Climate Tech Newsletter: December 29, 2025

Welcome to last week’s edition of the CBKNY’s Weekly News Highlights. Explore the latest policies, innovations, and market trends driving the future of climate tech.

Climate Tech Insights

This week marks a structural pivot: AI-driven electricity and water use surged again in new research; Alphabet acquired a $47.5B data-infrastructure firm; Trump halted offshore wind projects; Europe broadened emissions-cost compensation; New York and Washington flagged data-center and carbon-market pressures; and CO₂-storage retrofits advanced. Together, they show rising demand for firm, regulated clean power.

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1. Good climate news to end the year — world is decarbonizing faster than was expected ten years ago
   December 25, 2025 – The Star

2. Cyclones, floods and wildfires among 2025’s costliest climate-related disasters
   December 27, 2025 – The Guardian

3. London Eye architect proposes 14-mile tidal power station off Somerset coast
   December 27, 2025 – The Guardian

4. The paint, coatings and materials that could cool buildings without air conditioning
   December 26, 2025 – MIT Technology Review

5. Alphabet to buy clean energy developer Intersect in $4.75 billion deal amid AI push
   December 23, 2025 – Reuters

6. China bets on AI to power its green transition
   December 22, 2025 – Reuters

7. EU broadens industry compensation for emissions regulation costs
   December 24, 2025 – Reuters

8. Trump administration halts all large-scale offshore wind projects under construction in US
   December 23, 2025 – ESG Dive

9. NYC pension delays vote to drop BlackRock, Fidelity
   December 22, 2025 – ESG Dive

10. Washington carbon market generates billions for climate projects
    December 24, 2025 – E&E News

11. New York data center surge presents economic development conundrum
    December 24, 2025 – E&E News

12. Nuclear power’s loud-but-quiet year
    December 24, 2025 – Canary Media

13. A path to fast, cheap home solar and batteries: Go through the meter
    December 22, 2025 – Canary Media

14. Electrifying these factories could cut a gigaton of CO₂ pollution
    December 22, 2025 – Canary Media

15. Clean energy in 2025: charts that show renewables’ record year
    December 26, 2025 – Canary Media

16. AI–climate tech integrations surge in 2025: Big Tech partnerships drive clean energy and emissions solutions
    December 22, 2025 – VFuture Media

17. How Mill closed the deal with Amazon and Whole Foods
    December 24, 2025 – TechCrunch

18. IEEE Spectrum’s top rare earth elements stories of 2025
    December 26, 2025 – IEEE Spectrum

19. CO₂ soon to be buried under North Sea oil platform
    December 22, 2025 – Phys.org

20. South Korea launches ‘K-Moonshot’ for quantum computing and fusion energy
    December 12, 2025 – Dong-A Science

21. Revolutionary sustainable grid-scale batteries connect to the power grid using iron and air
    December 9, 2025 – Happy Eco News

22. Methane emissions monitoring: Better data is driving change
    December 23, 2025 – Happy Eco News

23. Japan Launches $1.34 Billion Subsidy Plan For Clean Energy Demand (newsletter link)
    December 23, 2025 – ESG News

24. KKR takes majority stake in Green Mobility Partners to scale European electric rail leasing platform
    December 22, 2025 – ESG News

25. Five sustainable finance predictions for 2026
    December 23, 2025 – Corporate Knights

26. CDR in 2025: The shifts and strides that redefined the sector
    December 16, 2025 – Carbon Herald

27. Voluntary carbon market in 2026: Top forecasts and what they mean for investors
    December 26, 2025 – Carbon Credits