Axios

President Biden's climate envoy John Kerry "warned the EU that a carbon border tax adjustment should be a 'last resort,'" the Financial Times reports (subscription).

Why it matters: The official statement following a meeting between Kerry and European officials shows that while the U.S. and EU are now broadly aligned on climate, harmony on policy specifics can be trickier.

The VC firm Energy Impact Partners has created an index that tracks performance of companies spanning a wide range of climate-friendly technologies — and it shows they're crushing the broader market.

Why it matters: The firm's new "Climate Tech Index" differs from technology indices that are more narrowly targeted, such as only tracking clean energy companies.

Yesterday marked one year since the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic, but it was already hammering oil prices thanks to lockdowns in China — the world's largest consumer — and market expectations of more demand loss.

Where it stands: Prices have rebounded to their highest levels in well over a year, thanks to consumption coming back, supply curbs, traders' expectations of continued economic recovery, and more demand bounce back later this year.

A big snowstorm is coming this weekend, but it will be tough to break the record.

Here's a look at the largest snow totals in Denver's history, as compiled by 9News:

• 45.7 inches in December 1913: The city came to a standstill for days.

Only 18% of pandemic economic recovery spending approved in 2020 among the world's 50 largest economies can be considered "green," per new analysis from the UN and the University of Oxford. It falls to 2.5% when you combine recovery and shorter term rescue packages that together exceed $14 trillion.

Why it matters: The UN and other multilateral bodies have called on nations to use COVID-19 economic responses to back areas like low-carbon power, electric vehicles, efficient buildings and more.

Speaking of the pandemic, the drop in oil-and-gas industry jobs last year was distributed unevenly worldwide, per new analysis from the consultancy Rystad Energy.

The big picture: The chart above shows jobs losses in oil-and-gas production and midstream industry jobs, which involve storage, transport and other aspects.

The electric vehicle startup Canoo, which went public in late 2020, is the latest company to gamble on consumer interest in battery-powered pickup trucks.

Driving the news: The Los Angeles-based company hopes to begin delivering them as early as 2023, with preorders opening in Q2 of this year.

Something all but inevitable is on the horizon for the Biden administration’s climate and energy team: Making at least some of its allies sad, mad, or both.

Driving the news: The Senate approved Michael Regan to head the EPA Wednesday and is on track to confirm Deb Haaland as Interior secretary next week.

Lawmakers in Mexico's lower house passed a bill Wednesday to legalize recreational marijuana.

Why it matters: The action sets it up for approval in the Senate before it's sent to President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who has signaled support for the measure.