Today’s headlines: United Nations’ dire climate warning, and more

EMISSIONS

• The United Nations warns that the world will soon surpass the 1.5 degree Celsius warming target codified in the Paris Agreement, making carbon dioxide removal necessary in order to get back under the threshold. (New York Times)
• China’s oil consumption dropped 9% in the second quarter of this year compared to the same period in 2025 as more residents turned to EVs and public transit amid the war in Iran, causing the nation’s overall emissions to fall by 1%. (Carbon Brief)

TRANSPORTATION

• Ford has reportedly set an ambitious internal target of selling more than 100,000 units of its forthcoming $30,000 EV truck, the Fathom, within its first year of production. (Wall Street Journal)
• A new study shows that EV batteries last longer than expected, retaining about 90% of their original capacity even after more than 90,000 miles. (Financial Times)
• Maersk plans to install the first-ever wind sail on a container ship, a move that hearkens back to the olden days of seafaring and which should help reduce the ship’s consumption of fossil fuels. (Financial Times)

STORAGE

• Google is anchoring a project to install 10 MW — and 100 MWh — of batteries from long-duration storage provider Eos in West Virginia. (news release)

UTILITIES

• PG&E says it will defer roughly $2 billion in spending for 2027 after the California Legislature failed to pass a bill reducing utility exposure to wildfire liability. (Reuters)
• Maryland utilities propose cuts to the state’s core energy-efficiency program following state lawmakers’ decision to shrink the program in an attempt to offset rising electricity bills. (Maryland Matters)