This year, the green energy movement got a major push from post-pandemic recovery plans, arguing the only recovery that made sense was a green recovery. The energy transition won’t happen overnight, so banks turning away from oil and gas immediately could result in them losing out on business opportunities.

Even in the most conservative (and for oil, most bullish) scenarios, oil demand is coming very close to peaking. OPEC and the IEA see demand continuing to grow through 2040, and OPEC even sees 2045 demand slightly lower than in 2040. Technological developments also make oil’s supremacy less certain, in the same way that solar’s growth and development has changed coal’s growth prospects.

Researchers working to maximize solar panel efficiency said layering advanced materials atop traditional silicon is a promising path to eke more energy out of sunlight. A new study shows that by using a precisely controlled fabrication process, researchers can produce multilayered solar panels with the potential to be 1.5 times more efficient than traditional silicon panels.

HSBC has become the latest bank to commit to achieving net-zero financed emissions, announcing Monday that it intends to align its portfolio of investments and debt financing with global climate targets by mid-century.

Solar output is expected to lead a surge in renewable power supply in the next decade, the International Energy Agency said, with renewables seen accounting for 80% of growth in global electricity generation under current conditions.

Secretary General Mohammad Barkindo said that OPEC is going to continue its oil market management and said the "worst is over." Notably, the upside for oil could just be getting started, as combined Brent net spec exposure is near decade lows, indicating there could be plenty of room for a relatively smooth - and potentially drastic - move higher.

President Xi Jinping surprised the world last week by pledging China would aim for “carbon neutrality” by 2060, but Beijing remains worried about energy security, jobs and growth, especially as the economy recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic. China added 11.4 gigawatts of coal-fired capacity in the first six months of 2020, more than half the amount built worldwide during the period

Most Australians who have embraced solar do not appear to have done so for altruistic reasons like wanting to fight climate change. Many are responding to incentives offered by state governments in the absence of a coordinated federal approach, a sharp drop in the price of solar panels in recent years and an increase in electricity rates.

Small changes in municipal waste composition could push energy from waste above landfill in generating climate change emissions, a Scottish Government funded report has found. The study also reasons that energy from waste can no longer be considered a “low carbon technology” in the UK, largely because electricity generation is becoming more decarbonised.

Scientists in China hope the device can generate sustainable power in a low-cost, efficient manner. Once placed on a person’s swinging arm, the airflow is enough to generate power, the researchers said. The device appears to be a simple, reliable method of generating a small amount of energy that could then be deployed in a variety of ways such as powering remote sensors or security cameras.

The events of 2020 have changed much of the world beyond recognition. While the pandemic will lower energy sector emissions by 27.5 billion tonnes of CO2 until 2050 — equivalent to one year's emissions — more than 10 times that will need to be curbed to meet the 2 degree C warming target.

Shell and Microsoft are embarking on a new strategic alliance to support progress towards a world with net-zero emissions. This builds on the strong foundation of decades of technology collaboration between the two companies. This type of strategic alliance is a model for how companies can work together to achieve their net-zero ambitions.