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

🌎 This Week In Climate: World’s First Green Aviation Tax, The World’s Largest Wind Turbine and More.

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

⚡️ Inside the Climatebase Fellowship — Fellows are in build mode

Quick reminders:

Cohort 8 of the Climatebase Fellowship is in full build mode — and it shows. Fellows aren’t just exploring climate solutions; they’re building them.

From tools that de-risk grid upgrades and peer-to-peer EV charging networks, to nonprofit models that turn underused goods into community resources, hundreds of Capstone and startup projects and new companies are taking shape in real time.

To support this momentum, our team curated a climate founders series, featuring hard-won insights from those who’ve built climate ventures from the ground up.

Fellows participated in tactical workshops and mentorship sessions to sharpen their ideas:

Fellows pitch their ventures live to a panel of climate investors:

Huge thanks to all the mentors, investors, and speakers helping our Fellows bring real climate solutions to life.

👉 Want to be part of the next generation of climate founders? Learn more about the Climatebase Fellowship here.

By Julian Moore 

China's CO2 emissions have plateaued or declined over the past 18 months, suggesting the world's largest polluter may reach peak emissions before its 2030 target. This progress stems from massive renewable energy expansion—solar capacity grew 46% and wind 11% in Q3 2025, with China installing 240GW of solar in nine months. The country added more solar power in 2024 than the rest of the world combined.

However, challenges remain as emissions from travel, cement, and steel fell, while plastic and chemical production emissions surged 10%. China is set to miss its 2020-2025 carbon intensity reduction target, requiring steeper cuts by 2030 to comply with goals set out earlier this decade.

Analysts from the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) note that China historically underpromises and overdelivers on climate goals. With the 2026-2030 five-year plan prioritizing low-carbon energy, further progress is expected, though current targets remain insufficient to prevent global climate catastrophe.

Singapore Introduces Aviation Green Fuel Tax

Singapore will become the first country to impose a green aviation fuel levy on air passengers, starting October 1, 2025, for tickets sold from April 1. Economy passengers will pay S$1-S$10.40 (USD $0.77-$8) depending on destination, while business and first-class travelers pay four times more—up to S$41.60 (USD $31.95) for long-haul flights. Transit passengers are exempt.

The levy will fund sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) purchases, made from waste oils or agricultural feedstock, targeting 3-5% SAF adoption by 2030. Aviation contributes 1.2% of global carbon emissions but is expected to increase dramatically in the coming decades. At the same time, decarbonization faces major obstacles: surging travel demand, high SAF costs, and limited supply. Despite production doubling last year, SAF represented only 0.3% of global jet fuel.

The fees are lower than initially projected (S$3-S$16) due to declining SAF costs. As a major global aviation hub, Singapore's Changi Airport expects record passenger numbers this year exceeding 68.3 million—surpassing its 2019 pre-pandemic peak. This pioneering passenger levy could influence other aviation hubs worldwide to adopt similar measures.

World’s Largest Wind Turbine Near Completion

China is developing the world's most powerful wind turbine—a 50-megawatt floating structure announced by Ming Yang Smart Energy, double the capacity of the current 26-MW record holder. The turbine will deploy next year and features a revolutionary twin-rotor design: two 25-MW engines on a Y-shaped tower sharing one platform, with 145-meter blades each.

This supersizing trend accelerated in China after offshore wind subsidies were eliminated in 2022, pushing developers toward cost savings. Larger turbines reduce the number of turbines needed, cutting transport, construction, and installation costs, amounting to about 70-80% of total expenses.

The design builds on Ming Yang's 16-MW twin-headed prototype, which survived 150-km/h typhoon winds. However, analysts warn of significant technical risks: the dramatic 20+ MW capacity jump far exceeds the industry's typical 2-3 MW annual increase. Additionally, housing two rotors so close together on one platform—unlike standard side-by-side spacing—could cause power generation interference and balancing issues during operation.

EU Rolls Back Environmental Rules for Farming

The EU has provisionally agreed to overhaul its €387 billion farming subsidy program, weakening environmental standards to reduce regulations and paperwork for farmers. The changes exempt smaller farmers from baseline environmental requirements while increasing their payments, potentially saving the sector up to €1.6 billion annually. On-site farm inspections will be limited to once per year.

The reforms follow months of farmer protests over strict EU regulations and cheap imports. The EU Commission had already diluted some green conditions before proposing these further rollbacks to the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), which represents about one-third of the bloc's 2021-2027 budget.

The changes are part of broader EU "simplification omnibus" proposals aimed at helping European businesses compete with China and the U.S. However, campaigners warn that removing environmental protections—which typically include measures like maintaining soil health, preserving biodiversity, and managing water resources—could leave farms less resilient to droughts, floods, and extreme weather events worsened by climate change.

Renewables Outpace Fossil Fuels

The International Energy Agency's annual World Energy Outlook projects renewables will grow faster than any other energy source across all scenarios, led by solar power. However, the report—drafted amid criticism from the Trump administration over fossil fuel forecasts—presents three divergent futures.

Under current policies, oil and gas demand would rise 16% by 2035 and continue growing through 2050, causing 2.9°C warming by 2100. The IEA reinstated this scenario after dropping it in 2020, which critics call "politically motivated" to appease the Trump administration.

In the stated policies scenario, oil demand peaks around 2030 then declines. A net-zero scenario would limit warming to 1.65°C by 2050, eventually returning below 1.5°C by 2100.

All scenarios show electricity demand surging due to data centers, AI, and air conditioning, with China dominating renewable deployment (45-60% globally). However, every scenario exceeds the Paris Agreement's 1.5°C target, reflecting weakening climate momentum despite rising risks.

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.

ClimateAi

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

Reactivate

“Empowering low-income communities with renewable energy, job creation, and equitable opportunities.”

The Landbanking Group

“Reverse nature loss through Nature Equity, securing long-term global prosperity and sustainability.”

Flux Marine

“Revolutionizing marine travel with high-efficiency, zero-emission electric outboard motors.”

Center for Climate and Energy Solutions

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

Brooklyn SolarWorks

“Innovative solar solutions making clean energy accessible for Brooklyn urban homeowners.”

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."”

Ambrook

“Ambrook’s mission is to help American family-run businesses become more profitable and resilient. ”

Patch

“Patch combines technology and carbon markets expertise to help companies build and execute their carbon credit strategies.”

Propagate

“Facilitating farm transitions to agroforestry, enhancing sustainability and reducing climate impact.”

Spring Free EV

“Affordable, grid-friendly EVs cutting a gigaton of CO2 emissions with innovative software solutions.”

SB Energy DevCo (US) Inc.

“Leading renewable energy initiatives, powering 330,000+ homes, and creating 10,000+ jobs to combat climate change”

Angaza

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