Welcome to another edition of Climatebase Weekly. In today’s edition…

🌎 This Week In Climate: Solar in Australia, Category 6 Hurricanes and a Lifeline for Coal.

🌟 Featured climate jobs at 15+ new employers — Scroll down to view them all.

⚡️ Upcoming events

Quick reminders:

By Julian Moore 

EU environment ministers reached a deal on climate targets after lengthy negotiations. The agreement sets a 2035 emissions reduction goal of 66.25-72.5% below 1990 levels (non-binding) and a legally-binding 2040 target of 85% cuts, with up to 10% achievable through international carbon credits.

The compromise weakens the original proposal and includes a review clause allowing target adjustments if economic impacts prove negative. The EU's carbon market for heating and transport will be delayed one year to 2027.

Four countries (Hungary, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Poland) opposed the 2040 target, while Bulgaria and Belgium abstained. The remaining EU members supported it.

The deal prevents the EU from arriving empty-handed at COP30 but requires European Parliament approval before becoming law. This represents a significant step in EU climate policy, though environmental advocates have expressed concerns about concessions made on the carbon credit market to get a deal passed.

Australia will launch a Solar Sharer programme in 2026, offering households at least three hours of free solar power daily during midday peak generation periods. Energy Minister Chris Bowen announced the initiative will begin in New South Wales, South Australia, and southeast Queensland before expanding nationwide.

The programme is open to all households, including renters and apartment dwellers without solar panels, provided they have smart meters. Users benefit by shifting electricity consumption to midday hours for appliances and vehicle charging.

Currently, about four million Australian homes have rooftop solar, sometimes producing such excess power that prices turn negative during sunny afternoons while demand peaks later, straining the grid. The programme aims to balance supply and demand while reducing costs system-wide.

Shares of major electricity suppliers AGL and Origin Energy dropped 3% following the announcement. This initiative supports Australia's target of 82% renewable electricity by 2030 and a 43% emissions reduction from 2005 levels.

Hurricane Melissa's October 28 strike on Jamaica demonstrated devastating Category 5 power, with maximum sustained winds reaching 185 mph—approaching but not meeting the proposed 192 mph threshold for a hypothetical Category 6 classification.

Last year, scientists suggested adding Category 6 to the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, noting five storms since 2010 have exceeded 192 mph. Melissa tied for second-strongest Atlantic winds on record, behind only 1980's Hurricane Allen at 190 mph.

However, many scientists oppose expanding the scale. Categories 4 and 5 already describe catastrophic, uninhabitable conditions, leaving little meaningful distinction to add. Some worry an additional category could diminish attention to lower-category storms that still cause life-shattering damage.

Climate Central found warming oceans made Melissa's strength over 700 times more likely, while ClimaMeter determined climate change boosted its winds and rain by 10 percent.

Critics note the scale's fundamental weakness: it ignores storm surge and rainfall, which often cause more damage than wind, as seen with Hurricanes Katrina and Harvey.

The U.S. Department of Energy announced up to $100 million in federal funding to modernize coal plants, nearly half of which were scheduled to close by 2030. Energy Secretary Chris Wright outlined three focus areas: advanced wastewater management, coal-to-natural-gas switching systems, and co-firing systems for both fuels.

This follows a $625 million announcement just a month earlier for coal industry expansion, though experts say these investments are insufficient. Michelle Solomon of Energy Innovation notes that retrofitting a single plant costs hundreds of millions, making the funding inadequate for the entire coal fleet.

Despite the Trump administration's claims around a proposed restoration of energy dominance, coal's decline continues due to economic factors. Coal now generates less than one-fifth of U.S. electricity, down from half in 2001. A 2023 analysis found replacing 99% of coal plants with wind and solar would be cheaper than continued operation.

Coal prices rose 28% between 2021-2024, and forced-outage rates exceed other major electricity sources, undermining reliability claims.

Previously unpublished documents reveal Exxon funded rightwing thinktanks through Atlas Network during the late 1990s and early 2000s to spread climate denial across Latin America and undermine UN climate treaty support in developing nations.

Exxon sent checks totaling tens of thousands of dollars to finance Spanish and Chinese translations of climate denial books, flights for American deniers to Latin American cities, and public events connecting them with local media and politicians. One goal was convincing developing countries of the "adverse effects of global climate change treaties."

Atlas Network reported that Exxon's funding supported translation of Fred Singer's booklet claiming no scientific support for climate threats, seminars in Argentina before Cop4 talks in Buenos Aires, and networking between Indian and U.S. rightwing groups.

Exxon requested its involvement remain secret, operating "behind-the-scenes, intentionally not seeking public kudos."

Experts say stoking doubt during critical early climate diplomacy moments exacerbated divisions persisting today, ultimately delaying global climate action for decades.

Check out some of the latest featured jobs below. If you don't see anything that speaks to you, you can always go to Climatebase to explore over 50,000 new climate jobs.

Solom Earth

“Where innovation elevates our natural world.”

Fourier

“Making Hydrogen Universally Accessible”

Encamp

“Empowering businesses with tech for seamless environmental compliance and global reforestation.”

ClimateAi

“AI-powered climate risk predictions for a resilient economy and safer lives.”

Cambio

“"Decarbonizing commercial real estate with carbon emissions analytics and AI-based retrofit recommendations."”

RCAM Technologies

“Automated 3D concrete printing for affordable renewable energy infrastructure and job creation.”

VEIR

“Superconducting lines for 5-10x more power, reducing space and new corridor needs.”

Isometric

“Accelerate climate action with verified carbon removal solutions.”

Center for Climate and Energy Solutions

“Accelerates transition to a resilient, low-carbon economy through robust climate policies and partnerships.”

Prime Coalition

“Empowering climate solutions through philanthropic investments in high-impact, commercially viable companies.”

Active Impact Investments

“Investing in early-stage climate tech to drive profitable environmental sustainability.”

Raptor Maps Inc

“"Boosting solar industry efficiency to maximize clean energy production and minimize costs globally."”

Gridmatic

“Accelerating the clean energy transition through data and machine learning for greener power markets.”

AgriCapture

“Certifies Climate-Friendly farming practices and develops carbon credits to reduce and offset GHG emissions.”

Found Energy

“Revolutionizing heavy industry with high-efficiency, clean energy platforms to significantly cut global CO2 emissions.”

Twelve

“Transforming CO2 into essential products to eliminate emissions and build a fossil-free, climate-positive future.”

Angaza

“Empowering off-grid regions with solar energy and efficient payment technology.”