Climate & Energy News: 11 November 2026

The UK has appointed the world's first special representative for climate security, Madeleine Alessandri, chair of the joint intelligence committee. Prime minister Andy Burnham will announce the role at COP31, where it will advise No 10 on national security risks from the climate crisis before they spell catastrophe. The move is the strongest sign yet of fears that climate breakdown will bring chaos to the country.

North Carolina's environmental regulator said Chemours' PFAS cleanup proposal in at least 10 counties violates a consent order and found missing data, substandard sampling and flawed analyses. The state will hold the company accountable no matter how long it takes. The dispute centers on a corrective action plan required under a 2019 order involving the company's predecessor DuPont.

A Science Advances study finds FEMA's disaster buyout program has largely succeeded in moving homeowners from areas prone to disaster and has mostly paid for itself by avoiding future damages. The agency has spent over $6 billion on more than 53,000 properties. Participants were about 20 percentage points more likely to relocate in the first five years, with the effect persisting for at least 15 years, though benefits are not evenly distributed.

Marshall Islands president Hilda Heine told COP31 leaders in Turkey that overshooting the 1.5C Paris target could mean floods destroying towns, schools and hospitals, and that the world we know is over without an overwhelming response. Barbados prime minister Mia Mottley said governments have not tried hard enough, while UN chief António Guterres called for a windfall tax on oil and gas profits from the Iran war.

Elon Musk said Tesla will keep building the Cybertruck through the end of summer 2027 to work through more of the order backlog, extending production by about two to three months after earlier plans to end it. The change follows fan pushback and comes after Tesla raised Cybertruck prices by up to 10% and paused base Dual Motor orders. The truck had been selling at roughly 30,000 units a year, about 10% of Tesla's plan, before the announcement.

ExxonMobil is preparing to pump carbon dioxide underground near Beaumont, Texas, in a project that could be the first of its kind to operate in the state. The Texas Railroad Commission approved the permit in September after winning federal authority late last year. Residents of nearby Cheek, a predominantly Black community, have asked commissioners to reconsider, citing fears over groundwater, pipeline accidents and emergency response.

Tesla's Semi account said 50 trucks are heading to Chicago, a rare disclosure as Tesla does not report Semi volumes. The only 50-truck order tied to Chicago belongs to HMD Trucking, which took its first truck on Nov. 2 and says it is the first Tesla Semi registered in Illinois. HMD says it ran a Semi more than 4,000 miles over the summer at 1.74 kWh per mile, near Tesla's 1.7 kWh claim.

Labour MPs are urging the UK government not to weaken a legal requirement that 80% of vehicles sold in 2030 be electric, as ministers prepare for a compromise meeting on Thursday. Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds wants 50%, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander about 60%, and Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh near 80%. Sources say Louise Haigh may support a target between 60% and 65%, with a decision expected this month.

Austria's Renewable Energy Expansion Act agency approved 7,007 of 41,322 applications in the third and final 2026 funding round for solar and storage, representing about €192 million in requested subsidies. In Category A, the €30.5 million budget was exhausted within 29 seconds of the window opening at 5 p.m. on Oct. 8. PV&B Austria said the system leaves the industry in limbo as new installations are expected to fall to about 1 GW in 2026.

Stadtwerke Gaggenau and Capac AG are planning a 7.5 MW, 30 MWh zinc-bromine battery storage system in Germany. Construction is set to begin next year, with commissioning planned for 2028. The technology is said to offer a non-flammable water-based electrolyte, a 25-year operating life and about 3.6% capacity degradation over that period. Stadtwerke Gaggenau and JP Holding, parent of Capac, will invest €15.2 million.

The Netherlands is preparing to spend €231.2 million over four years helping inland ships replace fossil fuel propulsion, with the first €36.93 million tender opening November 17, 2026. Battery electric vessels are eligible, and applications score points for commercial cooperation and supporting infrastructure. The scheme rewards emissions avoided per euro of propulsion subsidy, while separate shore infrastructure subsidies are excluded.

Saudi Power Procurement Co. issued a request for qualification for 1.9 GW of solar capacity across two projects under the eighth round of the National Renewable Energy Program. The 1 GW EAM project is planned about 120 km southeast of Tathleeth in Asir province, and the 900 MW TMR project is planned in Riyadh province. Developers must build and operate the facilities, with prequalification due Nov. 22.

Denmark based Advansor installed two ValueBox air to water heat pumps at a large retail building operated by an unnamed Swedish retailer. Each unit has a 600 kW heating capacity, providing a combined 1.2 MW, and uses CO2 as a refrigerant. The plug and play units are delivered fully assembled and factory tested, with installation requiring mainly connections to the building's water and electricity infrastructure.

United for Future launched at COP31 with a plan to unite 100 million people in peaceful, nonpartisan marches in cities worldwide. The initiative seeks the largest coordinated climate demonstration in history to put climate action back at the top of the political agenda. Backers include Christiana Figueres, Bill McKibben, Ram Ramanathan and Sandrine Dixson Declève.

China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp.'s 11th Research Institute completed the maiden flight of its Light Cavalry solar powered UAV on Nov. 11 at an undisclosed airfield in northwestern China. The aircraft has an 8 m wingspan, a maximum takeoff weight of 45 kg and a payload capacity of more than 5 kg. It is designed to operate up to 30 hours at altitudes of up to 7,000 meters, using solar cells to charge batteries for overnight operation.

A study finds Paris has the largest exploitable and PV compatible rooftop area among EU capitals, at 72.2 square kilometres, and the highest annual rooftop solar generation potential, at 3.810 TWh. Berlin and Warsaw follow for rooftop area, while Nicosia, Ljubljana and Valletta have the smallest. Researchers say rooftop solar could cover up to around 35% of total electricity demand in the best performing cities, but is not sufficient alone.

Singulus Technologies has signed a contract with SpaceX for a turnkey heterojunction solar cell line, with delivery in the first half of 2027. Singulus says production will scale to support more than 100 GW of equipment as SpaceX accelerates satellite manufacturing in Bastrop, Texas. SpaceX provided funding to Singulus in March and October as part of a subordinated secured loan.

A National Academies report says Florida's Everglades restoration is moving at an unprecedented pace after better federal and state collaboration and record funding. The effort, now nearly 26 years old, is shifting from planning to operations, but scientists say more analysis is needed to understand how the watershed is responding. Advocates say early benefits are visible, though a clearer vision of what the project can achieve is required.

Georgia-based Alta Refrigeration and the Coalition for the Use of Safe and Efficient Refrigerants are suing the EPA and Lee Zeldin, arguing the agency did not go far enough. The suit follows a May rule giving manufacturers more years to sell equipment using hydrofluorocarbons with high global warming potential. The case is part of broader legal challenges to the EPA's HFC phasedown under the American Innovation and Manufacturing Act.

Britain announced a £12bn investment from RWE and KKR for the Vanguard West and Vanguard East offshore windfarms off Norfolk, with £1bn from the national wealth fund. RWE said the project will generate about 2.8 gigawatts, enough for 3m homes, and create or support 2,300 jobs each year. The farms are expected to provide power by 2030, with construction starting early next year, as the government prepares for COP31.

The Trump administration is using FAST-41 and a Senate permitting bill to speed review of large US infrastructure projects. A July 2025 executive order expanded FAST-41 eligibility to include AI data centers, while the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act would overhaul environmental rules and judicial review. Unlike BAAJA, FAST-41 does not change existing environmental laws and applies only to listed projects.

IEA says more than 90% of major Chinese solar PV makers are reporting net losses, even as module prices are up 10-30% on 2025 levels. Cumulative losses for major Chinese solar and polysilicon producers rose from about $4.4bn in 2024 to almost $5.5bn last year, with over 70 companies filing for bankruptcy or liquidation since 2024. The agency expects China to remain dominant in polysilicon and wafer supply through 2031.

UK foreign secretary Ed Miliband will tell world leaders at the COP31 summit in Antalya, Turkey, that climate breakdown is one of the greatest national security threats. He will argue that rapid heating will lead to food shortages, economic disruption, migration and conflict, making security and defence objectives a new frontier for climate action. He will also say those who ignore climate are putting national security at risk.

Huawei has launched the Luterra S2, an all-in-one residential energy storage system combining a hybrid inverter, lithium iron phosphate batteries and AI-based energy management. It offers single-phase inverters from 3 kW to 10 kW and three-phase units from 5 kW to 20 kW, with up to three 20 kW units in parallel for 60 kW. The system can store up to 336 kWh using 7.03 kWh modules and supports backup switchover in under 10 milliseconds.

Researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Dalian Jiaotong University built a 54.80 cm2 methylammonium-free perovskite solar module with 22.7% efficiency. They used slot-die coating under ambient conditions and a combined additive strategy of rubidium thiocyanate and formamidinium thiocyanate to control crystal formation. The work targets methylammonium thermal instability and a scalable route for large-area perovskite modules.

GameChange Energy said the 144.1 MW Escobales solar complex near Ibagué, Colombia, is fully operational. The six plants were developed by Celsia and Cubico Sustainable Investments, with PowerChina as EPC contractor, and entered commercial operation between December 2025 and March 2026. The complex has more than 242,000 bifacial modules and an estimated annual output of about 257 GWh.

The Uruguayan government has identified about 670 hectares in Florida for a 350 MW solar park to be developed by Solaria Energía y Medio Ambiente as part of a data center complex with up to 500 MW capacity. The land is owned by state utility UTE and has been rezoned, with total planned investment of $5.7 billion, including $200 million for solar. The first phase will include 200 MW of data center capacity and the full 350 MW of solar.

Carbon Brief analysis says public climate finance pledges from developed countries have fallen by more than 70% in 2026, to about $11.7bn a year, after most multi-year pledges expired in 2025. Only five countries have announced new multi-year pledges, including the UK, while Germany, France and Japan have not. Developing countries are left in limbo, though NRDC and E3G analysis says the $300bn goal is broadly on track to be met.

Cbus Property and Multiplex completed a 2,679 square metre building integrated photovoltaic system on the 48 storey 435 Bourke Street building in central Melbourne. The 1,391 panel system has a 375 kW installed peak capacity and is expected to generate up to 20% of the complex's forecast base building electricity requirements on site. The remaining electricity is to be supplied through an off site renewable energy arrangement.

Almost £6m from the National Lottery Heritage Fund will support a five-year project to restore Scotland's rare Atlantic rainforest, with hubs in Torridon, Morvern and mid-Argyll. The Our Rainforest Futures project will train and employ local people in habitat restoration, deer management and invasive species removal. The west coast woodland, covering about 75,000 acres, is threatened by overgrazing, invasive plants and disease.

Conservationists moved 3,400 one-flowered wintergreen plants from an eroding Scottish shoreline to Culbin Forest in Moray after 2-3 metres of land collapsed into the sea. The species, found only in pine woods in north-east Scotland, is estimated to have lost more than half its UK population in 50 years and survives at seven sites, three with healthy populations. Volunteers cut out soil sections to preserve fungal networks the plants depend on.

China's polysilicon output fell to about 105,000 metric tons in October from 120,400 metric tons in September, according to the Silicon Branch of the China Nonferrous Metals Industry Association. The drop followed three consecutive months of growth. Industry sources expect monthly output to decline to around 80,000 metric tons from December through February. The outcome of polysilicon action remains pending.

Tesla launched its robotaxi service in San Antonio on Monday, with the service area covering downtown and nearby areas. The area extends to The Shops at La Cantera and Six Flags Fiesta Texas on the Northwest Side, but it is not clear how many vehicles are operating there. Tesla's service does not currently go to San Antonio International Airport, while Waymo's robotaxi service does.

The Trump administration proposed a Bureau of Land Management rule that would shorten public comment periods and weaken environmental review across 245 million acres of Western public lands. It would reduce protections for Areas of Critical Environmental Concern and make it easier to fast track oil and gas drilling, mining, data centers and other development. A 60 day comment period runs until January 9.

A joint letter argues that low carbon steel credits could create a lead market for green steel in Europe if properly designed during the review of EU car CO2 emission standards. It says predictable demand is urgent because some green steel projects face setbacks from a lack of offtake. The letter warns that without strong and timely lead market policies, Europe risks losing industrial capacity, jobs and technological leadership.

The Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act cleared its first procedural hurdle in the US Senate. More than 300 solar and storage companies wrote to Congressional leadership urging swift passage. SEIA analysis says the bill could unlock 167 gigawatts of additional solar capacity between 2028 and 2035, reduce cumulative power sector CO2 emissions by about 20% and avoid $54 billion in public health damages.

Waymo has launched the Waymo Accessibility Network UK to involve British disability advocates and charities in shaping its autonomous vehicle rollout in London. The network is intended to create a consistent dialogue that can inform features such as audio cues and tools for finding vehicles. RNIB said it welcomes the network and looks forward to contributing alongside the blind and partially sighted community.

The Prince of Wales plans to sell up to 20% of the Duchy of Cornwall over a decade, raising £500m for communities, housing and environmental projects. The Tenant Farmers Association says up to 40 farm holdings in Devon, Cornwall, Herefordshire and the Midlands could be affected, with tenants asked to buy or move out. Duchy officials say they are working with tenants and remain committed to agriculture, while locals report distress.

In Kibera, Nairobi, residents fear new flooding as Kenya's short rains begin and forecasters warn this year's El Niño could be among the strongest on record. More than 60 people died in earlier floods, and blocked drains and poor sewage were widely blamed. Cleanup and drainage work under the Climate Worx programme has intensified to save lives.