Corporate carbon pledges arrive so fast it's hard to keep up, so here's one way to bushwhack through them: Ignore the splashy top-line and look at what they're doing soon.

Driving the news: United Airlines yesterday vowed to cut its emissions by 100% by 2050 — but also described the more immediate step of pouring millions into efforts to commercialize nascent direct air capture technology.

A new renewable-energy trade group has announced its chief executive as Heather Zichal, a top adviser to former President Barack Obama.

Why it matters: President-elect Joe Biden has promised to drastically increase clean energy, so this group — called the American Clean Power Association — will be at the center of Washington’s biggest debates over the next four years.

The electric vehicle revolution is underway, led by the un-sexiest of plug-in models: the commercial truck.

Why it matters: Growing demand for cleaner trucks means 2021 will be a pivotal year for electric vehicles — just not the kind you might have expected.

Copper prices rose to the highest since March 2013 on Thursday, spurred by substantial increases in orders from China and expectations it will be a major component in new green energy projects.

Why it matters: Dr. Copper, as the metal is affectionately known, is a bellwether for the economy because it is used for wiring, piping and in most construction projects and household appliances.

A bipartisan Senate bill subsidizing existing nuclear power plants and backing new kinds of such technology passed a congressional committee on Wednesday.

Why it matters: It won’t become law before year’s end, but it’s likely to resurface in 2021 as an example of the type of bipartisan compromise expected under a divided Congress with President-elect Joe Biden in the White House.

America deployed a record amount of energy storage in the third quarter of 2020, increasing 240% over the previous high set last quarter, a new report says.

Why it matters: Storing electricity to back up wind and solar is key to ensuring increases in these variable energy sources goes smoothly. That upsurge is a central part of combating climate change.

Projected and planned levels of global oil, natural gas and coal production are way out of step with the kind of emissions cuts needed to hold global warming significantly in check, a new analysis shows.

Why it matters: The "production gap" report from the UN's environment agency and other researchers provides another lens onto how the world is nowhere near on track to meet the Paris climate deal's goals.

Enel Group, the Italy-based global power giant, is planning to spend $190 billion over the next decade in a push that includes a huge expansion of renewables and wider clean-energy infrastructure and business lines.

By the numbers: The company, already a big renewables player, said Tuesday that it's devoting $83 billion toward plans to grow its installed renewables capacity to 120 gigawatts by 2030, up from about 45 GW now.

Chicago-based Invenergy has announced the green energy generation and storage operator is installing what will be largest solar farm in the United States in five phases over the next three years through a $1.6 billion investment.

Why it matters: The 1,310-megawatt facility based in northeastern Texas aims to help consumer brands like AT&T, Honda, Google and McDonald's meet their clean energy goals while supplying 300,000 homes across three cities with power upon its completion in 2023.

General Motors will pull out of any legal efforts that seek to strip California of its right to set its own clean-air standards, GM CEO Mary Barra said in a letter Monday to environmental groups, per AP.

Driving the news: Barra said the company, which is developing a new battery chemistry that will reduce the costs of electric-vehicle, agrees with President-elect Joe Biden’s plan to expand the use of electric vehicles, AP reported.