmap sends an important signal, think-tank International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) energy policy advisor Natalie Jones said. "Higher ambition and not solely repackaging existing policies would have been even better, but an explicit fossil fuel phase strategy, with timelines, is new and welcome," she said. She added that the framing of the roadmap in relation to UN Cop climate summits, the global stocktake and climate action is significant. The first global stocktake, agreed on in 2023 at Cop 28, called for a transition away from fossil fuels in energy systems. "Few countries tackle all fossil fuels together — this gives other countries a critical opportunity to follow suit, while fossil fuel-producing nations can also lay out plans to diversify their economies as global demand for fossil fuels wanes in the decades ahead," said global research organisation WRI director of international climate action David Waskow. Asked about whether other EU countries could release fossil fuel transition roadmaps in the future, EU climate commissioner Wopke Hoekstra yesterday said that whether roadmaps are "specifically about phasing out fossil fuels… is secondary to impact". He reiterated the EU's goals — net zero emissions by 2050 and a 55pc reduction for 2030, from 1990 levels — pointing out that the wording is about reducing emissions rather than specifically phasing out fossil fuels. The "reality is… the same, you cannot be at 90pc [of emission cuts] in 2040 if you will not radically phase out fossil fuels", Hoekstra said. The EU updated its climate law earlier this year to add a 90pc GHG reduction by 2040, from 1990 levels, although up to 5pc of the target can be met using international carbon credits. Fossil fuel producer Colombia also presented a draft fossil fuel transition roadmap this week, developed with researchers, and designed to act as a potential standard for other countries to use. It aims to achieve a 90pc reduction in primary fossil fuel demand over 2026-50, and a 90pc cut in "whole energy system emissions" from 2015-50, while expanding access to energy. The plan pointed to the country's dependence on fossil fuels for revenues. Colombia exports oil and coal worth $25bn, against around $1bn in fossil fuel imports — mainly oil products, according to the roadmap. By Caroline Varin and Lucas Parolin Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.