More than 80 countries are now openly calling for a roadmap to phase out fossil fuels as COP30 enters its tense final stretch in Belém — a coordinated push that has quickly become the summit’s defining fight. The cross-regional coalition, spanning Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Pacific and Europe, wants a transition away from fossil fuels to be the core outcome of the talks, reviving language first agreed at COP28 but never turned into a plan.

This week’s energy and tech stories highlight the competing forces reshaping global power systems. Oil demand remains stubbornly high through 2050, but clean electricity continues to surge in the U.S., grid-scale storage accelerates the shift to fully dispatchable renewables, Texas cements its rise as America’s AI-energy powerhouse, and China unveils the sheer scale of its mega-solar projects.

The first week of COP30 in Belém delivered an eventful mix of announcements, tensions, and emerging trends. Negotiators clashed over finance, protesters pushed climate justice back onto the agenda, and new initiatives highlighted how rapidly the landscape is shifting on forests, fuels, and the energy transition.

At COP30 in Belém, Brazil, California Governor Gavin Newsom did not mince words. With the U.S. federal government sending no high-level officials to the summit, Newsom stepped into the vacuum — representing his state but speaking with global ambition.

From record renewable additions to surging EV adoption and data centers consuming gigawatts, clean and digital energy trends are accelerating in parallel. Yet, as Australia turns surplus solar into free power, Indonesia is doubling down on coal — underscoring how uneven the global energy transition remains.

The European Commission has awarded €2.9 billion from the EU Innovation Fund to 61 major net-zero projects across 18 Member States, supporting the large-scale rollout of carbon capture, clean fuels, renewable hydrogen, and industrial decarbonisation.

Electric vehicle (EV) drivers could soon face a new “pay-per-mile” tax under plans being developed by UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves. The proposed charge—expected to be set at around 3 pence per mile from 2028—aims to recover £1.8 billion in lost fuel duty revenue by 2031 as electric cars replace petrol and diesel models.

Offshore wind targets are set to triple global capacity by 2030, while new research confirms EVs turn cleaner than gas cars within just three years. Elon Musk hails China’s solar dominance, Sam Altman predicts an AI glut ahead, and new data visualize how much control China holds over the world’s critical minerals.

From Europe’s lagging industrial electrification policies to China’s surging EV wave and the reshaping of global nuclear capacity, the week’s developments highlight how uneven the world’s energy transition remains. While Asia drives battery and solar innovation, Western frameworks are struggling to keep pace with the scale of transformation required.

The UK’s mission to fully decarbonise its electricity system by 2030 is under fresh scrutiny after the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change (TBI) called for a major reset. In a new paper, Cheaper Power 2030, Net Zero 2050, the institute argues the government should focus less on speed and more on making energy affordable, secure, and abundant.

Northern Ireland’s transition to cleaner energy is lagging far behind schedule, according to a new report by the Northern Ireland Audit Office (NIAO), which warns that key goals in the region’s Energy Strategy are unlikely to be met without major changes in oversight and delivery.

Clean energy investment is accelerating, and innovation is driving rapid change across the power sector. The EU continues its push toward renewables while the U.S. prepares to launch its first liquid-fueled reactor. China’s latest solid-state battery progress and new global investment trends highlight how technology and policy are reshaping the world’s energy future.