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DUBAI, Dec 5 (Reuters) - U.S. special climate envoy John Kerry on Tuesday launched an international engagement plan to boost nuclear fusion, saying the emissions-free technology could become a vital tool in the fight against climate change. Kerry said the plan involved 35 nations and would focus on research and development, supply chain issues, and regulation, and safety. "There is potential in fusion to revolutionize our world," Kerry told the COP28 climate summit in Dubai. U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry participates in an event on women's role in building a climate-resilient world, at COP28 World Climate Summit, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, December 4, 2023. Of the two main types of fusion, one uses lasers to concentrate energy on a gold pellet containing hydrogen.

Persons: John Kerry, Kerry, Amr Alfiky, Valerie Volcovici, Richard Valdmanis, William James, Alexander Smith Organizations: Dubai . Fusion, United Arab Emirates, REUTERS, Thomson Locations: DUBAI, Dubai, U.S, United Arab, Britain, United States, Australia, China, Germany, Japan, California

In this year's gleaming host city of Dubai, billboards advertise the benefits of wind energy, climate ambition and Exxon Mobil's (XOM.N) carbon capture projects. This is seen by some as a sign of success and by others as a dangerous distraction from the business of combating climate change as over nearly three decades global oil demand, carbon emissions and temperatures have marched steadily upward. "It's a lobby fest where polluters can schmooze with politicians, all under the guise of tackling climate change," Pascoe Sabido, a researcher at the Corporate Europe Observatory, which scrutinizes corporate influence on policy-making, said. Delegates walk at the Dubai's Expo City during the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, December 4, 2023. For daily comprehensive coverage on COP28 in your inbox, sign up for the Reuters Sustainable Switch newsletter here.

Persons: Exxon Mobil's, Pascoe Sabido, Alden Meyer, Meyer, Lisa Jacobson, Jacobson, Thaier, We're, –, Daniel Lund, Joko Widodo, COP28, Jake Schmidt, Darren Woods, General Antonio Guterres, Al Gore, Valerie Volcovici, Katy Daigle, Kate Abnett, Sarah McFarlane, Bernadette Christina, Richard Valdmanis, Alexander Smith Organizations: Exxon, Corporate, Observatory, United Nations, Business Council, Sustainable Energy, Global Strategic Communications Council, Change, United Arab Emirates, REUTERS, Natural Resources Defense, Exxon Mobil, Drillers, U.S, Reuters, Thomson Locations: DUBAI, Dubai, Berlin, The Hague, COP28, United Arab, Fiji, Indonesia, China, UAE

Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore speaks during an interview with Reuters at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28), in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, December 3, 2023. REUTERS/Amr Alfliky Acquire Licensing RightsDUBAI, Dec 3 (Reuters) - Climate advocate and former U.S. Vice President Al Gore on Sunday slammed the UAE - host of the COP28 climate summit - saying its position as overseer of international negotiations on global warming this year was an abuse of public trust. "They are abusing the public's trust by naming the CEO of one of the largest and least responsible oil companies in the world as head of the COP," Gore said. That data came from a coalition he co-founded called Climate TRACE, which uses artificial intelligence and satellite data to track carbon emissions of specific companies, Gore said. "The current state of the technology for carbon capture and direct air capture is a research project," Gore said.

Persons: Al Gore, Amr Alfliky, Sultan al, Jaber, Gore, Darren Woods, There's, Valerie Volcovici, Will Dunham Organizations: U.S, Reuters, United Nations, Change, United Arab Emirates, REUTERS, Rights, Sunday, Democratic Party's, Exxon Mobil, Thomson Locations: Dubai, United Arab, UAE

Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton delivers remarks during the unveiling of her portrait, at the State Department in Washington, U.S., September 26, 2023. REUTERS/Ken Cedeno/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsDUBAI, Dec 3 (Reuters) - Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called on Sunday for reform of the insurance sector, where companies are increasingly withdrawing assistance against climate shocks. Lower-income countries and workers in nations most affected by climate change are struggling to access insurance to help protect them from economic shocks. "We need to rethink the insurance industry," Clinton said during a panel on women and climate resiliency. "People in the United States, Europe, they're going to wake up and say, 'What do you mean, I can't get insurance?'"

Persons: Hillary Rodham Clinton, Ken Cedeno, Hillary Clinton, Clinton, it's, Valerie Volcovici, Elizabeth Piper, Katy Daigle, Jan Harvey Organizations: U.S, State Department, REUTERS, Rights, Former U.S, Insurance, Foundation Resilience, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Former, India, U.S, United States, Europe

A pipeline that moves methane gas from the Frank R. Bowerman landfill to an onsite power plant is shown in Irvine, California, California, U.S., June 15, 2021. The philanthropies, which include the Bezos Earth Fund, Bloomberg Philanthropies and the Sequoia Climate Foundation, will help accelerate the phase-down of methane emissions and other non-carbon dioxide greenhouse gases. That means that reining in methane emissions can have a more immediate impact in limiting climate change. Research firm Kayrros, which tracks methane emissions, said on Friday that despite the pledge, emissions of methane are not coming down, and in some places, they are even going up. Rapid cuts in methane emissions from fossil fuels could lead to a reduction of 0.1°C in global temperature rise by mid-century," said Antoine Rostand, CEO of Kayrros.

Persons: Frank R, Bowerman, Mike Blake, Bloomberg Philanthropies, ”, Mia Amor Mottley, “ We’ve, Antoine Rostand, Valerie Volcovici, Frances Kerry Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Fund, Bloomberg, Sequoia Climate Foundation, U.S, Thomson Locations: Irvine , California , California, U.S, United States, UAE, China, Barbados, EU

People arrive to attend the Pledging Conference of the Green Climate Fund (GCF) for the First Replenishment in Paris, France, October 25, 2019. REUTERS/Pascal Rossignol/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsDUBAI, Dec 2 (Reuters) - The United States will pledge $3 billion to the Green Climate Fund, sources familiar with matter said on Saturday as Vice President Kamala Harris arrived in Dubai for the U.N. climate summit. The fund, with more than $20 billion in pledges, is the largest international fund dedicated to supporting climate action in developing countries. The latest pledge, which Reuters was first to report, would be additional to another $2 billion previously delivered by the United States. In addition to supporting climate adaptation, the fund also finances projects to help countries shift to clean energy.

Persons: Pascal, Kamala Harris, Harris, replenishments, Joe Biden, John Kerry, Nandita Bose, Valerie Volcovici, William James, Elizabeth Piper, Katy Daigle, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: Climate, REUTERS, Rights, Climate Fund, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Paris, France, United, Dubai, United States, U.S, COP28

The rules, two years in the making, were announced by U.S. officials at the United Nations COP28 climate change conference in Dubai. Methane tends to leak into the atmosphere undetected from drill sites, gas pipelines and other oil and gas equipment. It has more warming potential than carbon dioxide and breaks down in the atmosphere faster, so reining in methane emissions can have a more immediate impact on limiting climate change. The agency also tweaked the Super Emitter Program so that third parties send information on methane leaks to EPA directly for verification. The American Petroleum Institute, an oil and gas industry trade group, said it was reviewing the rule.

Persons: Liz Hampton, Biden, Michael Regan, Michelle Lujan Grisham, Jill Tauber, Dustin Meyer, Darren Woods, Nichola Groom, Valerie Volcovici, Diane Craft, Giles Elgood Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Saturday, U.S, United, Environmental, EPA, New, American Petroleum Institute, Reuters, Thomson Locations: New Mexico, U.S, United Nations, Dubai, The United States, United States, COP28

[1/2] World leaders and delegates walk at Dubai's Expo City ahead of the World Climate Action Summit during the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, December 1, 2023. Away from the main stage, delegations and technical committees set to work on Friday with the mammoth task of assessing their progress in meeting global climate targets, specifically the Paris Agreement goal of limiting global warming to within 2 degrees Celsius above preindustrial temperatures. The United Nations on Friday published its first draft for what could serve as a template for a final agreement from the COP28 summit, which ends Dec. 12. The summit also clinched an early victory by adopting a new fund to help poor nations cope with costly climate disasters. ___For daily comprehensive coverage on COP28 in your inbox, sign up for the Reuters Sustainable Switch newsletter here.

Persons: Thomas Mukoya, Britain's King Charles, Antonio Guterres, William Ruto, Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, Sultan Ahmed al, Jaber, Valerie Volcovici, William James, Katy Daigle, Miral Organizations: United Nations, Change, United Arab Emirates, REUTERS, Rights, Saudi, United Arab, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Dubai, United Arab, Paris, United Arab Emirates

DUBAI, Dec 1 (Reuters) - A member of the main advisory board of the COP28 climate summit resigned on Friday over reports that the UAE presidency used the meeting to secure new oil, gas deals, according to her resignation letter seen by Reuters. Hilda Heine, former president of the low-lying, climate vulnerable Marshall Islands, said reports that the UAE planned to discuss possible natural gas and other commercial deals ahead of U.N. climate talks were "deeply disappointing" and threatened to undermine the credibility of the multilateral negotiation process. "These actions undermine the integrity of the COP presidency and the process as a whole," Heiner wrote in the letter she sent to COP President Sultan al-Jaber. She added that the only way for Jaber to restore trust in the process was to "deliver an outcome that demonstrates that you are committed to phasing out fossil fuels." Reporting by Valerie Volcovici; Editing by Susan FentonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Hilda Heine, Heiner, Sultan al, Jaber, Valerie Volcovici, Susan Fenton Organizations: Reuters, Thomson Locations: DUBAI, UAE, Marshall, U.N

Greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels are the biggest cause of climate change. "We have a world which has more fossil fuels than ever," said Ani Dasgupta, president of the World Resources Institute, a climate NGO. U.S. officials and others are hopeful a recent climate deal between the U.S. and China may also set a positive tone for the talks. Another test is whether wealthy nations announce money for the fund at COP28 - to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars. "Speaking from previous experience, unfortunately most of the global agreements, most of the global climate related pledges went uncompleted," said Najib Ahmed, National Consultant at Somalia's Climate Ministry.

Persons: Sultan al, Jaber, ADNOC, Ani Dasgupta, Narendra Modi, Britain's King Charles, Joe Biden, Gayane, Najib Ahmed, Valerie Volcovici, Josie Kao Organizations: OPEC, United Nations, International Energy Agency, BBC, World Resources Institute, Indian, European Union, Reuters, U.S, FINANCE, EU, Climate Ministry, “, Thomson Locations: Paris, France, WASHINGTON, BRUSSELS, Dubai, UAE, U.S, China, India

Scientists have said carbon removal is needed to keep climate goals alive. Otherwise, the enormous price tag for world-scale carbon removal would need to fall to governments if there is any chance of these projects surviving. A major concern is that DAC technology is both expensive and unproven at scale. More mature carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology, which traps emissions at a point source like a smokestack, also requires a rapid scale up to make a difference. Their money will be made instead by marketing carbon removal credits to corporations not involved in fossil fuels that wish to offset unavoidable emissions, or to governments seeking to stay on track with climate targets.

Persons: Climeworks, ”, Vikrum Aiyer, Sultan al, Jaber, Vicki Hollub, Mike Avery, Christoph Gebald, Richard Valdmanis, Marguerita Choy Organizations: Reuters, REUTERS, Occidental Petroleum, BlackRock, U.S ., Occidental, 28th United, OPEC, United Arab, International Energy Agency, IEA, Global CCS Institute, Stratos, DAC, Department of Energy, Thomson Locations: Tracy , California, Texas, In Louisiana, 28th United Nations, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Louisiana, Iceland, California, U.S, UAE, Occidental

Some oil and gas companies have so far participated in voluntary programs to monitor or reduce their methane emissions. Last year's methane emissions from the energy industry totaled some 135 million metric tons, slightly higher than the year before. Climate experts say that including methane efforts in a legally binding summit agreement is a priority. That means that reining in methane emissions can have a more immediate impact in limiting climate change. Countries and philanthropies previously have pledged roughly $200 million for tackling methane – less than 2% of all current climate financing.

Persons: Rachel Kyte, Rick Duke, Mark Brownstein, Durwood Zaelke, Valerie Volcovici, Sarah McFarlane, Kate Abnett, Katy Daigle, Josie Kao Organizations: Reuters, Clean Air Task Force, U.S, United Arab, The, Bank, Environmental Defense Fund, Institute for Governance, Sustainable Development, D.C, EU, Thomson Locations: EU, United Arab Emirates, UAE, Turkmenistan, The UAE, U.S, China, Canada, COP28, Washington, London, Brussels

Michael Regan, the administrator of the EPA, speaks onstage with Daniel Yergin, the vice chairman of S&P Global, during the CERAWeek energy conference in Houston, Texas, U.S., March 9, 2023. The Community Change Grants are the single largest investment in environmental justice that has been made by an administration, and a key measure to achieve the administration's goal of ensuring that 40% of federal clean energy investment benefits flow to disadvantaged communities. The Biden administration's spending on climate and environmental justice measures has been under scrutiny by Republican lawmakers seeking to undercut the president's climate agenda. "This historic, unprecedented funding has the promise to turn disadvantaged and overburdened areas into healthy, resilient, and thriving communities for current and future generations,” EPA Administrator Michael Regan said. The EPA will review applications on a rolling basis and encouraged applicants to apply as early as possible.

Persons: Michael Regan, Daniel Yergin, Callaghan O'Hare, Valerie Volcovici, Franklin Paul Organizations: P Global, REUTERS, Rights, Biden, Republican, EPA, Virgin, Franklin Paul Our, Thomson Locations: Houston , Texas, U.S, Alaska, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Guam, Mexico

Fusion could have an important advantage over today's nuclear fission plants that split atoms, as it does not produce long-lasting radioactive waste. The former secretary of state will announce his plan to lay out the strategy - which foresees commercialization within years, not decades - on Monday on a tour of fusion company Commonwealth Fusion Systems near Boston. "I will have much more to say on the United States’ vision for international partnerships for an inclusive fusion energy future at COP28," Kerry said in a statement. Some critics say fusion will be too expensive and take too long to develop to help in the fight against climate change in the foreseeable future. In 2023, international fusion companies have garnered about $1.4 billion in investments for a total of about $6.21 billion in mostly private money, the Fusion Industry Association said, down from about $2.83 billion in new investment last year.

Persons: John Kerry, Kerry, Claudio Descalzi, Valerie Volcovici, Timothy Gardner, Jan Harvey Organizations: Eni, WASHINGTON, Commonwealth Fusion Systems, Fusion, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Commonwealth, United, U.S, National, Fusion Industry Association, FIA, Thomson Locations: U.S, Dubai , U.S, Boston, California, United States, COP28, Germany, Japan, China, Australia

That position is opposed by the plastic industry and by oil and petrochemical exporters like Saudi Arabia, who want to see plastic use continue. They argue that the treaty should focus on recycling and reusing plastics, sometimes referred to in the talks as "circularity" in the plastics supply. In a submission ahead of this week's negotiations, Saudi Arabia said the root cause of plastic pollution was "inefficient management of waste." "The plastics agreement should be focused on ending plastic pollution, not plastic production," Kastner told Reuters in a statement. Countries will also be debating whether the treaty should set transparency standards for chemical use in plastics production.

Persons: Carlo Allegri, David Azoulay, Matthew Kastner, Kastner, Bjorn Beeler, Beeler, Christina Dixon, Valerie Volcovici, Katy Daigle, Aurora Ellis Organizations: United Nations, UN, REUTERS, Center for International Environmental, European Union, U.S . State Department, Reuters, The International Council of Chemical Associations, Network, Saudi, Environmental Investigation Agency, Thomson Locations: Manhattan, New York City , New York, U.S, Nairobi, Kenya, Japan, Canada, Saudi Arabia, United States

'Cop28 UAE' logo is displayed on the screen during the opening ceremony of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW) under the theme of 'United on Climate Action Toward COP28', in Abu Dhabi, UAE, January 16, 2023. REUTERS/Rula Rouhana/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON/BRUSSELS, Nov 9 (Reuters) - More than 60 countries have said they back a deal spearheaded by the European Union, United States and United Arab Emirates to triple renewable energy this decade and shift away from coal, two officials familiar with the matter told Reuters on Thursday. Some major emerging economies like Nigeria, South Africa and Vietnam, developed countries like Australia, Japan and Canada, and others including Peru, Chile, Zambia and Barbados have said they will join the pledge, the officials told Reuters. One of the officials told Reuters negotiations with China and India to join the pledge are "quite advanced," although neither has yet agreed to join. Reporting by Valerie Volcovici and Kate Abnett; Editing by Tom HogueOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Rula, Valerie Volcovici, Kate Abnett, Tom Hogue Organizations: Abu Dhabi Sustainability, REUTERS, European Union, United, United Arab Emirates, Reuters, EU, Thomson Locations: UAE, Abu Dhabi, WASHINGTON, BRUSSELS, United States, United Arab, Dubai, Nigeria, South Africa, Vietnam, Australia, Japan, Canada, Peru, Chile, Zambia, Barbados, China, India

A loss and damage fund would be the first United Nations mechanism dedicated to helping countries that have suffered irreparable climate-driven damage from drought, floods and rising sea levels. "There was a lot at stake at this meeting," Avinash Persaud, special envoy to the Prime Minister of Barbados and the country's representative on the U.N. committee, told Reuters. Developing nations argue that rich countries responsible for most of the historical CO2 emissions causing climate change should be obliged to pay - something the United States and other rich nations refused to accept. Mohamed Nasr, Egypt's lead climate negotiator and representative on the committee, told Reuters such pledges would be crucial to the overall COP28 negotiations. If rich nations fail to follow through, he said, it could reopen decades-old fights that have derailed past climate deals - with poorer nations demanding "compensation" from rich nations for causing climate change, or refusing to agree to cut emissions faster without substantially more financial support from rich countries.

Persons: Rula, U.N, Persaud, Jennifer Morgan, Mohamed Nasr, Nasr, Valerie Volcovici, Kate Abnett, Christina Fincher Organizations: Abu Dhabi Sustainability, REUTERS, COP28 Finance, Bank, United, Reuters, U.S . State Department, European Union, Climate, Thomson Locations: UAE, Abu Dhabi, United Nations, Dubai, Barbados, United States, U.S, Egypt, COP28, Germany, Europe's, Berlin

[1/2] California Governor Gavin Newsom speaks at an event for the second year of the Roybal School of Film and Television Production Magnet at the Edward R. Roybal Learning Center in Los Angeles, California, U.S., October 13, 2023. "As two of the world’s largest economies, our partnership is essential to delivering climate action for our communities and beyond," Newsom said in a statement on Wednesday. Newsom has been building up a national profile as a voice for stringent climate action, most recently gaining applause at the United Nation's Climate Ambition Summit last month for a speech railing against oil companies' climate policy obstruction. China, the world's largest methane emitter, has yet to release details of its planned methane reduction strategy despite encouragement from Kerry's team to do so. The governor also plans to tour Tesla’s Shanghai Gigafactory, which produces the largest number of electric vehicles in the world.

Persons: Gavin Newsom, Edward R, Mario Anzuoni, Gavin Newsom's, Janet Yellen, Antony Blinken, John Kerry, Gina Raimondo, Newsom, Kerry, Valerie Volcovici, Deborah Kyvrikosaios Organizations: California, Roybal, of Film, Learning, REUTERS, Rights, United, Ambition, Shanghai, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles , California, U.S, California, China, Beijing, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Jiangsu

Oct 13 (Reuters) - President Joe Biden will announce in Philadelphia on Friday the recipients of $7 billion in federal grants for the development of regional hydrogen hubs, advancing a key part of his administration's broader plan to decarbonize the U.S. economy. "The regional hydrogen hubs will kickstart a national network of clean hydrogen production, consumers and the connected infrastructure necessary, while supporting the production, storage and delivery and end use of clean hydrogen,” a senior administration official said. The hubs selected will serve the mid-Atlantic, Appalachian, Midwest, Minnesota and Plains states, the Gulf Coast, Pacific Northwest and California. The grants are expected to leverage over $40 billion in private investment, generate tens of thousands of jobs and create a national hydrogen economy. Most of the selected hubs include the use of natural gas to power hydrogen production, which administration officials said would need to install carbon capture technology to qualify.

Persons: Joe Biden, ”, Biden, Chris Hannan, Rachel Fakhry, Valerie Volcovici, Diane Craft Organizations: Industry, Administration, of, Treasury Department, Natural Resources Defense, Thomson Locations: Philadelphia, U.S, Pennsylvania, California, Appalachian, Midwest , Minnesota, Plains, Gulf Coast, Pacific Northwest, Texas, of California

The hubs are networks of hydrogen producers and consumers that will use local infrastructure to accelerate the deployment of clean hydrogen. The Mid-Atlantic Clean Hydrogen Hub that involves parts of Pennsylvania, Delaware and New Jersey will receive a $750 million grant, according to the sources familiar with the forthcoming announcement. The Appalachian Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub (ARCH2) that includes western Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia will also receive one of the grants, according to two sources. The 2021 bipartisan infrastructure bill allocated up to $7 billion to launch the initiative, called the Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs program, which will help fund six to 10 regional clean hydrogen hubs across the U.S. Each of the proposed regional hub projects involve dozens of partners from energy companies, academia and local and state governments.

Persons: Joe Biden's, Biden, Joe Manchin, Valerie Volcovici, Jarrett Renshaw, Nick Zieminski, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Reuters, Department of Energy, Pennsylvania, White House, Democratic, Energy Department, DOE, Dominion, Battelle, TC Energy, Thomson Locations: Pennsylvania, Appalachian, U.S, Delaware, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Ohio, West Virginia, California, Washington

WASHINGTON, Oct 10 (Reuters) - The Biden administration is expected to announce on Friday the winners of $7 billion in federal grants to build out regional hydrogen hubs, three sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. The 2021 bipartisan infrastructure bill allocated up to $7 billion to launch the initiative, called the Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs program, which will help fund six to 10 regional clean hydrogen hubs across the United States. The hubs have many private and public sector partners and the federal grants are expected to unleash a wave of new state and private sector investment. The administration has also earmarked billions of dollars more in subsidies for hydrogen producers in last year's Inflation Reduction Act. The Philadelphia region is one of the locations vying for a share of the $7 billion in grants.

Persons: Biden, Joe Biden, Jarrett Renshaw, Valerie Volcovici, Richard Valdmanis, Deepa Babington Organizations: Reuters, Energy Department, DOE, Department of Energy, Thomson Locations: California, Pennsylvania, Michigan, United States, Philadelphia

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