Carbon Brief’s editorial team is supported by an international group of academics, each specialising in various areas of climate science, biodiversity, energy and policy.
As contributing editors, they help to keep Carbon Brief up-to-date with the latest scientific and policy developments, as well as providing advice, when required, on matters of scientific accuracy.
The contributing editors, who will serve a term of two years in the role, are not paid by Carbon Brief and do not endorse its content.
Prof Bethan Davies (@iceybethan.bsky.social)
Prof Bethan Davies is a professor of glaciology at Newcastle University. She specialises in the response of glaciers and ice sheets to climate change, with recent work focusing on the
British-Irish Ice Sheet, Patagonia, Antarctica, the Andes, Alaska, Svalbard and Austria. She is currently editor for the journal Quaternary Science Reviews, chair of the UK Arctic-Antarctic Partnership and co-chair of Diversity in Polar Science Initiative. She is a lead author on the Intergovernmental Panel Climate Change’s (IPCC) upcoming IPCC seventh assessment report (AR7). She also established the website AntarcticGlaciers.org.
Dr Joanna Depledge (Joanna Depledge)
Dr Joanna Depledge is a fellow at the Cambridge Centre for Environment, Energy and Natural Resource Governance (CEENRG) at the University of Cambridge. She has been following climate change and wider environmental negotiations for more than 25 years, including as a staff member at the secretariat of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and a reporter for the Earth Negotiations Bulletin. Joanna has been on the editorial team of the journal Climate Policy since 2014. She is also a founding member of Cambridge Zero, a member of the research network Climate Strategies, and sat on the steering committee of the production gap report for 2020 and 2021.
Dr Gabriela Di Giulio
Dr Gabriela Di Giulio is an associate professor at the University of São Paulo. She holds a BA in journalism, an MSc in science and technology policy and a PhD in environment and society from the University of Campinas. Her research explores the interactions between environment, society and science–policy dynamics, with a particular focus on how environmental crises affect socio-cultural contexts. Her current work addresses climate change and adaptation, the governance and communication of risks and uncertainties, and pathways toward sustainability transitions.
Prof Erich Fischer (@erichfischer.bsky.social)
Prof Erich Fischer is climate scientist at ETH Zurich. His research interests include changes in weather and climate extremes, detection and attribution, climate variability, constraining uncertainties in global-to-regional model projections, and the human impacts of warming. He is a lead author on both the IPCC sixth and seventh assessment report. He is co-chair of the World Climate Research Program (WCRP) Lighthouse Activity on Explaining and Predicting Earth System Change (EPESC). He is an associate editor on the journal Science Advances and a co-editor of Weather and Climate Dynamics.
Prof Sabine Fuss
Prof Sabine Fuss is a working group leader and head of research department at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK). She holds a professorship in sustainable resource management and global change at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin Her expertise is in sustainable development, tropical rainforest conservation and climate change mitigation, with a particular focus on carbon dioxide removal. She was a lead author on the IPCC’s special report on 1.5C and was appointed to the European Academy of Sciences in 2021. She received her PhD in international economics from Maastricht University in 2008.
Dr Kirsten Mayer (@kirstenjmayer.bsky.social)
Dr Kirsten Mayer is a scientist at the US National Science Foundation National Center for Atmospheric Research (NSF NCAR). Her research uses machine learning to explore sources of predictability within the Earth System, particularly focused on subseasonal and longer timescales. She is also an active member of the WCRP ESMO Working Group on Subseasonal to Interdecadal Prediction (WGSIP). She has a PhD in atmospheric sciences from Colorado State University.
Dr Albert Salamanca
Dr Albert M Salamanca heads the secretariat of the Adaptation Research Alliance (ARA) and is a senior research fellow at the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) Asia centre. His work focuses on climate change adaptation, disaster risk reduction and sustainable development, with particular attention to strengthening the research–policy interface in south-east Asia. He holds a PhD in geography from Durham University.
Dr Christopher Trisos (Christopher Trisos)
Dr Christopher Trisos is the director of the Climate Risk Lab and of the African Synthesis Centre for Climate Change, Environment and Development (ASCEND) at University of Cape Town. He holds the AXA research chair in African climate risk at the African Climate and Development Initiative. His work focuses on understanding risks from climate change to enable communities to adapt for a better future, with a particular focus on Africa and the global south. He has served as a coordinating lead author for the IPCC, a negotiator at the UNFCCC, and has advised several international organisations and governments on climate change risks and adaptation.
Carbon Brief is grateful for the support of its earlier cohort of contributing editors:
Second cohort: Dr Céline Guivarch; Prof Frank Jotzo; Dr Zachary Labe; Dr David Lapola; Dr Friederike Otto; Prof Lisa Schipper; Dr Chandni Singh; and Dr Portia Adade Williams.
First cohort: Prof Richard Allan; Prof Mark Brandon; Prof Piers Forster; Prof Gabriele Hegerl; Prof Simon Lewis; Prof Tim Osborn; Prof Camille Parmesan; and Prof Peter Stott.
The post Introducing Carbon Brief’s 2026 cohort of contributing editors appeared first on Carbon Brief.
Introducing Carbon Brief’s 2026 cohort of contributing editors
Countries’ climate plans would cut global emissions only half as much by 2035 as the UN projected a year ago, its annual assessment showed, after the US exit from the Paris Agreement and weaker new pledges worsened the outlook.
Taking into account the nationally determined contributions (NDCs) of 154 countries, which cover about 71% of global emissions, and current policies in the rest of the world, global emissions would fall to about 6% below 2019 levels by 2035. Last year’s update, based on 113 countries, put the figure at 12%.
According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, emissions need to go down by 60% over the same period to limit global warming to 1.5C – a threshold that is now inevitably going to be breached, at least temporarily.
The latest NDCs put the world on course for between 2.1C and 3.2C of warming by the end of the century, depending on what countries do beyond 2035. That is slightly higher than the 1.9C–3.0C range that the UN climate body estimated in last year’s update, published during COP30.
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Early speakers’ list suggests few powerful leaders will attend COP31
Just 77 heads of state or government are scheduled to address the COP31 climate summit in Antalya, a third less than the COP28 peak -
Paris Agreement committee names three countries snubbing it over NDCs
More than 30 countries have failed to submit an NDC, but only three have repeatedly ignored the committee’s efforts to engage with them
US exit worsens picture
A major factor is the US, the world’s second-largest emitter. Last year’s UN assessment included the pledge to cut emissions by between 61% and 66% by 2035, made under the administration of former President Joe Biden.
But, since the US has officially left the Paris Agreement, its NDC has been excluded from the tally and its emissions projections have now been derived from current policies, which point to far higher levels of pollution.
US emissions grew significantly last year as a result of growing electricity demand and the policies of President Donald Trump’s administration, which has rolled back support for clean energy and backed the burning of fossil fuels.
Weak new NDCs
Another reason for weaker emission reduction projections is that the approximately 40 new NDCs submitted since last year’s update have been less ambitious than the earlier UN modelling had hoped for.
India, the world’s third-largest emitter, submitted its NDC in April. Its plan would let emissions climb to 6.3 billion tonnes by 2035, almost 64% above 2023 levels, according to analysis by Climate Action Tracker (CAT). Its targets are weaker than India’s current policies and it could meet them as early as 2030.
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Turkish giant sponsoring COP31 cut climate goals then cashed in on oil boom
COP31 sponsors should be screened for “climate integrity”. Yet Koç Holding has become a top partner while its oil refiner runs flat out and its climate targets slip -
Early speakers’ list suggests few powerful leaders will attend COP31
Just 77 heads of state or government are scheduled to address the COP31 climate summit in Antalya, a third less than the COP28 peak -
UK approves gas drilling despite admitting blow to “climate leadership” status
The government accepts that approving the Jackdaw field will weaken its climate reputation and downplays the legal weight of the International Court of Justice opinion
Saudi Arabia’s plan, submitted at the end of last year, sets no 2035 target, but has only a 2040 goal to reduce, avoid or remove 335 million tonnes a year against an undisclosed baseline. CAT rates it “critically insufficient”, estimating 2035 emissions at between 13% below and 18% above 2019 levels.
About 30 countries, including Egypt, Vietnam and Argentina, have still not produced an updated NDC, which all governments should have submitted more than a year and a half ago.
UN climate chief Simon Stiell said this year’s assessment report demonstrates again that collective progress remains insufficient, that global transitions are very uneven and that many countries face substantial barriers to delivering their targets and pledges.
He added that COP31 in Türkiye can help address some of the key gaps highlighted in this year’s reports, through ambitious outcomes on emission-cutting efforts, adaptation, climate finance and just transitions, as well as presidency-led initiatives on electrification, curbing methane emissions and progressing towards zero waste.
The post National climate plans now promise half the emission cuts expected by UN appeared first on Climate Home News.
National climate plans now promise half the emission cuts expected by UN
Climate Change
‘A strong start’: WA’s transition to renewable energy powerhouse aided by Premier’s announcement
PERTH, Tuesday 27 October 2026 — In response to WA Premier Roger Cook’s announcement of a doubled renewable energy target for WA’s main energy system, reported today, the following comments can be attributed to WA Campaign Lead at Greenpeace Australia Pacific, Geoff Bice:
“A Western Australian renewable energy target of 75% by 2030-31 is a welcome step in the right direction following sustained calls from across the WA community including unions, industry and advocacy groups.
“This common sense policy is a vital roadmap for WA’s shift to affordable and reliable solar and wind backed by batteries, and gives certainty to business and investors in a volatile global environment.
“Clear policy on renewable energy for WA’s main electricity grid will allow the phase out of polluting coal-fired power from the system and begin to remedy our reliance on expensive and polluting gas.
“This commitment is a positive first step for WA’s clean energy future, but the Cook Government must also address the state’s rising climate pollution driven by the gas industry and industrial processing.
“A natural step towards tackling rising emissions is rejecting any new fossil fuel projects, including Woodside’s proposal to drill for gas at Scott Reef.
“Expert advice and analysis compiled by Greenpeace and Springmount Advisory clearly lays out a viable pathway for WA to follow a staged transition away from fossil fuels and unlock almost $1 trillion of economic value by 2060 by replacing gas exports with green exports.
“The renewable energy target is a strong start — it must now be paired with emissions reduction targets to ensure climate pollution from WA starts falling urgently, and a plan for WA to become a renewable energy powerhouse must be prioritised.”
-ENDS-
Media contact
Emma Sangalli at emma.sangalli@greenpeace.org or 0431 513 465
‘A strong start’: WA’s transition to renewable energy powerhouse aided by Premier’s announcement
Climate Change
WA EPA warned Woodside of ‘serious, significant and irreversible’ harms to Scott Reef from gas plans, new documents reveal
SYDNEY/PERTH, Tuesday 27 October 2026 — In response to Western Australian Environmental Protection Authority (WA EPA) documents about Woodside’s plans to drill for gas at Scott Reef, as reported today, the following comments can be attributed to Glenn Walker, Head of Nature at Greenpeace Australia Pacific:
“These WA EPA documents show the depth of concern echoed by multiple regulators about Woodside’s plans to drill for oil and gas at Scott Reef, a proposal that flouts legislated nature protection principles.
“The WA EPA appears to have informed Woodside that the Browse project was bound for rejection based on an extensive review process and the opinion of multiple state government departments and independent experts.
“Greenpeace analyses have confirmed this year that Woodside’s gas drilling plans at Scott Reef still risk destroying vulnerable green turtle homes, further endangering pygmy blue whales with atomic bomb-level seismic blasting noise, and unleashing the worst oil spill in Australian history.
“The federal environment department raised similar red flags about oil spill risk from Woodside’s Scott Reef drilling plans in 2025 and 2026 before handing the project’s assessment over to the National Environmental Protection Authority.
“Woodside’s suggested ‘fixes’ in response to grave concerns for the wellbeing of Scott Reef and threatened species have been unilaterally criticised by independent experts for lacking in scientific basis and adequate detail.
“It would be a major backflip for both the WA EPA and the National EPA to now recommend ap