All Energy Voices

The EU is optimistic it can close a deal between Russia and Ukraine that will bring gas flows back to Ukraine in time for winter. But even if tensions in the Ukraine crisis ease, Russia still has a lot of work to do to stabilize its economy amid Western sanctions.

Climate change stole the spotlight this week, with the People's Climate March drawing a record crowd to New York and the UN Climate Summit gathering leaders from around the world. From New York to Boston and Beijing to Washington, the Monitor was there to cover it. 

A week of climate-themed events, public demonstrations, and diplomatic speeches on clean energy is coming to a close. What did the world accomplish on energy and climate this week, and what comes next?

Republicans remained largely silent following President Obama's UN Climate Summit speech Tuesday, which urged international cooperation to address climate change. The GOP largely criticizes the president's environment and energy policies, but is there an opening for bipartisanship on renewable energy and climate adaptation?

As the traditional UN pathway to an agreement on climate change has proven intractable and largely ineffective, the climate movement has grown louder and more aggressive, Cunningham writes. But can history offer a lesson in forging a global compact on energy and environment issues?  

Western sanctions on Russia are forcing international energy firms to rethink or even suspend plans for oil and gas projects in Russia. The most recent round of sanctions over the Ukraine crisis also severely limits Russian energy companies’ access to Western financing and technology in support of developing energy resources.

When it comes to new oil and gas frontiers, today it’s all about Africa, Stafford writes. More specifically, it’s all about the eastern coast, with Kenya the clear darling of an emerging oil industry.

... It comes from private industry. Government action is critical, but businesses are increasingly active leaders in addressing climate change, Holland writes, and are making their voices heard during climate week. That could signal a real turning point for climate action.

At a UN Climate Summit in New York Tuesday, President Obama said the US was beginning to take action to fight climate change, but must do more. Mr. Obama called on the international community to make strong commitments on clean energy ahead of next year's climate talks in Paris. 

At Tuesday's UN Climate Summit in New York, the leaders of two major carbon emitters are taking a rain check. Why it's unfair to interpret their absence as a rejection of efforts to curb global emissions.

At Tuesday's UN climate change summit, President Obama will push world leaders to pledge ambitious emissions targets and environmental protections to combat climate change – even as Republicans and some Democrats in Congress hope to upend his clean energy goals at home.

The People's Climate March drew hundreds of thousands from around the world for what organizers are calling the largest climate march in history; Global energy largely welcomed Scotland's decision to stick with the UK; Big oil finds in Kenya puts it at the center of an East African energy boom. Catch up with the People's Climate March and the latest in global energy with Recharge. 

Japan could restart its first two nuclear reactors next month after the nationwide shutdown in 2011 after the Fukushima disaster. But nearly 60 percent of Japanese oppose the restart.

The federal government is getting ripped off when it comes to leasing coal tracts on federal lands in the western US, one prominent US senator says. 

The war between Ukraine and Russia may appear to be waning, but Ukraine's energy dependence on Russia remains its greatest weakness, Holland writes. As winter heating season quickly approaches, the United States and Europe must build a strategy now for buttressing Ukraine with energy support.

Oil prices have been declining for several months on an abundance of supply and weak demand. Now, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) says the group may cut its production target in an effort to slow the slide in oil prices.

The Scottish independence vote is underway, and voters will have to take into account just how much oil is left under the North Sea – and how much revenue it might generate. On Wednesday, a Scotland-based consultancy released a skeptical report ahead of the Scottish independence vote.

A federal judge scolded BP lawyers Monday for tinkering with their line spacing to make a legal brief meet a strict page limit. 'Counsel's tactic would not be appropriate for a college term paper,' the judge told BP lawyers in a ruling.

Coal may be terrible for the environment, but its abundance and low cost make it a tremendously useful fuel around the globe. That means coal isn't going to disappear overnight, which is bad news for the fight against climate change. 

Oil and natural gas are booming in the US, and stakeholders across the board are trying to harness the boom to for their own benefit – from lawmakers like Bobby Jindal hoping to push back against gas-rich Russia, to oil companies pushing to export crude and maximize profit.