Ed King

Re Trump advice to UK over oil & gas policy - it's entirely possible one of the few things that could make PM Starmer more popular is by pushing back on someone who has favourable ratings from 13% of the population... yougov.com/en-gb/art...

Trump hates renewables. The Iran war may help them. Higher gas prices in Europe and the U.S. could create economic and political incentives for solar, wind, batteries and other clean technology.

“Renewables offer a fundamentally lower level of commodity risk compared to imports of fossil fuels, and reminders of that benefit can boost stocks in that industry”

We have robots, AI, drones, Netflix... all kinds of cool stuff. Yet a vast chunk of the the global economy still relies on massive, slow ships to turn a corner in the Gulf and not get sunk. Mad.

Fossil-fuel disruption is “a bit of a Rorschach test of what you want to see" as one expert put it. An oil and gas producer, will want to double down on domestic production. A fossil-fuel importer will want to electrify and deploy renewables. www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

EU followed the script

Climate Diplomacy Brief - March 2026 War in the Middle East hits oil flows as China plans second stage of energy transition

Climate Diplo Brief - March 2026

China plans second stage of energy transition as war in the Middle East hits oil flows

EU gas prices up 28%.

www.bloomberg.com/ne...

How much shale gas is there in the UK and what is the status of fracking? - Grantham Research Institute on climate change and the environment This explainer outlines the current and historical status of fracking in the UK, the arguments for and against it, and the UK's reserves of shale gas.

No, fracking would not render the UK immune from price hikes post US-Iran war...

“The open and liberal nature of the UK’s gas market means that the market price ... is unlikely to be influenced by shale gas development.”

Eight former UK energy ministers call for U-turn on oil and gas Cross-party group says current policy is worsening power security while doing little to cut global emissions

Good time to make a U-turn on phasing out oil & gas just as war in the oil & gas heartland kicks off... idk - reckon this might not land as they hoped www.ft.com/content/2d18...

Brazil cracking on with developing a global 'roadmap' off fossil fuels... letter to 190+ countries today asks for input by March 31 on what it should include.

unfccc.int/sites/def...

Tory-Linked Climate Denial Group Seeks Funds in Trump’s America An anti-net zero lobby group with ties to the Conservative Party held an event in the United States to raise funds for its pro-fossil fuel agenda, DeSmog can report.  Net Zero Watch (NZW), which campaigns against net zero targets and renewable energy, put on an evening panel on “Net Zero and Freedom” in New York on Thursday (February 19), where speakers attacked the UK’s climate targets and praised President Donald Trump’s […]

Beware 30 older men in suits

Clarkson's Farm filming HALTED as Jeremy shares bleak update with fans Jeremy Clarkson has revealed the bleak reason he's had to halt filming for the new series of his popular Prime Video hit Clarkson's Farm.

'It hasn't stopped raining since the beginning of the year, so I can't plant anything'

British winters are getting wetter. The UK Met Office says this is linked to #climate change.

And it's battering British farmers like Jeremy Clarkson. Brutal.

Read the complete transcript of Trump's 2026 State of the Union President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address, delivered on Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026, as transcribed by The Associated Press.

Trump: 'are the hottest country anywhere in the world. The hottest'

(might be true come summer, who knows)

Store under 'net zero is dead / climate not an issue' tag some notable oil hacks are piling in on...

BBC international editor Jeremy Bowen: ‘I do this to tell people what the hell is happening’ The veteran correspondent on the future of the Middle East, why impartiality matters — and his ‘long view’ on Britain’s national broadcaster

Jeremy Bowen. National Treasure. FT i/v well worth your time

US power prices. Higher than ever before, this would suggest... (happy to correct if wrong)

fred.stlouisfed.org/...

'To appease a climate cult, we have imposed energy policies on ourselves that are impoverishing our people' Marco Rubio at MSC... - noting (1) speech ain't that conciliatoty & (2) power prices under current US govt are rising...

www.state.gov/releas...

It's galling to contemplate but I really think you have to admit that Musk buying X was an unqualified victory. It can't be exaggerated just how much prominent journalists, pundits, business type, etc. mistake the vibe on X for "how the country is feeling."

Donald Trump orders US defence department to buy coal-generated electricity Executive order also allocates $175mn to upgrade coal power plants in five states

Coal-powered tanks, F35 stealth fighters?

Ratcliffe embarrasses United. Sir Jim Ratcliffe is entitled to his views even if they are considered offensive to many.

'How will Stockport-born England international Kobbie Mainoo, whose parents came over from Ghana, feel about Ratcliffe’s “colonised by immigrants” rhetoric?'

Good piece by @henrywinter this

When Climate Reality Hits Home: CVF-V20 Secretariat in Madagascar as a Category 4 Cyclone Makes Landfall - CVFV20.Org As a Category 4 cyclone slams into Madagascar’s coastline, the force of climate change is no longer abstract, it is immediate, physical, and deeply human. The CVF Secretariat team on the ground is witnessing firsthand how climate vulnerability translates into real-time emergency response, institutional coordination, and community resilience under pressure.

'This is not just a storm. It is a macro-economic shock, a development setback, and a humanitarian emergency unfolding at once' - inside a cat-4 cyclone hitting Madagascar

Indian respondents to annual @munsecconf view 'climate change generally and the destruction of natural
habitats – as the most serious risks to their country' - yet still no updated UN #climate plan from Delhi...

securityconference.o...

'The geopolitical centre of gravity is shifting towards China' - worth reading this analysis of UN votes by @focaldataHQ hs-3959436.f.hubspot...

Gas heavy, but notable US states wind / solar power share in Texas, Iowa, Oklahoma & beyond (via JKempEnergy)

EU mulling muscle at UN #climate summits. Might also be helpful if the 27 can have a common focus pre meeting. 'Power' not much good if they're all running in circles.

www.reuters.com/sust...

Here’s How Much The Bezos-Sánchez Wedding Extravaganza Really Cost The lavish, celebrity-packed affair in Venice, replete with private water-taxis, three-Michelin-star catering and Murano glass gifts for guests, is over the top, but far from the most expensive billio...

Not to mention $20-25m for the wedding www.forbes.com/sites/martin...

But $40m for a Melania Movie...

The guy who owns Amazon shutting down the books section of the Washington Post is beyond parody

Misión diplomática colombiana respalda Conferencia para la Transición de Combustibles Fósiles - 40 embajadores de Colombia y sus misiones diplomáticas en el exterior conocieron los objetivos y alcances del país con el desarrollo de esta conferencia internacional. La ministra de Ambiente y Desarrollo Sostenible (e), Irene Vélez Torres, lideró el diálogo diplomático para fortalecer el acercamiento y las alianzas con los gobiernos que participarán en la Conferencia. […]

'What we are going to discuss is the political decision to begin phasing out the extraction and consumption of fossil fuels' - 60 countries appear to support Colombia's April conference on fossil fuel phaseout. One to watch.

#Climate Diplo Brief: February 2026

As global tensions and emissions spiral, is the White House running a pro-climate PSYOPs?

climatediplobrief.su...

Nominated new US Fed chief Kevin Warsh likely to take a big step back from #climate - judging by his IMF Lecture on April 25, 2025

www.hoover.org/sites...