Authorities issued their highest warnings for fog and haze on Tuesday as smog enveloped major cities in northern China, warning the public that visibility could drop to less than 50 metres (164 feet). Northern province Hebei launched an anti-pollution emergency response, listing traffic safety controls for when necessary including suspending flight takeoffs and landings, temporarily closing highways and suspending ferries, China's meteorological bureau said in a notice.

The city-state has given initial clearance for firms to bring in over 4 GW of low-carbon electricity from its neighbours. Regulators are studying if Singapore can take in more power imports, with several consortiums indicating interest.

At the heart of the solution will be innovation and a reskilled workforce that can bring forward solutions at the pace and scale required to drive change. However, according to a poll early this year by the European Investment Bank (EIB), which surveyed 12,500 businesses and 685 authorities, more than 80% of companies and 60% of local authorities said a skills shortage prevents projects that target climate change. This was particularly true for the engineering and digital sectors.

Construction and solar companies are expected to be the main beneficiaries of Budget 2024, according to analysts who are looking forward to more details on the execution of the recently unveiled New Industrial Master Plan 2030 (NIMP) and National Energy Transition Roadmap (NETR). The NIMP requires an estimated total investment of RM95 billion in the seven years to 2030, while the total committed investments for Phase 1 of the NETR stood at RM25 billion.

 Japan, the World Bank and several partner countries on Wednesday launched a $40 million partnership project to diversify supply chains for clean energy products, a move seen by some analysts as aimed at addressing their over-reliance on China. The initiative will offer financial and technical support to help emerging market and developing countries boost production of clean energy goods and "increase their participation in global mineral value chains," Japan's Ministry of Finance and the World Bank said in a statement.

Two countries in the Balkan region of Europe have recently announced ambitious climate goals. Romania has declared it will invest heavily in its aim to achieve climate neutrality while Albania is boosting its solar power production. The initiatives are important steps for a region where many areas remain reliant on fossil fuels.

The global coal industry may have to shed nearly 1 million jobs by 2050, even without any further pledges to phase out fossil fuels, with China and India facing the biggest losses, research showed on Tuesday. Hundreds of labour-intensive mines are expected to close in the coming decades as they reach the end of their lifespans and countries replace coal with cleaner low-carbon energy sources.

The Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (Fomca) advised the public to use goods or services sustainably to avoid wastage as the world is currently facing an energy crisis.

Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) has inked two strategic partnerships with its counterparts from Indonesia and Singapore to accelerate efforts to create Asean Power Grid.  Under the first memorandum of understanding (MoU), TNB is joining hands with Indonesia's PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN) and the Asean Centre for Energy to undertake a joint feasibility study to explore the potential for a cross-border electricity interconnection linking Sumatra in Indonesia and Peninsular Malaysia.

The International Greentech & Eco Products Exhibition & Conference Malaysia (IGEM) 2023 has targeted RM4 billion in business leads and 40,000 visitors from over 40 countries.

The first turbine to be completed in a project to build the world’s largest offshore windfarm, in the North Sea, has begun powering British homes and businesses. Developers confirmed on Monday that Dogger Bank, which sits 70 nautical miles off the coast of Yorkshire, started producing power over the weekend as the first of 277 turbines was connected to the electricity grid. The project, jointly developed by Britain’s SSE and Norway’s Equinor and Vårgrønn, will produce 3.6 gigawatts of power, enough for 6m homes, when it is completed in 2026.

Australia and Japan committed to working together to improve cooperation on energy and climate goals following a bilateral meeting on the weekend, as Canberra moved to calm fears in Tokyo that stricter emissions targets will impose higher costs for fossil fuel projects. Australia’s Trade Minister Don Farrell, Climate and Energy Minister Chris Bowen and Resources Minister Madeleine King met with Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Yasutoshi Nishimura in Melbourne for the fifth Australia-Japan Ministerial Economic Dialogue on Sunday (Oct 8).