Category: Energy and Power

The African Union has announced plans to form a coalition of mineral-producing nations to manage the global rush for critical minerals after holding a climate summit. Africa holds vast mineral wealth – from the rare earths in conflict-hit Democratic Republic of Congo to oil-rich Nigeria – but has struggled to capitalize on its resources after decades of colonial plunder, and subsequent mismanagement and corruption.

the 54-nation African Union met this week for a climate summit in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.

in a statement published recently, it said it would ‘explore and support the establishment of a coalition of critical mineral-producing countries of Africa to promote strategic and sustainable regional cooperation’. Labelling the move ‘Africa’s Green Minerals Strategy’, the AU said it would be a ‘vehicle for harnessing Africa’s vast mineral wealth for climateresilient development’.

the move comes as Washington looks to secure a supply of strategic minerals from the DR Congo, in an attempt to challenge China’s near-monopoly on the lucrative sector.

uN head Antonio Guterres said in August that Africa could become a ‘renewable superpower’ as it taps the raw materials needed for green technology around the world.

Seven people suffered burns in an explosion at Gulshan Petrol Pump in Mohakhali Amtali area of Dhaka recently.

of them, Swapan Molla, 24, Kabir, 18, Rubel, 28, and Khairul, 28, are employees of the Gulshan Clean and Care company, while Masudur Rahman, 44, is another company owner, and Almagir Hossain, 40, and Sojib, 31, are his employees. Gulshan Clean and Care staff member Swapan said they were taken to the petrol pump to clean an underground tank.

once the fuel had been removed, they entered the tank to clean it and used an electric fan to remove the remaining gas inside. ‘At one point, when we went to switch off the electric fan, the explosion occurred inside and all seven of us who were nearby suffered burns.,’ he said. Locals who rushed them to National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery said the fire was extinguished immediately after the explosion. Doctors at the burn institute said the injured were kept under observation.

Vertical solar specialist Over Easy Solar has broke its own record for the world’s largest rooftop vertical solar array with a 320 kW system in the north Norwegian city of Tromsø. Norwegian startup Over Easy Solar has deployed what it claims to be the world’s largest rooftop installation of vertical solar panels in Tromsø, northern Norway.

the 320 kW solar array features 6,400 vertical solar panels installed on the top of the logistics terminal Tromsøterminalen.

it was mounted by three people in four days, according to the company.

over Easy Solar says vertical solar panels are beneficial in northern latitudes such as Tromsø, which is located within the Arctic Circle, as they capture more energy from the low-angle sunlight common in the north, can generate more electricity in the morning and afternoon, and stay clear of snow accumulation, helping to improve year-round performance. ‘Vertical solar panels are very well suited for northern latitudes and snowy regions, so we hope this becomes a model project for others who want to invest in sustainable power production from flat rooftops in the north,’ commented Over Easy Solar CEO Trygve Mongstad. ‘As far as I know, this is now the city’s largest solar system, and the world’s largest vertical rooftop installation.’

EU countries have sought to settle on an emissions-cutting plan to bring to a key UN conference in Brazil, as divisions on the bloc’s green agenda threaten its global leadership on climate.

environment ministers for the 27-nation bloc gathered recently in Brussels with the clock ticking down on a United Nations deadline to produce plans to fight global warming by 2035.

one of the world’s biggest greenhouse-gas emitters behind China, the United States, and India, the EU has to date been the most committed to climate action, by some margin.

as such, the bloc was hoping to pull ahead and derive its submission to November’s COP30 climate conference from a more ambitious 2040 goal. But that is yet to be agreed by member states, leaving Brussels scrambling for a lastminute solution. Denmark, which holds the EU’s rotating presidency, has suggested submitting to the UN a ‘statement of intent’, rather than a hard target.

that would include a pledge to cut emissions between 66.3 percent and 72.5 percent compared to 1990 levels — with the range expected to be narrowed down at a later stage.

The 30th Conference of the Parties (COP30) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is fast approaching. Preparations are underway by the incoming COP30 Presidency of Brazil, which has been issuing a series of letters aimed at encouraging all stakeholders, including UNFCCC parties, to effectively implement the Paris Agreement (PA).

in one such letter, the Presidency expressed hope to avoid the ‘brutality of inaction’ that has characterized many past COPs. Following the subsidiary bodies’ meetings in Bonn last June (SB62), the UNFCCC also held several online consultations with parties and stakeholders, alongside other mandated events in the run-up to COP30, which takes place in just seven weeks.

three of these mandated events on climate finance (CF) were held at the FAO Headquarters in Rome from September 6-11, 2025.

i had the privilege of attending the first event, held on September 6-7, focused on Article 2.1c of the PA, which addresses aligning finance flows with pathways toward low-carbon, climateresilient development (LCCRD).

the event also explored its complementarity with Article 9, which deals with climate finance obligations.

this was the sixth, and apparently final, workshop on the issue. Yet the core debates remain unresolved, particularly regarding the interpretation and scope of Article 2.1c.

this workshop emphasized stocktaking of both domestic and international actions on CF, as well as reflections on progress since the workshops began in 2023.

earlier workshops generated ideas on the scope of Article 2.1c, its operationalization, and its relation to Article 9. But consensus remains elusive. Some contours of the debate are clear, but the real test for the COP30 Presidency will be how it initiates the operationalization of Article 2.1c.

article 2.1c articulates the aspirational goal of achieving LCCRD and can be seen as the outcome of the climate regime.

its scope is broader than Article 9, which is specifically about developed countries providing CF and mobilizing resources through public and private channels, including bilateral and multilateral agencies.

article 2.1c, by contrast, covers broader objectives of achieving LCCRD through sustainable development and poverty reduction.

article 9, therefore, can be viewed as a mechanism for delivering public support and mobilizing additional CF sources-including private finance- to help implement Article 2.1c.

in this sense, Article 9 is a subset of the broader finance flows envisioned for LCCRD. Both articles rest on the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, tailored to national circumstances and respective capacities.

the Co-Chairs of this agenda will prepare a final report for considerationat COP30 and CMA 7 of the PA.

achieving LCCRD involves every sector of the economy and financial systems at both global and national levels.

article 2.1c thus encompasses public and private finance, as well as international and domestic initiatives. From my participation in four of these workshops, I observed that developed countries often try to shift the burden of mobilization from international to domestic financial systems. This underscores the need to build the capacity of national regulators and private sector actors. While capacity building is necessary, domestic finance can only complement-not replace-international support, especially in low-income and least developed countries. When discussing climate change, we cannot overlook its origins: historical emissions from developed countries. While developing countries, including China, now lead in current emissions, this reality should not justify shifting responsibilities from international to domestic and private financial systems. Moreover, robust monitoring and tracking of CF is needed under both articles. Yet without a common definition of climate finance-still absent after more than 25 years of debate- effective tracking remains impossible. Such deadlocks only deepen mistrust between developed and developing countries.

the seventh letter from the COP30 Presidency highlights the role of the private sector and the profitable investment opportunities in addressing climate change.

the private sector is indeed critical for mobilizing CF, particularly given shifting geopolitics, geoeconomics, and shrinking global aid budgets. However, its contributions to CF remain far smaller than those of the public sector. With its strong advocacy of global norms and values, the progressive Brazilian Presidency faces the challenge of ensuring that this COP avoids the ‘brutality of inaction.’ Success will depend on its ability to unite parties and non-parties in providing and mobilizing climate finance to operationalize a roadmap for achieving LCCRD

Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Limited conducted a mobile court drive in Narayanganj recently and severed illegal gas connections to curb unauthorized use and safeguard government revenue.

the operation was carried out at Langalbandh under Bandar Thana where 6,655 cubic feet of gas wastage was prevented, valued at around Taka 18,100 per day and Taka 506,000 per month. During the drive, 320 feet of illegal pipelines spread across a two-kilometer area were removed, leading to the disconnection of 300 residential burners, nine commercial burners and one oven.

the mobile court also imposed a fine of Taka one lakh on an accused for using illegal gas connections.

IDCOL has organized a comprehensive two-day training program aimed at accelerating the adoption of rooftop solar energy among industries in Bangladesh. The training focused on the opportunities and financing mechanisms available to promote renewable energy in the industrial sector, aligning with the nation’s goal of generating 40% of electricity from renewable sources by 2030.

the event started with the opening remarks by Mr.

alamgir Morshed, Executive Director and CEO of IDCOL who emphasized the importance of industrialscale rooftop solar in supporting the country’s clean energy future. The program also featured a session of gratitude from Deputy CEO and CFO of IDCOL, S. M. Monirul Islam, who expressed appreciation to all participants and stakeholders for their commitment to Bangladesh’s green transformation.

expert insights into technical and engineering considerations were provided by Dr. M. Rezwan Khan, Director of IDCOL and Professor Emeritus at the United International University (UIU). Key training sessions were led by Md.

enamul Karim Pavel, Head of Renewable Energy at IDCOL, focusing on the technical and operational aspects of rooftop solar projects.

Transportation of jet fuel from Patenga to Chittagong airport through a pipeline began recently.

the project has been implemented at a cost of Tk 170 million to supply fuel oil to aircraft in a modern, environmentally friendly, time- and cost-saving manner. Previously, the cost of transporting jet fuel through tank lorries was Tk 80 million per year.

under the pipeline, 140 cubic meters of fuel will be transported per hour through an 8-inch diameter underground pipeline. Secretary of the Energy and Mineral Resources Department, Mohammad Saiful Islam, inaugurated the ‘Jet A-1 Pipeline from the main installation at Patenga to Shah Amanat International Airport’ in the port city on Tuesday morning. Jet fuel will now be transported through a 5.77-kilometre pipeline from Padma Oil’s main facility in the Guptakhal area of Patenga. Previously, jet fuel was supplied to the airport by tanker from Patenga, which was eight kilometers away

Speakers at a recent seminar stressed that renewable energy is the only sustainable way to reduce the country’s heavy reliance on imports. They urged collective efforts driven by patriotism, particularly from the young generation, to foster domestic production and create employment opportunities.

organized by the Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB), the seminar was held at Khulna Press Club with Energy Adviser of CAB Professor M. Shamsul Alam as the keynote speaker. Speakers highlighted that about 85 percent of Bangladesh’s current energy supply is import-dependent. However, the country has the potential to generate 3,000 megawatts of electricity from rooftops alone, in addition to wind and hydro power opportunities in coastal areas.

they emphasized that energy is central to the nation’s development, but tackling corruption is equally essential for sustainable progress.

China has announced a new climate action plan at a UN meeting — its first pledge to include absolute targets for cutting planet-warming gases — setting a goal of reducing emissions by 7-10 percent by 2035. China is the world’s second biggest economy, and since 2006, the largest polluter, now accounting for nearly 30 percent of global emissions. Paradoxically, it is also a clean energy powerhouse, rapidly shifting to renewable energy while selling the world its solar panels, batteries, and electric cars. Beijing’s trajectory will be crucial to whether the world can limit end-of-century warming to 1.5C, the threshold UN scientists say is needed to avoid the most catastrophic impacts of climate disruption.

under the Paris Agreement, countries must update their ‘Nationally Determined Contributions’ every five years. With the year’s main climate summit in Brazil fast approaching in November, expectations were running high for President Xi Jinping’s announcement recently at the United Nations.