Joe Biden's team had previously announced that John Kerry will be on the National Security Council as its first dedicated climate official, but hadn't disclosed much about the logistics of the position. We now know a little more about how John Kerry's role as Joe Biden's special climate envoy will work — and the advice is pouring in.
How it works: Kerry's work will be under the purview of the State Department, Biden's transition team confirmed and a Politico piece reported yesterday.
Exxon has paused plans to develop a major carbon storage project in Wyoming as the pandemic curtails industry spending plans, according to Bloomberg.
Why it matters: Experts, including the UN's climate science panel, say CO2 trapping and removal tech will need to play a role in holding warming in check.
QuantumScape, a battery startup whose backers include VW and Bill Gates, announced it has made a major breakthrough in developing solid-state technology.
Why it matters: Effective solid-state batteries are something of a holy grail thanks to the promise of more energy density, durability and safety than existing battery tech.
The Trump administration will maintain the current standards for soot pollution, rejecting the recommendations of agency scientists to tighten them, the Wall Street Journal reports.
The state of play: EPA officials said they decided to keep the 12-micrograms-per-cubic-meter limit after review by a scientific advisory committee and considering public comments, per WSJ.
Biden said Mondayhe'll nominate California Attorney General Xavier Becerra to be Health and Human Services secretary and announced several other health-related picks too.
Why it matters: Biden's campaign envisioned a substantial role for HHS in addressing the public health effects of global warming and pollution.
President-elect Joe Biden faces a tough balancing act as he calls for more global action on climate change while also reassuring the world that America is on board for the long haul.
Driving the news: World leaders will convene virtually on Saturday to mark the fifth anniversary of the Paris Climate Agreement, which was agreed to by nearly all countries on Dec. 12, 2015.
Australia's "'black summer" bushfires killed, wounded or displaced 143 million mammals — including over 61,000 koalas, per a report published Monday
Why it matters: Koalas in New South Wales and Queensland were in "rapid decline" before last summer's fires ravaged the states, per a statement from Dermot O'Gorman, CEO of WWF-Australia, which commissioned the research. It's "a deeply disturbing number for a species already in trouble," he added.
