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Geopolitics

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An illustration that has six black and white portraits of six people. Background behind those portraits is a deep blue. — The Cipher team reflects on the last four years — and looks ahead
Cipher News has covered the global energy transition with an eye on the possible and a clear-eyed perspective. Latest News
Cipher Staff 7 min read

Illustration of a green bar chart overlaid on top of a picture of a solar panel with a red tint. There's also a Chinese flag and in the top lefthand corner of the illustration, the green Pakistani flag and a little map of the country. — Chinese solar panel imports to Pakistan are soaring this year
Chinese solar panels exports to Pakistan are set to exceed last years's record-breaking total as Pakistanis adopt solar at a record pace to avoid rolling power blackouts and high electricity bills. Data Dives
Amena H. Saiyid 2 min read

An illustration of a line chart in blue and an area chart in bright green with a pile of copper nuggets in the foreground. — Global copper supplies won’t keep up with demand: report
Global copper supplies are projected to fall short of what the world needs to meet electricity demand growth, according to the International Energy Agency. Data Dives
Amena H. Saiyid 2 min read

Image showing a hand holding a trophy with a Chinese flag, a windmill, an electric car and element symbols in the background — How China dominates critical minerals in three charts
The tariff war has laid bare the Western world's dependency on China for key elements such as rare earths, silicon, graphite and more. Explainers
Anca Gurzu 4 min read

Tariffs threaten U.S. steel and aluminum supply chains

China, Canada and Mexico are the largest suppliers of steel and aluminum products to the United States. Data Dives

Amena H. Saiyid 2 min read

An illustration of a stacked bar chart on top of a giant cargo ship; the bar chart stacks are where the shipping containers would normally know. The ship is in the middle of the ocean and the sky is green.

Renewable energy costs fall further

Despite political turmoil and economic uncertainty, costs of renewable energy worldwide are still declining — and those decreases could accelerate. Data Dives

Bill Spindle 2 min read

Illustration of a bar chart against a dark background.

Power demand to tariffs: Five themes to watch at CERAWeek

As the event gets underway today, anticipation is running higher than normal because of the head-spinning changes in Washington as President Donald Trump’s administration puts its mark on United States energy policy. Latest News

Bill Spindle 3 min read

An illustration with six bubbles against a blue background. The bubbles contain a cargo ship, electricity towers, an oil jack, a judge's gavel, a stack of documents and the words

Solar’s dizzying investments return to normal level

China's investments in solar factories plunged after reaching a high in 2023. U.S. investments, meanwhile, are steadily rising. Data Dives

Amena H. Saiyid 2 min read

An illustration that has a bar chart in the foreground and a photo of a man standing in front of a solar panel in a factory setting in the background. The photo is tinted light blue.

China on track to dominate nuclear energy

China leads, by far, in nuclear energy capacity under construction. Within five years, it is forecasted to overtake the U.S. and Europe to be the world's top nuclear power. Data Dives

Cat Clifford 2 min read

An illustration of a sideways bar chart in the foreground with a picture of a nuclear power plant from the air in the evening time in the background.

Chile offers case study in critical mineral mining

Critical minerals — from copper to lithium and rare earth elements — are essential to the energy transition. But getting them from the earth into use isn’t easy. Explainers

Bill Spindle 5 min read

A photograph of a barren looking desert landscape with a white salt lake in the foreground and tall rocky mountains in the background. The landscape has a reddish quality to it and the sky is clear and blue.

China has a new sweeping energy law. Here’s what you need to know.

China has just approved a set of sweeping new energy regulations that will set the tone for the country’s future energy development. Explainers

Xiaoying You 4 min read

An illustration that shows a multiple choice test. The question is just the Chinese flag, and the options are a solar panel, a wind turbine, a piece of coal, and a piece of paper representing a law. The answer, which is being hovered over with by a giant mouse cursor is

Six key takeaways from the UN climate summit in Azerbaijan

The COP29 climate summit in Baku, Azerbaijan offered drama, tension and a last-minute deal. Latest News

Anca Gurzu 5 min read

At COP29, dancing delegates, purring cats and long days

A flurry of parallel activities was the norm at the United Nation's climate summit, leaving a reporter both overwhelmed and with a bit of FOMO at times. Reporter's Notebook

Anca Gurzu 6 min read

Global cleantech market to top $2 trillion by 2035 – IEA

The global clean technology market has more than tripled in the last eight years and, under current policies, is expected to nearly triple again by 2035. Data Dives

Cat Clifford 2 min read

Illustration of a horizontal bar chart superimposed over a dark blue map of the world.

How to improve life for humanity — and not worsen global warming

Access to reliable energy dramatically improves the quality of people’s lives. And the world needs a lot more energy to bring billions of people out of poverty. Explainers

Cat Clifford 4 min read

An illustration with dots coming out from a globe.

With Donald Trump victory, here are his energy and climate positions

Donald Trump won the presidential election, injecting uncertainty and a possible slowing of the energy transition, both domestically and around the world. Explainers

Tory Lysik & Amena H. Saiyid 2 min read

An illustration of the white house surrounded by energy icons — solar panels, wind turbines, hydrogen tanks — and president elect Donald Trump smiling.

Chinese companies’ European hydrogen gambit

Several top manufacturers have flocked to Spain to open renewable hydrogen factories. Latest News

Xiaoying You 5 min read

A miniature, tabletop model of a large renewable energy plant and factory is on display at a conference. The model includes light up red and green lights and looks convincingly life-like.

Southeast Asia’s path to universal energy access and net-zero emissions

Southeast Asia is projected to keep increasing its reliance on carbon-intensive fuels like coal for the next 25 years. We need to slow, and ideally reverse, that fossil dependence. Voices

Nicole Iseppi & Sunita Dubey 4 min read

Aerial photo of a solar farm next to a small town and green fields.

GOP states won’t abandon cleantech if Trump wins, report predicts

Republican-leaning states are unlikely to abandon approved clean energy projects if former President Donald Trump wins a second term in office, a new analysis by Rystad Energy shows. Data Dives

Amena H. Saiyid 2 min read

Illustration of four area charts in a grid, one has been turned into a speech bubble being held up by a hand and then another hand holds up an American flag in black and white.

Majority of top states for jobs from new clean energy projects are GOP, battleground

Politically conservative and battleground states are leading the way in jobs created by new clean energy projects announced since President Biden’s signature climate law passed two years ago. Data Dives

Cat Clifford < 1

Illustration of a bar chart on top of an outline of the United States map with a black and white photo of wind turbines inside.

India’s clean-energy push stalls over China tensions

The story centers on transformers, machines that adjust electricity voltages, but it offers lessons for how the global energy transition writ large is intricately affected by geopolitics, economics and even extreme weather. Latest News

Anuradha Varanasi 5 min read

Illustration of an electrical transformer box in front of an Indian flag, a map of the subcontinent and the word

Chinese solar firms pursue U.S., Europe markets despite obstacles

At a recent solar conference in Shanghai, “going overseas” — or in Mandarin, “chu hai” — was the phrase on everyone’s lips. Chinese solar panel manufacturers aim to surmount the unprecedented trade restrictions they face in the U.S. and Europe with three key strategies. Latest News

Xiaoying You 5 min read

Two men stand under a large solar array in a giant conference center space. Photo shot from floor level, looking up.

Renewed interest in nuclear energy bolsters uranium prices

The price per pound of uranium has more than tripled over the past four years as interest in nuclear power has grown. Data Dives

Cat Clifford 2 min read

An illustration of a line chart with coins stacked up underneath it.

Surging power demand fuels new nuclear interest, federal funding

The exploding global demand for energy, combined with the urgent race to reduce carbon emissions, is focusing interest and investment on the once-staid, long-stagnant nuclear industry. Latest News

Cat Clifford 5 min read

An illustration with a blue background showing a renaissance statue and two types of nuclear reactors.

COP29: Azerbaijan official on climate finance, fossil fuels

The ambassador from Azerbaijan to the Netherlands recently sat down with Cipher to talk about the upcoming United Nations climate summit being hosted in his home country. Latest News

Anca Gurzu 5 min read

Aerial photo of a large solar power plant in a dry landscape.

Trade is key to countering China’s clean energy dominance

Contrary to today’s protectionist trends, the best antidote to concerns about China’s cleantech dominance is more trade, not less. Voices

Jason Bordoff 5 min read

Illustration of two ships, one blue with an American flag, one red with a Chinese flag. In the sky, the clouds are slightly green and shaped like the continents of the Earth.

Singapore seeks leading role in clean energy

Southeast Asia doesn't have a regional capital to act as organizer and promoter of its clean energy efforts. Singapore is trying to step into that role. Latest News

Bill Spindle 4 min read

Singapore's skyline at sunset, dotted by spectacular tall buildings.

China makes most of the world’s batteries

The energy transition depends on batteries and right now, China dominates almost every stage of the process of making them, a recent report makes clear. Data Dives

Cat Clifford < 1

This is a screenshot of the chart with the numbers removed.

Climate, AI and energy security drive CERAWeek confab

One of the world’s largest energy conferences, CERAWeek, is underway this week in Texas. It's the first major gathering of the energy industry since COP28. Latest News

Amena H. Saiyid 3 min read

An illustration of a group of people milling about in front of a sign that says

John Kerry left his climate mark — and he’s not done

As the U.S. climate envoy prepares to leave his current post, he reflects on his career and how he plans to stay engaged in climate action. Latest News

Anca Gurzu 6 min read

An illustration depicts John Kerry sitting at a speaking engagement, with a group of climate change industry icons behind him.

Global energy watchdog puts on climate ‘referee’ hat

With higher profile, the IEA chief, Fatih Birol, faces scrutiny from all sides. Latest News

Anca Gurzu 7 min read

The exterior of a fancy marble building in Paris, lit up with blue lights and the letters

Looking back and ahead: climate tech trends in 2023 and 2024

Amy Harder shares reflections on 2023 and outlook for 2024. Harder Line

Amy Harder 5 min read

A thermometer with a globe at the end of it and the 2024 written next to it on a black backdrop.

A climate work visa to unlock global cleantech talent

To bridge the talent gap and accelerate global efforts toward a greener future, the Global North, including the U.S. and Europe, should implement a climate-focused visa program. Voices

Harshita Mira Venkatesh 3 min read

Engraving of immigrants arriving in New York harbor in the 1800s, people on a ship with the statue of liberty in the background.

Climate cash hopes hang on development bank reforms

Reforming how huge lenders like the World Bank operate is key to channeling more climate financing to developing countries. But proposed reforms of multilateral development banks are limited and must come with fresh cash. Explainers

Anca Gurzu 5 min read

White pillars hold up the Earth, symbolizing international banking.

Three takeaways from chatting with the EU Green Deal chief

Maroš Šefčovič talks fossil fuels, geopolitics and cleantech funding. Latest News

Anca Gurzu 3 min read

Man wearing a suit talks into a red microphone with European Union flags blurred in the background.

Norway leader on deep-sea mining, carbon capture and wind woes

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre spoke candidly about his views on global and domestic energy and climate policies with Cipher Executive Editor Amy Harder at New York Climate Week. Latest News

Amena H. Saiyid & Amy Harder 3 min read

Cipher Executive Editor Amy Harder interviews Norwegian PM Jonas Gahr Støre

Border carbon taxes poised to shut out lower income nations

Critics say a border carbon tax on dirtier and cheaper imports will result in an unjust energy transition for poorer countries in violation of the Paris Agreement. Latest News

Amena H. Saiyid 4 min read

Flags of developing countries over a picture of the Earth on one side and pennies cut to look like Pacmen surround a smokestack on the other.

Europe sparks U.S. border carbon tax talks

Taking a page from the EU playbook, U.S. lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle are considering a border carbon tax on cheaper and dirtier imports. Latest News

Amena H. Saiyid 4 min read

Pacman coin engulfing ships and a factory representing dirty carbon imports.

Billions of dollars of Chinese solar panels sit in European warehouses

European imports of Chinese solar photovoltaic (PV) panels have significantly outpaced installations. Data Dives

Anca Gurzu < 1

Line chart depicting imported solar panels and solar panel installations in the EU.

COP leadership on fossil fuels, finance and China-U.S. relations

The director general designate of COP28 lays out the challenges and goals of the UAE leadership for the critical climate conference. Q&A

Bill Spindle 4 min read

Graphic depicting a tug of war over money above a heating globe

Japan, an economic leader in Asia, lags on renewable energy

Japan, the only Asian member of the elite Group of Seven countries (G7), is lagging in its efforts to decarbonize the world’s third-largest economy, according to climate advocates and scientists. Latest News

Bill Spindle 5 min read

Global hydrogen trade may be just a pipe dream

As interest in hydrogen as a clean energy source increases, a flurry of proposed projects to either import or export hydrogen (or its derivatives) is emerging across the world. Voices

Anne-Sophie Corbeau 3 min read

Demand for key minerals grows in net zero scenarios

The world’s journey to a cleaner energy future will require a lot of metals and minerals. By mid-century, we will see a significant uptick in the amount of metals needed, as the chart based on BloombergNEF data shows. Data Dives

Anca Gurzu < 1

Chart of annual demand for key transition metals in energy transition

How to get the minerals we need in a clean energy future

Securing the critical minerals we need for a green energy future will require cleaning up mining practices, boosting recycling and innovating to be less dependent on them altogether. Explainers

Anca Gurzu 5 min read

The massive quest for the minerals we need in a clean energy future

The rush toward a clean energy future means we need to dig, extract and process Earth’s resources faster and better than ever before. Explainers

Anca Gurzu 5 min read

In Norway, global tension over fossil fuels and climate change

Oslo, Norway — This Nordic country is grappling with an inner conflict, accentuated by Russia’s war in Ukraine, that pits its oil and gas wealth against its climate change ambitions. Harder Line

Amy Harder 4 min read

Europe scrambles to reclaim its industrial edge

The European Union wants to get its industrial groove back. The world’s largest trading bloc is scrambling to take part in the global cleantech race. Explainers

Anca Gurzu 4 min read

Cleantech race risks sidelining developing countries

The global cleantech race underway between the United States, Europe and China could leave developing countries behind. The world’s major economies are competing to become industrial leaders in the burgeoning cleantech sector. Latest News

Anca Gurzu 3 min read

In Europe and around the world, clean energy records broken

Records broken in Europe and around the world show the energy transition in action, at times driven by geopolitics. Data Dives

Anca Gurzu 2 min read

Graph of energy transition and fossil fuel investments

Europe braces for next winter’s energy gamble

Europe is getting anxious—again. Thanks largely to unusually warm weather, along with government planning and a bit of luck, Europeans can breathe a sigh of relief: They have enough natural gas to heat their homes this winter. Harder Line

Anca Gurzu 3 min read

Energy security and federal climate funding to shape 2023

A historic 2022 will drive what happens this year. In our last December edition, we reflected on the five trends we predicted would shape 2022. This week, we’re looking at five trends we’re watching at Cipher in 2023. Harder Line

Amy Harder 5 min read

War and new climate law make history in 2022

Every year since 2018, I’ve looked back and ahead at the trends shaping the past year and the year to come, including reality checks of my previous predictions. We’re keeping the tradition going. Harder Line

Amy Harder 5 min read

Three crucial ways trade policy can help us reach net zero

Trade policy is not commonly thought of as a tool for combating climate change. After all, the proliferation of trade and global supply chains has contributed to the rise in global carbon emissions. Voices

Maureen Hinman 3 min read

Climate goals rising in countries that use the most coal

The overwhelming majority of global coal consumption occurs in countries that have pledged to limit or phase out their reliance on the fuel, according to a report out this month from the International Energy Agency. Data Dives

Anca Gurzu < 1

Graph of number of countries with plans to phase down coal use and net-zero emissions pledges

As the world bakes, developing world scrambles to adapt

The world is not cutting emissions fast enough to slow climate change, leaving everyone—but especially developing nations—scrambling to adapt to a hotter planet and its extreme-weather consequences. Latest News

Anca Gurzu 3 min read

How to unlock clean tech for the developing world

SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt—A half day’s drive from this resort town where thousands are gathered at an annual climate gathering, one of the world’s biggest solar farms stands as a rare example of how clean energy can be financed and built in a developing country. Latest News

Anca Gurzu 3 min read

Clean tech is not reaching the developing world fast enough

Not enough cash is flowing to clean energy technologies in the developing world, widening the investment gap between rich and poorer countries and hampering the energy transition. Latest News

Anca Gurzu 4 min read

Global ‘coopetition’ accelerates public investment in energy innovation

Conventional wisdom suggests that crises—such as high oil prices and economic recessions—drive governments to prioritize energy innovation. Voices

Jonas Meckling 3 min read

Energy security and new laws fuel clean energy race

Nations are increasingly competing to establish themselves as pioneers of clean energy technologies, racing to boost energy self-sufficiency and green their economies. Latest News

Anca Gurzu 3 min read

Collaboration could help tackle climate change faster, more affordably

When it comes to tackling climate change, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Data Dives

Amy Harder < 1

Europe grapples with energy crisis while climate pressure ramps up

World leaders are gathering this week in the United States at two key conferences aimed at ratcheting up pressure to turn ambitious climate goals into reality. Latest News

Anca Gurzu 3 min read

No energy access leaves millions scrambling for survival, says U.N. special rep

The world needs to drastically step up funding to end energy poverty or risk leaving millions of people in poor countries fighting for their lives. Latest News

Anca Gurzu 3 min read

Europe’s gas storage levels inch higher

European Union countries are moving to fill their gas storage facilities quickly ahead of the winter season amid an unrelenting energy crisis and fears that Russia will cut off natural gas supplies completely. Data Dives

Anca Gurzu < 1

Chart of natural gas storage levels across Europe

Bracing for winter, Europe clings to natural gas

August is the time to hit the beach in Europe, but for many the focus is on something cooler: Winter is coming. Latest News

Anca Gurzu 3 min read

Europe’s solar goals caught up in high prices—and China

The European Union wants to ally with the sun to boost energy security and meet climate goals but soaring prices for essential raw materials could thwart those plans. Latest News

Anca Gurzu 4 min read

China dominates solar-power supply chain

China has increasingly dominated the market for polysilicon, the essential ingredient in solar panels, over the last dozen years. Data Dives

Amy Harder < 1

Energy savings: an easy option but a tough sell

Building renovations, heat pumps and triple-glazed windows are rarely the talk of the town—yet these kinds of energy efficiency measures are central to the European Union’s plan to shed Russian fossil fuels following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. Latest News

Anca Gurzu 3 min read

How Europe uses natural gas and what needs to change

Natural gas—particularly Russian gas—has been a source of anxiety for European Union leaders over the last several months as they scramble to find solutions in case Moscow, the bloc’s biggest gas supplier, decides to shut off the tap. Explainers

Anca Gurzu 4 min read

Russian invasion prompts scramble for nuclear fuel

In the wake of Russia’s invasion into Ukraine, Washington is rushing to find new sources of a particular kind of advanced nuclear fuel whose sole commercial producer is a Russian company. Harder Line

Amy Harder 3 min read

Risky business: betting on climate tech in an uncertain world

For nearly 50 harrowing days (and counting), Ukrainians have risked their lives defending their homeland from Russia. For more than two years, all of us have weighed innumerable risks living through a relentless pandemic. Harder Line

Amy Harder 3 min read

Africa, Middle East set to lead green hydrogen race

Africa, the Americas, the Middle East and Oceania are the regions with the highest technical potential to produce green hydrogen, while Europe is likely to become a key import market. Data Dives

Anca Gurzu < 1

Geopolitics lurk in EU’s bet on green hydrogen in energy transition

The European Union is working hard to rid itself of Russian natural gas, and in the process the 27-member bloc is betting on a different gas as a clean alternative: green hydrogen. Latest News

Anca Gurzu 4 min read

The real test of the EU’s energy freedom goals: sticking with the plan

In the face of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, European leaders have vowed to shed their dependence on Russian gas and charge full speed into tapping renewable energy. Latest News

Anca Gurzu 3 min read

National security comes roaring back as argument for climate policy

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is catapulting a dormant argument for climate policy to the top of everyone’s mind: national security. Harder Line

Amy Harder 3 min read

EU dependence on Russian natural gas has deepened in recent years

The European Union got nearly 44% of its natural gas import needs from Russia in 2020, up from about 26% in 2010, according to Eurostat data. Data Dives

Anca Gurzu < 1

EU’s pipeline politics shows urgency of green energy transition

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has gotten the European Union scrambling for both political solutions and alternative sources of energy to replace the fossil fuel it’s hugely reliant on: natural gas. Latest News

Anca Gurzu 3 min read

U.S. climate and energy laws push rest of world, IEA chief says

The recently passed infrastructure law will have a ripple effect worldwide and encourage other governments to invest in new clean energy technologies. Harder Line

Amy Harder 3 min read

What’s really driving the energy crisis and how cleantech fits in

Much of the world is facing an energy crisis with skyrocketing prices of oil, natural gas and coal—or even worse, no fuel at all. Explainers

Amy Harder 3 min read