The head of Britain’s post-Brexit trade watchdog has said it is ready to follow Brussels in launching an investigation into Chinese companies flooding the market for electric cars, but the government has not asked it to do so. Oliver Griffiths, the chief executive of the UK’s Trade Remedies Authority (TRA), which advises the government on trade defence, said it was keeping lines of communication open with ministers and had been in close contact with the car industry. “We’ll be ready to go if anyone does come to us,” he told…
Tag: Environment
Goodbye Mr Kerry, farewell Mr Xie: end of an era in global climate politics
As the final fraught hours of the Cop28 UN climate summit approached last December, a small but vital meeting was missing from the official agenda. While thousands of grumpy delegates trooped the vast and glitzy Dubai venue, a private gathering in a quiet corner marked a joyful milestone. John Kerry, the US presidential envoy for climate, celebrated his 80th birthday, and guest of honour was his 74-year-old Chinese counterpart, Xie Zhenhua. It was a warm and familial occasion: even Xie’s eight-year-old grandson was present. “Why are you still working so…
‘Cheaper to save the world than destroy it’: why capitalism is going green
The root of the climate crisis is “not capitalism but the corruption of capitalism”, according to the author of a new book on how people, policy and technology are working to stop the planet from heating. Akshat Rathi, a climate reporter with financial news outlet Bloomberg, argues that smart policies can harness capitalism to cut carbon pollution without killing markets or competition. “It is now cheaper to save the world than destroy it,” he writes, adding that this holds true even when viewed through a narrow capitalist lens. “Capitalism cannot…
World’s renewable energy capacity grew at record pace in 2023
Global renewable energy capacity grew by the fastest pace recorded in the last 20 years in 2023, which could put the world within reach of meeting a key climate target by the end of the decade, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). The world’s renewable energy grew by 50% last year to 510 gigawatts (GW) in 2023, the 22nd year in a row that renewable capacity additions set a new record, according to figures from the IEA. The “spectacular” growth offers a “real chance” of global governments meeting a…
Giganto, largest ever primate, died out due to diet change, say scientists
It was the largest primate ever to have roamed the Earth, but just why – and when – our distant cousin “giganto” ended up extinct has been something of a mystery. Now researchers say the enormous ape was victim of an unfortunate choice of food when its preferred snacks became scarce. Gigantopithecus blacki roamed mainland south-east Asia 2 million years ago, with estimates suggesting it was three metres tall and weighed 200-300kg – roughly three to four times a human’s weight. Previous studies have shown giganto’s range decreased considerably by…
Weather tracker: Beijing experiences its coldest December since 1951
The Chinese capital, Beijing, experienced its coldest December since records began in 1951, after a cold wave hit much of the country. Temperatures fell below -10C, alongside heavy snowfall and blizzard conditions at times. Northern and north-eastern parts of China experienced the coldest temperatures, as cold air moved southwards from the Arctic, with some areas reaching lows of -40C. The Beijing weather observatory recorded a period of more than 300 hours in which temperatures remained below freezing, which is the longest for December since records began 72 years ago. The…
Deforestation effect of UK consumption unsustainable, say MPs
UK consumption is having an “unsustainable” impact on the world, and contributing particularly highly to deforestation, a report by MPs has found. Products such as soya, cocoa, palm oil, beef and leather may be products of deforestation, and the environmental audit committee has found that the UK’s deforestation footprint per tonne of product consumed is higher than that of other countries including China, calling it “unsustainable”. A deforestation footprint is similar to a carbon footprint. It signifies how much deforestation occurs per tonne of product consumed. Scientists have worked out…
The world in 2024: Guardian writers on what to look out for
The year 2024 will be a critical one. The future of Gaza and the West Bank may hinge in part on whether Donald Trump returns to the White House – as may the outcome of the war in Ukraine. China will be locked in a race against time as its population ages. And the natural world will reach a new series of tipping points. But there are some reasons for cautious optimism. With so much happening, it can be hard to know where to look. Here Guardian correspondents offer their…
Weather tracker: first snow of winter in Beijing causes widespread disruption
Heavy snowfall affected China last weekend in regions north of the Yangtze River, with Beijing experiencing its first snow of the season. As a consequence of the snow and ice, more than 180 bus routes were suspended across the city on Monday, with several trains and flights delayed or cancelled. Henan province, south of Beijing, had big falls over the weekend, with many areas recording depths of 100mm and even, in some places, up to 150mm. Shanxi province, to the south-west of Beijing, also saw some wintry conditions, with icy…
Cop28: China ‘would like to see agreement to substitute renewables for fossil fuels’
China would like to see nations agree to substitute renewable energy for fossil fuels, the country’s chief climate official has said, as nations wrangled over the weekend on the wording of a deal on the climate crisis. Xie Zhenhua, China’s climate envoy, would not be explicit on whether China supported or opposed a phase-out of fossil fuels, which more than 100 governments are pushing for at crucial climate talks, the Cop28 UN summit. But he did indicate that he and his delegation were engaging positively to try to find a…