Europe Unveils Energy Crisis Plan as Renewables Surpass Coal Globally

Europe’s Energy Crisis Response: EU Unveils ‘ENERGY CUSHION’ Plan

The European Commission has rolled out a new package of measures, dubbed ENERGY CUSHION, to mitigate surging energy prices driven by the Iran war, Reuters reports. The draft plan includes:

• Reducing electricity taxes to ease consumer burden.
• Coordinating fossil-gas storage refills during summer months.

The package avoids major market interventions such as capping gas prices or taxing energy companies’ windfall profits. An interactive table detailing the 44 proposed actions is available on Carbon Brief.

EU Energy Commissioner Warns of Prolonged Gas Dependence

‘We really do need to get rid of our dependency on gas as fast as possible. So, for us, this means speeding up more clean energy.’

Jorgensen cautioned that higher gas prices could persist for “a couple of years.” Legal proposals to adjust tax rules are expected in May, though unanimous approval from EU member states is required, making passage uncertain.

Flight Shortages Loom as Jet Fuel Supply Concerns Grow

The 16-page AccelerateEU document also addresses potential shortages in jet fuel and diesel supplies, Politico reports. Jorgensen told Sky News that European summer holidays face risks of “flight cancellations or very, very expensive tickets.”

The Financial Times noted that Lufthansa has already canceled 20,000 flights between May and October to conserve fuel.

Global Energy Shift: Renewables Overtake Coal as Top Electricity Source

Renewable energy surpassed coal in 2025 to become the world’s largest electricity source, according to analysis by Ember, as reported by Carbon Brief.

Colombia Hosts Fossil-Fuel Summit Amid Energy Transition Debates

China Tightens Coal Controls with New Climate Policies

China has introduced two new policies to “strictly control” coal use and will evaluate local authorities on their compliance with national climate goals, as detailed in a Carbon Brief Q&A.

UK Aims to Break Gas-Electricity Price Link

The UK government announced plans to “move…to break [the] link between gas and electricity prices” in response to recent fossil-fuel price spikes, Carbon Brief reports.

UN Warns of Extreme Heat Threat to Global Food Systems

A joint report from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) warns that increasingly frequent and severe heatwaves—both on land and at sea—are pushing global food systems “to the brink,” The Guardian reports.

Japan Adopts New Term for Extreme Heat: ‘Kokushobi’

In a national vote, Japan selected ‘kokushobi’—translated as “cruelly hot”—as the new term for days exceeding 40°C, BBC News reports.

Electric Vehicles Now £785 Cheaper Than Petrol Cars in the UK

A new electric vehicle (EV) costs, on average, £785 less than a comparable petrol car in the UK, according to Autotrader. The Guardian describes this as a “significant milestone in Britain’s transition away from fossil fuels.”

Climate Change Threatens Underwater Cultural Heritage

Research indicates that climate-driven extremes in temperature and pH levels endanger underwater cultural heritage, including shipwrecks in the Taiwan Strait, The Guardian reports.

France Omits Climate from G7 Agenda to Avoid US Conflict

France excluded climate change from the agenda of this week’s G7 meeting in Paris to prevent disagreements with the US, Agence France-Presse reports.