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Energy demand and AI
Abdul Latif Jameel writes that global energy consumption is rising at an unprecedented rate, close to 4% year over year, and that global electricity consumption is expected to rise by 3,500 TWh over the next three years.
“Is sustainable energy saving our climate”
He says that by mid-century societies will consume between 59,000 TWh and 72,000 TWh to power homes, industries and transportation systems, and that reaching net-zero emissions by 2050 will require annual spending of approximately USD 4 trillion.
Jameel argues that the IEA Renewables 2025 report forecasts a doubling of global renewable capacity between now and the end of the decade, with an increase of around 4,600 gigawatts (GW), and that solar and wind together will account for 96% of all new additions.
He adds that the ongoing evolution of AI will “supercharge this transition,” with machine learning used to design more efficient wind turbines and solar panels and to optimize operations and balancing energy distribution to the grids.
Jameel concludes that solar energy is projected to generate around 80% of all growth in green energy between now and 2030, and that global PV capacity is expected to double in the next five years.
Ocean freight rates spike
Vietnam.vn reports that the Vietnam Association of Seafood Processing and Exporters (VASEP) says the global container shipping market will enter an important phase in 2026 as container shipping freight rates rise toward their two-year highs.
It says the Drewry World Container Index recently reached $4,200 per 40-foot container (FEU), representing an increase of about 40% year over year, and that the SCFI index has also doubled versus last year.
About Amazon FranceThe article links the spike to booking demand from U.S. importers, noting concerns that new tariffs will be imposed once some current tariff mechanisms expire and describing a mindset of pre-ordering to avoid tariff risk.
In an interview with Tri Thuc - Znews, Mr. Pham The Long of Thuan Thien Seafood Production and Trading Co., Ltd. said costs are four times higher than normal and that international customers and partners are under strong pressure.
Vietnam.vn adds that Mr. Long predicted maritime freight rates would begin to ease from mid-July, when prices peaked, while VASEP believes the rise may not be lasting if demand for advance orders is only temporary.
Climate finance and adaptation
La Tribune frames France’s Green Fund cuts as a “terrible mismatch” during a heatwave, quoting Jean-François Vigier, the UDI mayor of Bures-sur-Yvette, who says “There is a terrible lag.”
It says the Green Fund was initially endowed with a budget of €1.5 billion, then increased to €2.5 billion, but was whittled down to €837 million by the 2026 finance bill, and it reports that the government indicated it was considering freezing €3.2 billion in credits for different ministries or programs.
La Tribune also reports that the Minister of Ecological Transition, Monique Barbut, acknowledged during Senate questions last week that resources allocated to adapt to climate disruption and increasingly frequent heat waves were not up to the task and that resources would need to be increased.
Climate Home News reports that the Green Climate Fund (GCF) will have nearly $6 billion more to spend after its board agreed to revise financial rules so it no longer has to set aside one dollar for every dollar it spends.
It quotes GCF chief financial officer Darren Tan saying the old rules had “constrained the resources that we could deploy,” and it says the shift leaves the fund with $5.65 billion to put into projects instead of around $1 billion under the previous rules.
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