The 2025 Budget introduces the biggest change to how electric cars are taxed since EVs first went mainstream. With fuel duty set to collapse as more people switch from petrol and diesel, the government is reshaping the system so that EVs contribute to road funding while keeping the transition affordable for drivers.

Global energy demand keeps rising, Texas is building clean power at record speed, Australia is racing toward a nearly all-renewable grid, and battery recycling is becoming a critical part of mineral supply. Meanwhile, electricity prices continue climbing — not because of fuel shortages, but because grids worldwide are under intense infrastructure pressure.

COP30 has closed in Belém after more than 18 hours of overtime negotiations, ending with a compromise deal that many countries say falls short of what the moment demanded. Despite intense pressure from over 80 nations to lock in a roadmap for phasing out fossil fuels, the final text avoids any direct reference to oil, gas or coal — a major omission given they remain the main drivers of climate change.

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.