The leaders of the five Central Asia republics attended the  Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Plus meeting in Tianjin, China, which concluded on 1 September. Twenty-four countries and the United Nations, and other multilateral organizations were represented. (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan are founders of SCO; Turkmenistan, as a permanently neutral countr,y attended as a guest.) The 80th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) opens on 9 September, and leaders of the republics may have an opportunity to meet U.S.…

The world is facing an intensifying energy trilemma. The three sides of this energy quagmire are sustainability (i.e., clean energy), accessibility (i.e., energy security), and affordability (i.e., equity). Achieving a balance of these three energy goals is incredibly difficult in the best of circumstances, but remarkably tricky on a global scale considering the enormous diversity of energy system contexts and constraints in different regions and nations around the world.  This is a global issue, as relevant in Europe as it is in sub-Saharan…

Carbon markets have become increasingly important as a cost-effective pathway for companies and countries to reduce emissions in a world struggling to meet its climate goals. They can mobilize private capital, particularly in developing countries where clean technology financing remains scarce, and provide hard-to-abate sectors with access to solutions that would otherwise be out of reach. Climate finance pledges are materializing – the $100 billion goal was finally met and the Loss and Damage Fund launched, both in 2022 – but public…

India continues to buy cheap Russian crude oil, despite being punished for it by the United States, which in August imposed a 50 percent tariff on Indian exports to America, including a 25 percent penalty for importing Russian crude. The US tariffs on India are some of the highest in the world. Citigroup estimates the combined 50 percent tariff poses between a 0.6 and 0.8 percent downside risk to India’s annual GDP growth. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Sept. 5 that the country will keep buying Russia oil, defying demands from…

The U.S. has deployed fighter jets to Guyana, drawing its military footprint into the world’s fastest-growing offshore oil province as tensions with neighboring Venezuela escalate, as Washington adjusts its regional posture to accommodate the changing balance of power in the south Caribbean due to newfound oil wealth.  The move comes as ExxonMobil and partners Hess and CNOOC continue expanding production from Guyana’s Stabroek block, which already exceeds 650,000 barrels per day and is forecast to reach 1.3 million bpd by 2027.…

The U.S. has deployed fighter jets to Guyana, drawing its military footprint into the world’s fastest-growing offshore oil province as tensions with neighboring Venezuela escalate, as Washington adjusts its regional posture to accommodate the changing balance of power in the south Caribbean due to newfound oil wealth.  The move comes as ExxonMobil and partners Hess and CNOOC continue expanding production from Guyana’s Stabroek block, which already exceeds 650,000 barrels per day and is forecast to reach 1.3 million bpd by 2027.…

The U.S. has deployed fighter jets to Guyana, drawing its military footprint into the world’s fastest-growing offshore oil province as tensions with neighboring Venezuela escalate, as Washington adjusts its regional posture to accommodate the changing balance of power in the south Caribbean due to newfound oil wealth.  The move comes as ExxonMobil and partners Hess and CNOOC continue expanding production from Guyana’s Stabroek block, which already exceeds 650,000 barrels per day and is forecast to reach 1.3 million bpd by 2027.…

Oil and gas producers worldwide are bracing for a prolonged downturn, with job losses and investment cuts spreading through the industry, according to a new report from Financial Times. ConocoPhillips, Chevron, and BP have all announced large-scale layoffs, while others are shelving or selling projects to conserve cash. “This isn’t just a Conoco problem,” said Kirk Edwards of Latigo Petroleum. “It’s a flashing red warning light for the entire US oil and gas industry.” FT writes that the…

Turkey’s state gas company BOTAS has locked in 15 billion cubic metres of liquefied natural gas (LNG) through new contracts with eight global suppliers, in a concerted effort to expand its energy portfolio and curb dependence on pipelines from Russia, Azerbaijan and Iran.  Announced at the Gastech 2025 conference in Milan, the agreements cover deliveries through 2028 and involve heavyweights including Cheniere, SEFE, Equinor, JERA, BP, ENI, Shell, and Hartree. Reuters reported that BOTAS sealed a one-year, 1.2 bcm deal with U.S. exporter…

The Raw Steels Monthly Metals Index (MMI) moved sideways with a downside bias, falling 0.96% from August to September. U.S. Steel Prices Continue to Unravel U.S. steel prices remain in search of a new bottom. As of early September, hot rolled coil prices sit at their lowest level since February 21, having unraveled much of the duty-related spike witnessed during the first quarter. Q1 saw prices jump $241 per short ton following successive tariff announcements. However, since reaching their March 27 peak, prices have fallen $109 to stand at $818…

Anglo American will merge with Canada’s Teck Resources in a $50bn (£36bn) deal, shifting its headquarters to Canada and reducing its London presence in a move criticised by shadow business secretary Andrew Griffith. The Tory MP said it represents a blow to UK business and confidence in London. The new entity, to be called Anglo Teck, is expected to have roughly 70 per cent exposure to copper, as well as premium iron ore and zinc. Under the terms of the deal, Anglo will own 62.4 per cent of the combined group, with Teck shareholders…

The General Court of the Court of Justice of the European Union, Europe’s second-highest court, ruled on Wednesday that the EU has the right to label some natural gas and nuclear projects as “sustainable investments,” dismissing a challenge brought by Austria.  In 2022, the European Commission updated in 2022 its Taxonomy Complementary Climate Delegated Act on climate change mitigation and adaptation covering certain gas and nuclear activities. Under the new taxonomy, some gas projects, including several pipelines,…

The General Court of the Court of Justice of the European Union, Europe’s second-highest court, ruled on Wednesday that the EU has the right to label some natural gas and nuclear projects as “sustainable investments,” dismissing a challenge brought by Austria.  In 2022, the European Commission updated in 2022 its Taxonomy Complementary Climate Delegated Act on climate change mitigation and adaptation covering certain gas and nuclear activities. Under the new taxonomy, some gas projects, including several pipelines,…

  Europe will have to rely on higher wind speeds this autumn to see a rise in annual clean power generation as electricity output from wind slumped earlier this year and solar passed its yearly peak in the summer.  Europe’s electricity supply from wind fell by 6% in January to August from a year earlier, according to estimates by think tank Ember cited by Reuters columnist Gavin Maguire.   Total clean electricity supply in Europe fell by 2% in the first eight months of the year compared to the same period of last year,…

The General Court of the Court of Justice of the European Union, Europe’s second-highest court, ruled on Wednesday that the EU has the right to label some natural gas and nuclear projects as “sustainable investments,” dismissing a challenge brought by Austria.  In 2022, the European Commission updated in 2022 its Taxonomy Complementary Climate Delegated Act on climate change mitigation and adaptation covering certain gas and nuclear activities. Under the new taxonomy, some gas projects, including several pipelines,…

  Europe will have to rely on higher wind speeds this autumn to see a rise in annual clean power generation as electricity output from wind slumped earlier this year and solar passed its yearly peak in the summer.  Europe’s electricity supply from wind fell by 6% in January to August from a year earlier, according to estimates by think tank Ember cited by Reuters columnist Gavin Maguire.   Total clean electricity supply in Europe fell by 2% in the first eight months of the year compared to the same period of last year,…

Crude oil inventories in the United States increased by 3.9 million barrels during the week ending September 5, after falling 2.4 million barrels in the week prior, according to new data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) released on Wednesday. The build brings commercial stockpiles to 424.6 million barrels according to government data, which is 3% below the five-year average for this time of year. The EIA’s data release follows API’s figures that were released a day earlier, which suggested that crude oil inventories…

Saudi Aramco, the world’s biggest crude oil exporter and the Saudi state-owned oil giant, is back tapping the debt markets this year with an offering of dollar-denominated Islamic bonds, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday, citing a source with knowledge of the plans.  Aramco is said to be offering Islamic bonds, the so-called sukuk, in five and ten-year issuances in what would be the Saudi oil firm’s second debt issue this year and Saudi Arabia’s third in one week.  In May, Saudi Aramco issued a total of $5 billion in…

Saudi Aramco, the world’s biggest crude oil exporter and the Saudi state-owned oil giant, is back tapping the debt markets this year with an offering of dollar-denominated Islamic bonds, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday, citing a source with knowledge of the plans.  Aramco is said to be offering Islamic bonds, the so-called sukuk, in five and ten-year issuances in what would be the Saudi oil firm’s second debt issue this year and Saudi Arabia’s third in one week.  In May, Saudi Aramco issued a total of $5 billion in…

Amid the fanfare of back-to-back diplomatic gatherings in China last week hosted by Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Beijing and Moscow appeared to secure a massive breakthrough by unveiling a deal to build the long-awaited Power of Siberia-2 gas pipeline. The September 2 announcement of a legally binding memorandum by Aleksei Miller, CEO of the Russian energy giant Gazprom, made headlines and sent a message that Beijing and Moscow's ties are deepening despite Western pressure. But energy analysts who spoke to RFE/RL expressed doubts about the megaproject's…