energy policy
South Africa Zandkopsdrift project targets rare earth production through battery mineral co-extraction strategy
The European Union-backed Zandkopsdrift project in South Africa is set to revolutionize the economics of critical mineral extraction by leveraging a dual-mineral production model designed to offset the traditionally prohibitive costs of rare earth element (REE) processing. Located in the arid expanse of the Northern Cape province, the project represents a cornerstone of the EU’s […]
Resilience and Empowerment Women Leading the Climate Transition in Vanuatus Remote Communities
In the remote villages of the Vanuatu archipelago, a profound transformation is taking place that challenges the traditional global narrative of Pacific Island nations as mere victims of the climate crisis. While the headlines frequently emphasize the catastrophic damage wrought by intensifying tropical cyclones and rising sea levels, a grassroots movement led by Ni-Vanuatu women […]
Deep divisions persist as plastics treaty talks restart at informal meeting
The United States government has issued a sharp rebuke against a coalition of European Union member states and Pacific island nations over their insistence on mandatory global caps for plastic production. This diplomatic friction comes at a critical juncture in the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) sessions, where delegates from nearly 200 countries are attempting to […]
Women the world over are stopping energy projects that harm the climate and environment, and building regenerative futures
On International Women’s Day 2026, a comprehensive series of reports from global environmental monitoring groups and grassroots coalitions highlights a definitive shift in the landscape of climate activism: the leading role of women in successfully halting large-scale fossil fuel and extractive projects. From the coastal waters of South Africa to the dense rainforests of the […]
The US’s critical minerals club threatens an equitable clean energy transition
The reconfiguration of these supply chains is driven by an urgent need to decouple from Chinese dominance in the processing and refining of rare earth elements, cobalt, lithium, and nickel. However, the dual-use nature of these minerals—essential for both electric vehicle (EV) batteries and advanced munitions—has led to a policy framework that increasingly favors the […]
Restricting raw materials exports is well-intentioned but without other policies to foster domestic processing, they can backfire
The global transition toward renewable energy and electric vehicles (EVs) has sparked a modern-day "gold rush" for critical minerals, including lithium, cobalt, nickel, and copper. As demand for these resources surges, resource-rich nations in the Global South are increasingly moving to ensure that they do not remain mere exporters of raw ores. In an effort […]
China and Brazil join pledge to triple global nuclear energy capacity
The Scale of China’s Nuclear Ascovancy Over the past decade and a half, the landscape of global energy production has shifted toward East Asia. While Western nations have grappled with aging fleets, regulatory hurdles, and massive cost overruns in new builds, China has treated nuclear power as an infrastructure priority akin to its high-speed rail […]
The Tropical Forest Forever Facility (TFFF) designers are aiming to secure billions of dollars more government investment this year.
As the global community enters the second quarter of 2026, the architects behind the Tropical Forest Forever Facility (TFFF) have intensified their diplomatic efforts to finalize a massive capital injection from G20 nations and private institutional investors. The ambitious financial mechanism, which seeks to revolutionize how the world pays for the conservation of standing tropical […]
UN Oversight Committee to Address Delayed Climate Pledges from Over 60 Countries Including India and Vietnam
The international community faces a critical juncture in the global effort to mitigate the climate crisis as more than 60 nations have missed the deadline to submit their updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). This administrative and political bottleneck has prompted the United Nations oversight committee to convene a high-level discussion this month to determine a […]
UK Aid Budget Slashed to Finance Largest Defense Expansion Since the Cold War Era
The United Kingdom government has officially announced a sweeping reallocation of its national budget, diverting billions of pounds from the international development fund to facilitate what Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper described as the most significant surge in defense spending since the height of the Cold War. This strategic pivot, confirmed on March 19, 2026, marks […]
