Global Scans · Energy Transition · Weekly Summary

• [New] Hydrogen, Industrial Energy Costs and Decarbonization Electricity used for electrolysis in hydrogen production and natural gas used for CO2 in sodium bicarbonate production to be exempt from the Climate Change Levy by Spring 2026, subject to approval. Cogent Skills
• [New] 2026 will see banks come under renewed pressure from governing bodies, such as the European Central Bank, to hit their goals around sustainability and inclusivity, with some shifting their portfolios to make balanced decisions around climate change. FinExtra
• [New] Microgrids double as Big Tech's workaround - and a CRE hedge A recent Reuters deep-dive finds U.S. microgrid capacity could hit 10 GW by the end of 2025, up from 4.4 GW in 2022, as data centers, manufacturers, and utilities race to secure reliable power amid AI load growth and extreme weather. ChargedUp!
• [New] There needs to be a stronger understanding of insurers' role in addressing climate risk. InsuranceERM
• [New] Geopolitical disruptions, a volatile policy environment, increasing climate change impacts, and trade disputes are some of the key challenges that global companies will navigate in the year ahead. Erm
• [New] In 2025, climate change remains the top risk overall for both experts and the general population. AXA.com
• [New] Activists and analysts anticipate a major stall in progress, for example in terms of cuts to emissions and financial support from the U.S. to other countries trying to increase their clean energy output and adapt to climate change. Statista Daily Data
• [New] Ultimately collaboration is key: Engagement with public-private partnerships and participation in global health and climate initiatives on the professional level will position pharmacists to be a part of the shared decision-making that must go into addressing climate change in health care. Drug Topics
• [New] 90% of disasters in the last decade were water-related, and with increasing disruption of the hydrological cycle by both climate change and human activity, floods, storms and droughts are increasingly affecting water management, economic development and natural ecosystems. Devpolicy Blog from the Development Policy Centre
• [New] The global water crisis, driven partly by climate change, could leave two-thirds of humanity facing water stress by 2026, with water scarcity becoming a critical issue for an increasing number of countries. NewsBreak
• [New] In the next few decades, the costs of climate change - such as billion-dollar wildfires, droughts, floods and other extreme weather - could cost the average Oregonian about $12,000 of annual income. The Outlook
• [New] Victoria's frontline public health system $35.5m in 2025-26 ($38.3m / 4 years) for continued operation of Victoria's Local Public Health Units, water regulation functions to protect Victoria's drinking water, and the Epidemic Thunderstorm Asthma Program and extreme weather alert system. A deep dive on the 2025 Victorian Budget | VCOSS
• [New] A recent study from APIB, the Amazon Environmental Research Institute, and the Indigenous Climate Change Committee found that expanding Brazil's Indigenous territories could prevent up to 20% of additional deforestation and cut carbon emissions by 26% by 2030. The Optimist Daily: Making Solutions the News |
• [New] Climate change, fueled by rising greenhouse gases, severely threatens global agriculture and food security through increasing temperatures, altered rainfall, and more extreme weather. Science Speaks
• [New] According to the World Economic Forum's 2024 Global Risks Report, misinformation and disinformation now rank as the most severe global risk over the next two years, surpassing even climate change and economic concerns. Futurist Speaker on AI Leadership, Future of Work, Futu
• [New] Investors should remain cognizant of the inherent volatility of global energy markets and the evolving regulatory landscape surrounding climate change, which will continue to influence Shell's operational and financial decisions. FinancialContent
• [New] Collaboration with China could accelerate work on global challenges such as climate change, health innovation and food security. Open Access Government
• [New] A small tax on just seven of the world's biggest oil and gas companies for example could grow the UN fund for responding to loss and damage by more than 2000% and help address the costs of extreme weather events. Greenpeace International
• [New] Warming above 1.5 C will cause widespread crop failures and food insecurity, more extreme weather events, and the loss of between 70 and 90% of the world's coral reefs. Australian Broadcasting Corporation
• [New] Research indicates bushfire weather hazards are increasing rapidly, with climate change contributing to hotter, drier, and more fire-prone environments. Insurance Business
• [New] Over 75% of institutional investors expect physical climate risk to have a major impact on asset prices in the next five years, and more than half now treat climate resilience as a core feature of their risk-return assessments. InvestmentNews
• [New] China will accelerate the green transition in all areas of economic and social development, work actively and prudently toward peak carbon emissions, and make greater contributions to addressing climate change. Friends of Socialist China

Last updated: 06 December 2025