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☆ Mixed reviews from England's 1-0 World Cup opener vs upstart Haiti
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-23 | by ( Lori Ewing | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Their 11 shots on target were the most in a World Cup game since 2011, and Alessia Russo's five shots on net were the most by an England player since then. Denmark eked out a 1-0 victory over China in the opener of their first World Cup appearance in 16 years on a late goal by Amalie Vangsgaard, joining the Lionesses atop Group D with three points apiece. "First time in a World Cup and having a performance like that, I think the other two countries (Denmark and China) are going to really struggle with them," Wiegman said. Considering the gang violence and political collapse plaguing that country, just qualifying for the World Cup - they were one of the last three teams to clinch a spot - was victory in itself. "We weren't sure how we were going to play, but we were able to pull it out of the bag.

Persons: Lionesses, Karen Bardsley, Alessia, Saturday's, Mary Earps, Roseline Eloissaint, Amalie Vangsgaard, Sarina Wiegman, Melchie Dumornay, Wiegman, that's, I'm, Nicolas Delepine, We've, Lori Ewing, Jacqueline Wong Organizations: BBC Radio, Georgia Stanway, Manchester United, Thomson Locations: BRISBANE, Australia, England, Austria, Denmark, China, Haiti, Lyon, Dominican Republic, Caribbean

☆ England scraps to 1-0 victory against tournament debutant Haiti in first Women’s World Cup game
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-22 | by ( Issy Ronald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: 1 min

CNN —On paper it was a mismatch; the European champion and one of the World Cup favorites England facing tournament debutant Haiti. But World Cup matches aren’t won on paper, as the Caribbean nation matched the Lionesses almost every step of the way in the sides’ opening match, eventually succumbing 1-0 only after Georgia Stanway scored from a retaken penalty. Several impressive saves from Haiti goalkeeper Kerly Theus held the scoreline to just one goal difference, despite England mustering 19 shots on goal, 10 of them on target. Late on, Haiti even had a chance to equalize but two brilliant saves in quick succession from England goalkeeper Mary Earps kept her side ahead, as the Lionesses ultimately ground out a scrappy victory. More to follow…

Persons: aren’t, Georgia Stanway, Kerly Theus, Mary Earps Organizations: CNN, England, Haiti, Georgia Locations: Caribbean, Haiti, England

[1/2] U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry shakes hands with his Chinese counterpart Xie Zhenhua before a meeting in Beijing, China July 17, 2023. REUTERS/Valerie Volcovici/File PhotoBEIJING/SINGAPORE, July 20 (Reuters) - Climate talks this week between China and the United States were buoyed by goodwill, but the world's two biggest carbon polluters achieved more on righting their diplomatic relationship than battling climate change. Kerry said China agreed that a target to keep global temperatures rises within 1.5 Celsius of pre-industrial levels should remain "alive". Kerry and Xie focussed on progress headed toward COP28, the annual U.N. climate summit in November. Questions remain about the longer term, should political winds shift in the United States or the two diplomats leave their posts.

Persons: John Kerry, Xie Zhenhua, Valerie Volcovici, Kerry, Nancy Pelosi, Antony Blinken, Janet Yellen, Li Shuo, Li, Xie, Ma Jun, Ma, Premier Li Qiang, Wang Yi, David Stanway, William Mallard Organizations: REUTERS, Democratic, GOOD AS IT, China, Greenpeace, Institute of Environment, Public Affairs, Communist Party, Daily, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, BEIJING, SINGAPORE, United States, Washington, U.S, Taiwan, Kerry, Paris, COP28, America, Premier, Dubai

[1/2] U.S. climate envoy John Kerry, at right walks next to U.S. Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns as they arrive for meetings at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Wednesday, July 19, 2023. Ng Han Guan/Pool via REUTERSBEIJING, July 19 (Reuters) - Climate change is a "universal threat" that should be handled separately from broader diplomatic issues, U.S. climate envoy John Kerry told Chinese Vice-President Han Zheng on Wednesday after two days of what he called constructive but complex talks. Acknowledging the diplomatic difficulties between the two sides in recent years, Kerry said climate should be treated as a "free-standing" challenge that requires the collective efforts of the world's largest economies to resolve. Kerry told reporters earlier that his talks with Chinese officials this week have been constructive but complicated, with the two sides still dealing with political "externalities", including Taiwan.

Persons: John Kerry, China Nicholas Burns, Ng Han Guan, Han Zheng, Kerry, Wang Yi, Premier Li Qiang, Xie Zhenhua, Han, Nancy Pelosi, It's, Valerie Volcovici, David Stanway, Stephen Coates Organizations: of, People, REUTERS, Premier, . House, Thomson Locations: U.S, China, Beijing, REUTERS BEIJING, Europe, Asia, United States, Dubai, Paris, Taiwan

[1/5] U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry and Chinese top diplomat Wang Yi shake hands before a meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China July 18, 2023. REUTERS/Florence Lo/PoolBEIJING, July 18 (Reuters) - China and the United States could use climate cooperation to redefine their troubled diplomatic relationship and lead the way in tackling global warming, U.S. climate envoy John Kerry told China's top diplomat Wang Yi on Tuesday. Kerry told Wang at Beijing's Great Hall of the People that talks could provide a fresh start for the world's two biggest greenhouse gas emitters, which have been mired in disputes over Taiwan and trade. Kerry's third visit to China as U.S. climate envoy marks the formal resumption in top-level climate diplomacy between the two countries. The former Secretary of State is the third top U.S. official to visit Beijing in the past month.

Persons: John Kerry, Wang Yi, Florence Lo, China's, Kerry, Wang, Xie Zhenhua, Xie, Valerie Volcovici, Ryan Woo, David Stanway, Muralikumar Anantharaman, Jacqueline Wong Organizations: of, People, REUTERS, . State, State, U.S, Thomson Locations: Beijing, China, BEIJING, United States, U.S, Taiwan, Iran

Earlier this month, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said contributions from Beijing could boost U.N. climate funds. It has, however, signalled a willingness to offer climate finance to developing countries through different instruments, like a South-South Climate Cooperation fund it launched in 2015. And the United States hopes that China will unveil its domestic plans to tackle the issue before the next U.N. climate conference in December. Global emissions levels have only risen since. The United States tends to look at overall national emissions, ignoring both historical emissions and the per-capita breakdown.

Persons: Janet Yellen, Donald Trump's, Joe Biden, John Kerry, Xie Zhenhua, Kerry, Xie, David Stanway, Katy Daigle, Jacqueline Wong Organizations: European Union, Treasury, Climate Cooperation, Technological, Biden, Kerry, Microvast Holdings, Global, European, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, China, United, Beijing, U.S, U.N, Rio de Janeiro, United States, Xinjiang, Paris, Glasgow, 1.5C, European Union, COP28, Dubai, Singapore

He also urged China to partner with the United States to cut methane emissions and reduce the climate impact of coal-fired power, with the two sides aiming to rebuild trust following a suspension in talks last year. Kerry praised the "incredible job" China has been doing in building up renewable energy capacity but said it had been undercut by the construction of new coal power plants. China has pledged to start reducing coal consumption, but not until 2026, and new coal power project approvals have accelerated since last year. Kerry's third visit to China as U.S. climate envoy marks the formal resumption in top-level climate diplomacy between the two countries. Kerry and Xie met on Sunday night for a one-on-one dinner.

Persons: John Kerry, Xie Zhenhua, Xie, Kerry, Nancy Pelosi, Valerie Volcovici, Andrew Hayley, David Stanway, Sonali Paul, Jacqueline Wong Organizations: State, U.S, . House, Beijing, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, China, United States, Dubai, U.S, Beijing, Taiwan

During those COP27 climate talks last year in Egypt, China's top climate envoy, Xie Zhenhua, made an unexpected appearance at a meeting of the Global Methane Partnership, a U.S.-EU led initiative aimed at slashing 2020-level methane emissions by 30% by the end of this decade. Xie said China had drafted a plan with concrete measures to curb methane emissions from energy, agriculture and waste. COAL GASTwo big sources of methane emissions growth in China are livestock and rice production, neither of which are included in the country's climate plans. China is the world's largest source of methane from coal mines, with 28% of the world's biggest methane emissions points, according to Antoine Halff, co-founder of the environmental research group Karryos. "When you look around at the sources of coal mine methane worldwide, China is three or four times bigger than the next country's coal mine methane emissions," Banks said.

Persons: John Kerry, Kerry, Xie Zhenhua, Xie, Jonathan Banks, Joe Biden, Biden, Banks, Antoine Halff, Halff, Valerie Volcovici, David Stanway, Dominique Patton, Timothy Gardner, Katy Daigle, Will Dunham Organizations: Sunday, Methane Partnership, EU, Air Task Force, Program, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Task Force, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, U.S, China, Beijing, United States, Washington ., Glasgow, Sharm el, Egypt, Dubai, Shanxi, Boston, Singapore, Washington

Washington is seeking to protect U.S. manufacturers from low-cost competitors in China, including those it suspects of using forced labor, which Beijing denies. Both countries say they should be able to collaborate on climate change regardless of other disagreements. After Pelosi's August trip to Taiwan, a democratically-governed island that China claims as part of its territory, Beijing said it would halt all dialogue with Washington on climate change. The two countries only resumed informal climate talks in November at the COP27 summit in Egypt. During Yellen's visit last month, she made a public push to get China to participate in the UN-run funds to help poorer nations address climate change.

Persons: Kerry, John Kerry, Xie Zhenhua, David Sandalow, Biden, Antony Blinken, Janet Yellen, Li Shuo, Nancy Pelosi, Pelosi's, Alden Meyer, Yellen's, Fang Li, Valerie Volcovici, David Stanway, John Stonestreet Organizations: Observers, UN, U.S, Center, Global Energy, Greenpeace, Trump, ., Centre for Research, Energy, Clean, Global Energy Monitor, World Resources Institute, Thomson Locations: COP28 WASHINGTON, United States, China, Beijing, Washington, Paris, Taiwan, U.S, Xinjiang, Egypt, Singapore

☆ Canadian lake sediments reveal start of Earth's Anthropocene age, scientists say
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-11 | by ( David Stanway | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Presence of plutonium and other evidence was found in core samples of the Crawford Lake sediments. The Anthropocene epoch is proposed as a chapter in Earth's history reflecting the transformation of the planet's climate and ecology as a result of human activity. The Anthropocene epoch has not yet been formally recognised by a scientific body called the International Commission on Stratigraphy. The scientists obtained core samples of sediment at Crawford Lake and sediments, soils, corals and ice samples at the other 11 sites. Crawford Lake sediments provided a record of accelerating changes that have unfolded in the past few decades, including traces of fly ash produced by burning fossil fuels.

Persons: Crawford, Colin Waters, we've, Waters, Francine McCarthy, Andrew Cundy, Bill Laurance, David Stanway, Will Dunham Organizations: University of Leicester, International, Crawford Lake, Brock University, Industrial, University of Southampton, James Cook University, Thomson Locations: Crawford, Canada's Ontario, Toronto, Britain, Canada, Australia, Singapore

☆ Deep-sea metal rush in doubt as regulatory body meets
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( David Stanway | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Environmental groups expect next week's meeting of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) in Kingston, Jamaica, to rule out any immediate permission for mining to begin. Mining companies say the ocean floor is potentially rich in metals like nickel and cobalt used in batteries for electric vehicles, so their extraction will support the global energy transition. Any permitting delay will hurt the prospects of Canada's The Metals Company (TMC.O) (TMC), which has led efforts to exploit seabed minerals in the Pacific. TMC says that while deep-sea mining will have some ecological impact, it would be less damaging than land-based extraction. "The fact is no one has ever mined the sea floor in any major commercial capacity," said Victor Vescovo, an investor and deep-sea explorer who will attend the meeting.

Persons: Sian Owen, Victor Vescovo, David Stanway, Melanie Burton, Clara Denina, Robert Birsel Organizations: Authority, Mining, The Metals Company, TMC, Conservation Coalition, ISA, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, Kingston , Jamaica, Pacific, Nauru, Germany, New Zealand, Switzerland, France, Norway, Melbourne, London

☆ Explainer: How is extreme weather testing China's climate resilience?
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

BEIJING, July 5 (Reuters) - Dramatic swings between extreme heat and intense rainfall are testing China's ability to cope with increasingly wild weather, as high temperatures challenge power grids and water security while floods ruin crops and threaten urban populations. The average number of high-temperature days stood at 4.1 in January-June, already higher than the full-year average of 2.2 days. Heatwaves spur demand for electricity to cool homes, malls and offices, taxing power supply and even triggering blackouts. Factories also shut when power demand exceeds supply to meet demand from residential and non-industrial users. The southern province of Hunan, which produces around 13% of China's rice, has been hit by continuous rain since late June.

Persons: Qiaoyi Li, Ethan Wang, Qin, Ryan Woo, Andrew Hayley, David Stanway, Sonali Paul Organizations: Factories, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, China, Beijing, Yunnan province, Yunnan, Sichuan, Hunan, Zhengzhou, Guangxi, CHINA

☆ Climate nears point of no return as land, sea temperatures break records, experts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( David Stanway | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Sea temperatures also broke April and May records. Global average sea surface temperatures hit 21C in late March and have remained at record levels for the time of year throughout April and May. Australia's weather agency warned that Pacific and Indian ocean sea temperatures could be 3C warmer than normal by October. Though this year's high sea temperatures are caused by a "perfect combination" of circumstances, the ecological impact could endure, she said. The Worldwide Fund for Nature, however, warned of a "worrying lack of momentum" during climate talks in Bonn this month, with little progress made on key issues like fossil fuels and finance ahead of November's COP28 climate talks in Dubai.

Persons: Kerry, Sarah Perkins, Kirkpatrick, Piers Forster, El Nino, Annalisa Bracco, Li Shuo, John Kerry, Li, David Stanway, Ali Withers, Gloria Dickie, Jamie Freed Organizations: EU, Australia's University of New, U.S ., World Meteorological Organization, El Nino, University of Leeds, Georgia Institute of Technology, DUBAI, The, Nature, Thomson Locations: Beijing, SINGAPORE, Bonn, Australia's University of New South Wales, United States, North America, Canada, U.S . East Coast, India, Spain, Iran, Vietnam, Paris, 1.5C, California, Africa, November's, Dubai, China, Copenhagen, London

☆ World hits record land, sea temperatures as climate change fuels 2023 extremes
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( David Stanway | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Persons: Cpl Marc, Andre Leclerc, Kerry, Sarah Perkins, Kirkpatrick, Piers Forster, El Nino, Annalisa Bracco, Li Shuo, John Kerry, Li, David Stanway, Ali Withers, Gloria Dickie, Jamie Freed Organizations: Canadian Forces, REUTERS, EU, Australia's University of New, U.S ., World Meteorological Organization, El Nino, University of Leeds, Georgia Institute of Technology, DUBAI, The, Nature, Thomson Locations: Mistissini, Quebec, Canada, Beijing, SINGAPORE, Bonn, Australia's University of New South Wales, United States, North America, U.S . East Coast, India, Spain, Iran, Vietnam, Paris, 1.5C, California, Africa, November's, Dubai, China, Copenhagen, London

☆ As climate change hits, China weighs new water megaprojects
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( David Stanway | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

"What they have been doing so far is using engineering solutions to try to physically supply water and fix their water problem," said Mark Wang, a geographer at Melbourne University who studies the impact of China's water infrastructure. "If China can reduce water use and increase efficiency, it doesn't need mega-diversion projects." Total investment in fixed water assets exceeded 1.1 trillion yuan ($154 billion) last year, up 44% compared with 2021, analysts said. It rose 15.6% to 407 billion yuan in the first quarter of 2023 and officials say even more funding will be made available. 'CHAIN REACTIONS'Part of the new plan involves the expansion of the South-North Water Diversion Project (SNWDP), an ambitious engineering project that diverts surplus Yangtze River water to the arid Yellow River basin in the north.

Persons: Li Guoying, Mark Wang, Wang, Genevieve Donnellon, Gorges, David Stanway, Gerry Doyle Organizations: of Water, Melbourne University, China's Ministry of Water Resources, Oxford Global Society, Diversion, Thomson Locations: China, SINGAPORE, Sichuan, Liangshan County, Poyang Lake, Tibet, India

In the next three days, most of southern China is expected to suffer temperatures of more than 35 Celsius (95 Fahrenheit), with temperatures in some areas exceeding 40C, national forecasters said on Friday. Extreme hot weather beset China, like many part of Asia in recent weeks, even before summer arrived. But how they are occurring - it's just been week on week on week of these records being shattered," said Sarah Perkins-Kirkpatrick, a climate scientist with the University of New South Wales. ELECTRICITY DEMANDDemand for electricity in southern manufacturing hubs, including Guangdong, has surged in recent days, with China Southern Power Grid, one of the country's two grid operators, seeing peak power load exceeding 200 million kilowatts - weeks earlier than normal and close to historical highs. Powerful convection weather has also wreaked havoc in central China in recent weeks, with protracted downpours and even hail devastating the country's ongoing wheat harvest.

Persons: David Kirton, we've, Zhao, Yang, haven't, heatstroke, I'm, Sarah Perkins, Kirkpatrick, Mei, Gao Rong, Ryan Woo, Qiaoyi Li, David Stanway, Michael Perry, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: heatwave, REUTERS, Reuters, University of New, China Southern Power Grid, National Climate Centre, Thomson Locations: Shenzhen, Guangdong province, China, BEIJING, Shanghai, Asia, University of New South Wales, Guangdong, Hainan, Guangxi, Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan, Henan, Beijing, Singapore

☆ 'Relentless' heatwaves scorch southern China, test power grids
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Ryan Woo | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] Workers of grid operator China Southern Power Grid inspect power cables connecting transmission towers in Dongguan, Guangdong province, China May 29, 2018. REUTERS/Stringer/File PhotoBEIJING, June 2 (Reuters) - Having sweltered through May, southern and eastern China face more weeks of unrelenting heatwaves, putting power grids under strain as demand for air-conditioning soars in mega-cities like Shanghai. Like many parts of Asia, China has been besieged by extreme hot weather in recent weeks ahead of summer proper in the northern hemisphere. But how they are occurring - it's just been week on week on week of these records being shattered. Powerful convection weather has also wreaked havoc in central China in recent weeks, with protracted downpours and even hail devastating the country's ongoing wheat harvest.

Persons: Stringer, I'm, Sarah Perkins, Kirkpatrick, Gao Rong, Ryan Woo, Qiaoyi Li, David Stanway, Michael Perry, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: China Southern Power Grid, REUTERS, University of New, National Climate Centre, Thomson Locations: Dongguan, Guangdong province, China, BEIJING, Shanghai, Asia, Provinces, University of New South Wales, Guangdong, Hainan, Guangxi, Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan, Henan, Beijing, Singapore

☆ Asia's April heatwaves were '30 times more likely' because of climate change - scientists
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( David Stanway | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SINGAPORE, May 17 (Reuters) - Record-breaking heatwaves that hit large parts of South and Southeast Asia in April were made "30 times more likely" as a result of human-induced climate change, an international team of scientists said on Wednesday. Humid heatwaves that used to happen once a century in Bangladesh and India are now expected to occur every five years, while the heat in Thailand and Laos would have been "virtually impossible" without climate change, the scientists said. "The heatwaves were not natural," said Chaya Vaddhanaphuti, a team member from Chiang Mai University in Thailand, during a media briefing on Wednesday. "Unless we take drastic measures to reduce carbon emissions, heatwave events like this will continue to become more common," he said. Reporting by David Stanway; Editing by Kim CoghillOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ India's heatwaves putting economy, development goals at risk - study
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SINGAPORE, April 20 (Reuters) - Killer heat waves are putting "unprecedented burdens" on India's agriculture, economy and public health, with climate change undermining the country's long-term efforts to reduce poverty, inequality and illness, a new study showed. India is now "facing a collision of multiple, cumulative climate hazards", with extreme weather happening almost every day from January to October last year, they said. As much as 90% of India's total area now lies in extreme heat danger zones, and it is not fully prepared, he warned. "India has already done quite a bit in terms of heat mitigation - they actually now recognise heatwaves as part of their disaster relief package," he said. The researchers also warned that heatwaves were weakening India's efforts to meet its "Social Development Goals", a list of 17 U.N. objectives to cut poverty, hunger, inequality and disease.

"China was initially in discussions to be part of the project," the official said, declining to be named as the information was deemed sensitive. China has since banned the sale and consumption for food of wildlife animals. China's public security organs have handled more than 70,000 criminal cases involving wild animals from 2020-2022, confiscating 1.37 million wild animals in the process, state news agency Xinhua has reported. SLOW STARTThe SAFE project surveys only began in October last year, when the project's assessors visited Khao Kheow zoo and a cafe in Thailand. The wet markets targeted are markets where wild animals are sold alongside fresh meat and vegetables.

☆ China holds the key to understanding COVID-19 origins: WHO chief
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"Without full access to the information that China has, you cannot say this or that," said Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in response to a question about the origin of the virus. That's WHO's position and that's why we have been asking China to be cooperative on this." Data from the early days of the COVID pandemic was briefly uploaded by Chinese scientists to an international database last month. The WHO's Maria Van Kerkhove, technical lead for COVID-19, said the latest Chinese information offered some "clues" on origins but no answers. She added WHO still did not know whether some of the research required had been undertaken in China.

☆ China accounts for two thirds of world's planned new coal power - research
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"The more new coal projects come online, the steeper the cuts and commitments need to be in the future," said GEM's Flora Champenois, lead author of the report. Outside China, planned new capacity fell 20% last year, with no projects proposed either in the European Union or North America. India accounted for 60.5 GW of the proposed capacity while Indonesia is planning to build another 26 GW. Overall, worldwide coal-fired power capacity grew by 19.5 GW last year, with 45.5 GW of newly constructed capacity - mostly from China - offset by plant retirements totalling 26 GW. China's coal plant approvals last year were the highest since 2015, as local governments responded to concerns that power supply instability could undermine economic growth.

☆ Rising Antarctic ice melt will dramatically slow global ocean flows, study finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( David Stanway | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Natalie Thomas/SINGAPORE, March 29 (Reuters) - Rapidly melting Antarctic ice is dramatically slowing down the flow of water through the world's oceans, and could have a disastrous impact on global climate, the marine food chain and even the stability of ice shelves, new research has found. The "overturning circulation" of the oceans, driven by the movement of denser water towards the sea floor, helps deliver heat, carbon, oxygen and vital nutrients around the globe. But deep ocean water flows from the Antarctic could decline by 40% by 2050, according to a study published on Wednesday in the journal Nature. Ocean overturning allows nutrients to rise up from the bottom, with the Southern Ocean supporting about three-quarters of global phytoplankton production, the base of the food chain, said a second study co-author, Steve Rintoul. Reporting by David Stanway; Additional reporting by Gloria Dickie in London; Editing by Alex RichardsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

The Arctic Council was created in 1996 to discuss issues affecting the polar region, ranging from pollution to local economic development to search-and-rescue missions. The Arctic Council comprises the eight Arctic states of Russia, the United States, Canada, Finland, Norway, Iceland, Sweden and Denmark. Russia's possible degree of involvement with the Council once Norway takes over is still unclear. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had earlier extended an invitation to Arctic officials to attend a transition ceremony in Salekhard, Siberia. Russian Arctic Ambassador Nikolay Korchunov, chair of the Senior Arctic Officials on the council, told Reuters the transition would "presuppose active and responsible participation of all Arctic Council member states in this preparatory process."

"The reality is that China has more coal power capacity than it needs," said Zhang Shuwei, director at Draworld Energy Research Centre. That's equivalent to about a hundred large coal-fired plants and enough to supply the whole of Britain. China's big jump in coal power approvals has sparked fears that there will be backsliding on its climate goals. Share of coal in China's energy mixAnalysts note existing coal plants could provide sufficient backup for renewables if they were plugged into a nationwide market, but China's power sector remains fragmented. "It would be far cheaper... to incentivise provincial trading than incentivising new loss-making coal," he said.

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