Ed Miliband to double down on net zero with measures to combat Iran energy shock As fossil fuel prices soar ‘the era of clean energy security must come of age’, energy secretary will say

Ed Miliband will double down on Labour’s commitment to net zero in the face of the Middle East conflict this week, insisting that as fossil fuel prices soar “the era of clean energy security must come of age”.

www.theguardian.com/business/202...

$30m an hour: big oil reaping huge war windfall from consumers, analysis finds Exclusive: Climate action blockers including Saudi Arabia, Russia and major fossil fuel firms set to make extra $234bn by end of 2026

$30m an hour: big oil reaping huge Iran war windfall from consumers, analysis finds

Exclusive: Climate action blockers including Saudi Arabia, Russia and major fossil fuel firms set to make extra $234bn by end of 2026

@globalwitness.org #rystadenergy
Story by me
www.theguardian.com/environment/...

EU to Bet on Electricification to Avert Recurring Energy Crises The European Union will float a series of measures next week to help the continent deal with the Iran war’s energy price fallout, as well as electrify the economy to avert future fossil fuel shocks.

NEW: The EU will announce a big bet on electrification next week to help it whether future energy crises.

The draft includes floating targeted amendments to ensure electricity is taxed less than fossil fuels, and doubling down on heatpumps.

Read more here 👇

www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Jonah Fisher was reporting on cod overfishing the other day…

New North Sea drilling would barely reduce UK gas imports at all, data shows Exclusive: research finds Jackdaw field would provide only about 2% of current demand, and Rosebank only 1%

New research shows opening up the Jackdaw and Rosebank fields in the North Sea would do virtually nothing to reduce the UK's dependence on imported gas.

It is odd how climate change has almost entirely left the conversation - and yet it, and the attempt to address it, lies at the core of so many of the challenges that Britain, Europe and the world are facing right now

Leading UK climate scientists warn against new North Sea drilling Intervention comes as political pressure rises for British government response to energy crisis caused by Iran war

65 climate scientists write to party leaders urging the UK to prioritise renewable energy as a more cost-effective response to the fossil fuel crisis than turning to the North Sea, where 90% of reserves have already been extracted, and more extraction would have little, if any, impact on prices.

Night Into Day The thing changing the world this year is...batteries.

This looks like a complicated chart, but in fact it's some of the simplest and best news imaginable: batteries are quickly turning night into noon. Worth a read if I say so myself
open.substack.com/pub/billmcki...

Britain’s food supply ‘at risk of catastrophic failure by 2030’ A report written before the 2024 election says climate change, habitat loss and geopolitical instability are a danger to food security — and it has been ignored

hello! Does this work for tiny doomsdays..? (I don’t think it made the print version of the Times…(

www.thetimes.com/uk/environme...

Hundreds of North Sea licences granted by Conservatives have ‘so far produced only 36 days worth of gas’ Exclusive: Findings cast doubt on claims new drilling would help cut bills and boost energy security, researchers say

When someone tells you they'll base the country's future energy security off of North Sea gas, they're not being honest with you.
14 years & a policy of 'maxing out' the basin produced only 36 days worth of gas to date

www.theguardian.com/business/202...

On new North Sea drilling - letter in today’s Times:

Ministers ignored report warning that climate change, habitat loss and geopolitical instability were undermining Britain’s food security to such a degree that it could be “at strategic risk of catastrophic failure” by 2030:

www.thetimes.com/uk/environme...

Hormuz fertiliser block will upend world’s food production Any ceasefire negotiations must include a humanitarian carve-out for such shipments

"If fertiliser isn’t moving through Strait of Hormuz in two weeks’ time, we won’t be debating any more, we’ll be sending in aid. If it’s not moving in four weeks, we’ll be managing instability. It’s time to act on agricultural calendar, not the diplomatic one."

giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...

UN issues new climate warning as El Niño looms The Earth's climate is further out of balance than at any time in recorded history, the UN's weather agency says.

Earth's climate is further out of balance than at any time in recorded history, warns @wmo-global.bsky.social

Last 11 years were Earth's 11 warmest years in records going back to 1850

Levels of atmospheric CO2 are at their highest for at least two million years

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

If Kemi Badenoch thinks drilling the North Sea is the answer to the energy crisis that really should be disqualifying. If she understands it’s more complex than that, then why is she peddling such transparent bullshit to voters? www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/03...

Drilling for oil and gas "will not ⬇️ bills or deliver energy security" and new lisences for "marginal projects" could lead to ⬆️ "state support and overall decommissioning costs for the taxpayer."

Here’s why, according to the UK Energy Research Centre @ukerc.bsky.social 🧵 👇

Study: EV charging costs to fall, as petrol prices keep climbing ECIU calculates running cost savings enjoyed by EV drivers are set to rise to over £1,000 a year compared to petrol drivers

Yet more evidence EV drivers are going to save a lot of money in the coming months.
www.businessgreen.com/news/4527285...

I don’t mean to question Susannah, but haven’t northern hemisphere farmers (such as in the UK) already bought and spread fertiliser for this growing season? The shortage is a bigger immediate issue for other countries, eg in Africa/Asia.

Around 90% of UK North Sea oil and gas ‘already drained dry’… New drilling could amount to just 1–2% of total extracted since commercial operations began and through to 2050.

Analysis of official UK oil and gas statistics and projections suggest that 93% of the oil and gas that is likely to be produced from the North Sea has already been extracted:

eciu.net/media/press-...

Drilling for Oil and Gas Will not Reduce Bills or Deliver Energy Security. Here’s Why War in the Gulf and the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz have been accompanied, with disappointing...

"Squeezing additional oil and gas production from the UK may be technically possible, but it will have negligible impact on the UK cost of living."

Why calls for more North Sea licensing are simplistic, via @ukerc.bsky.social

ukerc.ac.uk/news/drillin...

Rightwing narrative fuelling false belief UK public oppose net zero, study finds Reform, Tory and some media rhetoric runs contrary to poll showing far more voters for net zero than against it

rightwing media narratives are fuelling a false backlash against climate action

An echo chamber of elite opinion, has led to MPs significantly underestimating public support for climate policies and overestimate public opposition to local clean energy projects

www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Experts issue verdict on whether North Sea drilling will reduce UK energy bills The analysis comes amid soaring energy prices as a result of the US-Israeli war on Iran which has closed the Strait of Hormuz – a key shipping route for oil and gas supplies

Analysis finds that a UK powered entirely by clean energy could save households up to £441 annually on their bills, whereas maximising oil and gas extraction from North Sea would offer just £16 to £82 in annual savings per household:

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...

El Niño could be here soon, bringing wild weather and a hotter climate | CNN There are increasing indications El Niño is likely to form and strengthen into potentially a significant event during the next several months, throwing weather patterns worldwide out of whack and incr...

NOAA issues an El Niño Watch, indicating conditions are favorable for it to develop during the next 6 months. More details (updated story), including info on its potential far-ranging impacts and intensity: www.cnn.com/2026/03/10/w...

The UK's EV transition is accelerating - but can it be sustained? New official data suggests EV adoption in the UK is 'on track' to meet government targets, but the auto industry is continuing to demand an 'urgent review' of targets it fears are too ambitious

Fair play to the auto industry for calling for a review of the planned transition to EVs just as soaring petrol prices highlight why a fast transition is so important. www.businessgreen.com/news-analysi...

Reaching net zero by 2050 ‘cheaper for UK than one fossil fuel crisis’ Climate change committee finds move to renewable energy would also bring health, economic and security benefits

Achieving UK’s net zero target by 2050 will cost less than a single oil shock and bring health and economic benefits while insulating the country against future costs, says CCC:

www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Daily Mail amends electric car story after Yougov poll showed public could have been misled Polling on whether the public had been misled by a Daily Mail story forced press regulator IPSO to rethink rejection of electric car complaint

Amusing and enraging story of IPSO somehow concluding clearly misleading comparisons were not misleading, only for polling from @eciu.net to show readers were indeed misled. pressgazette.co.uk/the-wire/new...

Tehran residents warned of acid rain after oil storage attack Iran’s Red Crescent Society tells locals to avoid exposure as capital is engulfed in smoke

Tehran residents warned of acid rain after oil storage attack ft.trib.al/1vHcns1

Qatar warns war will force Gulf to stop energy exports within weeks Gas producer says it will take ‘weeks to months’ to restore deliveries after Iranian drone strike

Qatar warns war will force Gulf to stop energy exports within weeks ft.trib.al/JQxKy5e

How the war in Iran is pushing up petrol prices - and boosting the case for EVs The escalating conflict in the Middle East could push up UK petrol prices by hundreds of pounds a year for the average driver, further enhancing the savings on offer for EV drivers

EV drivers about to enjoy even more substantial financial savings (although this will come as very cold comfort if oil prices do soar past $120 a barrel and trigger full blown economic crisis). www.businessgreen.com/news-analysi...