Simon Evans
@drsimevans.carbonbrief.org
Press Gazette energy & environment journalist of the year 2022
Highly commended:
Society of Editors 2025
Shortlisted:
Press Awards 2025
Press Gazette 2025
AOP 2025
Deputy Ed + Snr Policy Ed, Carbon Brief
[email protected]
Highly commended:
Society of Editors 2025
Shortlisted:
Press Awards 2025
Press Gazette 2025
AOP 2025
Deputy Ed + Snr Policy Ed, Carbon Brief
[email protected]
Pinned
Simon Evans
@drsimevans.carbonbrief.org
· Nov 23
🚨 JUST PUBLISHED: CARBON BRIEF’S #COP30 SUMMARY 🚨
It's an EPIC 20,000 words of top-notch, plain-english reporting…
–Global mutirão
–Adaptation finance
–Fossil-fuel roadmap
–China
+Much more
Very proud of team CB for getting this out so fast
www.carbonbrief.org/...
It's an EPIC 20,000 words of top-notch, plain-english reporting…
–Global mutirão
–Adaptation finance
–Fossil-fuel roadmap
–China
+Much more
Very proud of team CB for getting this out so fast
www.carbonbrief.org/...
NEW ANALYSIS: Donald Trump has overseen more coal closures than any other US president
That must be why he was just crowned "undisputed champion of beautiful clean coal” (10/10 no notes, I am not making this up)
www.carbonbrief.org/...
That must be why he was just crowned "undisputed champion of beautiful clean coal” (10/10 no notes, I am not making this up)
www.carbonbrief.org/...
February 12, 2026 at 3:47 PM
NEW ANALYSIS: Donald Trump has overseen more coal closures than any other US president
That must be why he was just crowned "undisputed champion of beautiful clean coal” (10/10 no notes, I am not making this up)
www.carbonbrief.org/...
That must be why he was just crowned "undisputed champion of beautiful clean coal” (10/10 no notes, I am not making this up)
www.carbonbrief.org/...
Reposted by Simon Evans
We really need to understand more about China's development rather than just simply discussing the scare stories. Though this is not made easy by their own limited engagement.
NEW ANALYSIS: China's CO2 has now been 'flat or falling' for 21 months
* Down in 2025
* Still below Mar 2024
* Clean energy wave a key factor
If this is China's peak (TBC) it's the climate story of the century so far…
www.carbonbrief.org/...
* Down in 2025
* Still below Mar 2024
* Clean energy wave a key factor
If this is China's peak (TBC) it's the climate story of the century so far…
www.carbonbrief.org/...
February 12, 2026 at 9:45 AM
We really need to understand more about China's development rather than just simply discussing the scare stories. Though this is not made easy by their own limited engagement.
Reposted by Simon Evans
Not easy to ignore what Trump is doing to the US right now in terms of attacking climate polices and climate science.
But this below is the biggest and most consequential climate story in the world right now.
Period.
But this below is the biggest and most consequential climate story in the world right now.
Period.
NEW ANALYSIS: China's CO2 has now been 'flat or falling' for 21 months
* Down in 2025
* Still below Mar 2024
* Clean energy wave a key factor
If this is China's peak (TBC) it's the climate story of the century so far…
www.carbonbrief.org/...
* Down in 2025
* Still below Mar 2024
* Clean energy wave a key factor
If this is China's peak (TBC) it's the climate story of the century so far…
www.carbonbrief.org/...
February 12, 2026 at 10:14 AM
Not easy to ignore what Trump is doing to the US right now in terms of attacking climate polices and climate science.
But this below is the biggest and most consequential climate story in the world right now.
Period.
But this below is the biggest and most consequential climate story in the world right now.
Period.
Reposted by Simon Evans
Absolutely amazing - and to be shown immediately if someone says "what about China?"
NEW ANALYSIS: China's CO2 has now been 'flat or falling' for 21 months
* Down in 2025
* Still below Mar 2024
* Clean energy wave a key factor
If this is China's peak (TBC) it's the climate story of the century so far…
www.carbonbrief.org/...
* Down in 2025
* Still below Mar 2024
* Clean energy wave a key factor
If this is China's peak (TBC) it's the climate story of the century so far…
www.carbonbrief.org/...
February 12, 2026 at 10:45 AM
Absolutely amazing - and to be shown immediately if someone says "what about China?"
Reposted by Simon Evans
If China's emissions had kept growing at previous levels emissions would like, what, maybe a full GIGATONNE higher....the area of avoided emissions here is like deleting the emissions of entire countries. This is happening at a scale that will very clearly have an effect in lessening disasters
February 12, 2026 at 8:18 AM
If China's emissions had kept growing at previous levels emissions would like, what, maybe a full GIGATONNE higher....the area of avoided emissions here is like deleting the emissions of entire countries. This is happening at a scale that will very clearly have an effect in lessening disasters
NEW ANALYSIS: China's CO2 has now been 'flat or falling' for 21 months
* Down in 2025
* Still below Mar 2024
* Clean energy wave a key factor
If this is China's peak (TBC) it's the climate story of the century so far…
www.carbonbrief.org/...
* Down in 2025
* Still below Mar 2024
* Clean energy wave a key factor
If this is China's peak (TBC) it's the climate story of the century so far…
www.carbonbrief.org/...
February 12, 2026 at 7:38 AM
NEW ANALYSIS: China's CO2 has now been 'flat or falling' for 21 months
* Down in 2025
* Still below Mar 2024
* Clean energy wave a key factor
If this is China's peak (TBC) it's the climate story of the century so far…
www.carbonbrief.org/...
* Down in 2025
* Still below Mar 2024
* Clean energy wave a key factor
If this is China's peak (TBC) it's the climate story of the century so far…
www.carbonbrief.org/...
🤡🤡🤡
Burgum: "CO2 was never a pollutant. When we breathe, we emit CO2. Plants need CO2 to survive and grow. They thrive with more CO2. So the whole endangerment thing opens up an opportunity for the revival of clean, beautiful, American coal."
February 11, 2026 at 4:41 PM
🤡🤡🤡
NEW: UK's "AR7" renewable auction was the biggest ever – more than 50% larger than 2024's record
AR7 = enough electricity to offset 3/4 of UK LNG imports
Labour's AR6+AR7, combined, contracted more GW than all other rounds put together
More: www.carbonbrief.org/...
AR7 = enough electricity to offset 3/4 of UK LNG imports
Labour's AR6+AR7, combined, contracted more GW than all other rounds put together
More: www.carbonbrief.org/...
February 11, 2026 at 3:14 PM
NEW: UK's "AR7" renewable auction was the biggest ever – more than 50% larger than 2024's record
AR7 = enough electricity to offset 3/4 of UK LNG imports
Labour's AR6+AR7, combined, contracted more GW than all other rounds put together
More: www.carbonbrief.org/...
AR7 = enough electricity to offset 3/4 of UK LNG imports
Labour's AR6+AR7, combined, contracted more GW than all other rounds put together
More: www.carbonbrief.org/...
Reposted by Simon Evans
Grazalema, Spain, received over 2,000 mm (78 inches) of rain in just the last 20 days.
Over a year’s worth of rain — and it’s only early February. This is hydrologically absurd.
Over a year’s worth of rain — and it’s only early February. This is hydrologically absurd.
February 9, 2026 at 4:11 PM
Grazalema, Spain, received over 2,000 mm (78 inches) of rain in just the last 20 days.
Over a year’s worth of rain — and it’s only early February. This is hydrologically absurd.
Over a year’s worth of rain — and it’s only early February. This is hydrologically absurd.
Reposted by Simon Evans
Nearly 5GW of solar contracted in UK govt auction. Biggest ever in capacity and confirms solar as the cheapest power in Britain. More solar = lower bills.
BREAKING: UK govt auction secures 4.9GW new solar at £65/MWh and 1.3GW new onshore wind at £72/MWh, 13% and 21% below the price cap respectively.
All due online by 2029.
All due online by 2029.
February 10, 2026 at 7:51 AM
Nearly 5GW of solar contracted in UK govt auction. Biggest ever in capacity and confirms solar as the cheapest power in Britain. More solar = lower bills.
Reposted by Simon Evans
A great day for cheap power enthusiasts as 5GW of solar comes in at £65/MWh and 1.3GW of onshore wind comes in at £72.24/MWh. Both prices are in £2024 and are below the wholesale price, meaning that these projects will cut costs.
assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/698a0d...
assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/698a0d...
assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
February 10, 2026 at 7:42 AM
A great day for cheap power enthusiasts as 5GW of solar comes in at £65/MWh and 1.3GW of onshore wind comes in at £72.24/MWh. Both prices are in £2024 and are below the wholesale price, meaning that these projects will cut costs.
assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/698a0d...
assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/698a0d...
Reposted by Simon Evans
Good to see solar and onshore wind coming in a lot cheaper than offshore here. They are by some distance the cheapest new electricity generation capacity we can build in Britain.
BREAKING: UK govt auction secures 4.9GW new solar at £65/MWh and 1.3GW new onshore wind at £72/MWh, 13% and 21% below the price cap respectively.
All due online by 2029.
All due online by 2029.
February 10, 2026 at 7:33 AM
Good to see solar and onshore wind coming in a lot cheaper than offshore here. They are by some distance the cheapest new electricity generation capacity we can build in Britain.
BREAKING: UK govt auction secures 4.9GW new solar at £65/MWh and 1.3GW new onshore wind at £72/MWh, 13% and 21% below the price cap respectively.
All due online by 2029.
All due online by 2029.
February 10, 2026 at 7:25 AM
BREAKING: UK govt auction secures 4.9GW new solar at £65/MWh and 1.3GW new onshore wind at £72/MWh, 13% and 21% below the price cap respectively.
All due online by 2029.
All due online by 2029.
Reposted by Simon Evans
This is the key point that is lost in so much Westminster bubble talk on net zero. It is popular. It’s hugely popular with Labour’s base and with the progressive voters it needs to vote tactically to defeat Reform. And it’s even popular with Tories who Labour needs not to switch to Reform.
…as well as being supported by the vast majority of Lab/Lib/Gn voters, almost all Labour MPs, a 2-1 majority of voters overall and – even now – a healthy majority of Con voters
February 8, 2026 at 10:16 PM
This is the key point that is lost in so much Westminster bubble talk on net zero. It is popular. It’s hugely popular with Labour’s base and with the progressive voters it needs to vote tactically to defeat Reform. And it’s even popular with Tories who Labour needs not to switch to Reform.
Reposted by Simon Evans
Going to reconcile myself to the fact that the “cost of net zero” debate will always be annoying.
Mainly because:
a) net zero isn’t a discrete spending line (e.g., you mainly buy an EV for the car bit);
b) you need a counterfactual (what would it cost if we don’t do net zero?) and that’s hard
Mainly because:
a) net zero isn’t a discrete spending line (e.g., you mainly buy an EV for the car bit);
b) you need a counterfactual (what would it cost if we don’t do net zero?) and that’s hard
February 8, 2026 at 9:18 PM
Going to reconcile myself to the fact that the “cost of net zero” debate will always be annoying.
Mainly because:
a) net zero isn’t a discrete spending line (e.g., you mainly buy an EV for the car bit);
b) you need a counterfactual (what would it cost if we don’t do net zero?) and that’s hard
Mainly because:
a) net zero isn’t a discrete spending line (e.g., you mainly buy an EV for the car bit);
b) you need a counterfactual (what would it cost if we don’t do net zero?) and that’s hard
Reposted by Simon Evans
How much will it cost the UK to reach an 87% cut in greenhouse gas emissions by 2040?
In a new letter, @thecccuk.bsky.social confirms about £4bn a year (£26bn a year of costs minus £22bn a year of savings).
www.theccc.org.uk/wp-content/u...
87% by 2040 is a stepping stone to net zero by 2050
In a new letter, @thecccuk.bsky.social confirms about £4bn a year (£26bn a year of costs minus £22bn a year of savings).
www.theccc.org.uk/wp-content/u...
87% by 2040 is a stepping stone to net zero by 2050
February 3, 2026 at 10:40 AM
How much will it cost the UK to reach an 87% cut in greenhouse gas emissions by 2040?
In a new letter, @thecccuk.bsky.social confirms about £4bn a year (£26bn a year of costs minus £22bn a year of savings).
www.theccc.org.uk/wp-content/u...
87% by 2040 is a stepping stone to net zero by 2050
In a new letter, @thecccuk.bsky.social confirms about £4bn a year (£26bn a year of costs minus £22bn a year of savings).
www.theccc.org.uk/wp-content/u...
87% by 2040 is a stepping stone to net zero by 2050
😬 ‘Rush’ for new coal in China hits record high in 2025 as climate deadline looms
www.carbonbrief.org/rush-for-new...
www.carbonbrief.org/rush-for-new...
February 3, 2026 at 9:16 AM
😬 ‘Rush’ for new coal in China hits record high in 2025 as climate deadline looms
www.carbonbrief.org/rush-for-new...
www.carbonbrief.org/rush-for-new...
Reposted by Simon Evans
A 60% jump in EU LNG imports from the U.S. in 2025 managed to drive up greenhouse gas emissions on both sides of the Atlantic - in the EU from the burning of the gas, and in the U.S. by prompting a shift to coal-fired generation as prices rose.
January 31, 2026 at 5:31 AM
A 60% jump in EU LNG imports from the U.S. in 2025 managed to drive up greenhouse gas emissions on both sides of the Atlantic - in the EU from the burning of the gas, and in the U.S. by prompting a shift to coal-fired generation as prices rose.
NEW: UK rooftop solar growth reached an all-time high in 2025
Households and others added a record 800MW to their rooftops
1/3
Households and others added a record 800MW to their rooftops
1/3
January 29, 2026 at 4:26 PM
NEW: UK rooftop solar growth reached an all-time high in 2025
Households and others added a record 800MW to their rooftops
1/3
Households and others added a record 800MW to their rooftops
1/3
🤯
Bloomberg: "China adds more power capacity in a year than most countries have total"
www.bloomberg.com/ne...
Bloomberg: "China adds more power capacity in a year than most countries have total"
www.bloomberg.com/ne...
January 28, 2026 at 9:46 AM
🤯
Bloomberg: "China adds more power capacity in a year than most countries have total"
www.bloomberg.com/ne...
Bloomberg: "China adds more power capacity in a year than most countries have total"
www.bloomberg.com/ne...
Reposted by Simon Evans
Interesting new analysis by the UK Energy Research Centre, which suggests that most of the increase in electricity bills since 2021 is still because of gas.
Nice wrote up by @drsimevans.carbonbrief.org
www.carbonbrief.org/expensive-ga...
Nice wrote up by @drsimevans.carbonbrief.org
www.carbonbrief.org/expensive-ga...
Expensive gas still biggest driver of high UK electricity bills, says UKERC - Carbon Brief
High gas prices are responsible for two-thirds of the rise in household electricity bills since before the global energy crisis.
www.carbonbrief.org
January 28, 2026 at 8:57 AM
Interesting new analysis by the UK Energy Research Centre, which suggests that most of the increase in electricity bills since 2021 is still because of gas.
Nice wrote up by @drsimevans.carbonbrief.org
www.carbonbrief.org/expensive-ga...
Nice wrote up by @drsimevans.carbonbrief.org
www.carbonbrief.org/expensive-ga...
NEW: Expensive gas still biggest driver of high UK electricity bills, says UKERC
"Volatile, gas-linked market prices – not green policies, as some misleading claims have suggested – dominate the real-terms increase in bills since 2021."
www.carbonbrief.org/expensive-ga...
"Volatile, gas-linked market prices – not green policies, as some misleading claims have suggested – dominate the real-terms increase in bills since 2021."
www.carbonbrief.org/expensive-ga...
January 28, 2026 at 9:03 AM
NEW: Expensive gas still biggest driver of high UK electricity bills, says UKERC
"Volatile, gas-linked market prices – not green policies, as some misleading claims have suggested – dominate the real-terms increase in bills since 2021."
www.carbonbrief.org/expensive-ga...
"Volatile, gas-linked market prices – not green policies, as some misleading claims have suggested – dominate the real-terms increase in bills since 2021."
www.carbonbrief.org/expensive-ga...
HUGE moment for the EU car market as battery EVs overtake petrol cars for the first time ever
But there's no "natural" demand for EVs amirite?
Article by @mollylempriere.carbonbrief.org
www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-evs...
But there's no "natural" demand for EVs amirite?
Article by @mollylempriere.carbonbrief.org
www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-evs...
January 27, 2026 at 2:46 PM
HUGE moment for the EU car market as battery EVs overtake petrol cars for the first time ever
But there's no "natural" demand for EVs amirite?
Article by @mollylempriere.carbonbrief.org
www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-evs...
But there's no "natural" demand for EVs amirite?
Article by @mollylempriere.carbonbrief.org
www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-evs...
This Holocaust Memorial Day I honour my grandparents, who escaped the Nazis, and our relatives who were murdered.
My grandfather, an architect, had thought Hitler a joke who wouldn't last. Luckily, my grandmother – barred from medical school for being a Jew – understood the truth.
My grandfather, an architect, had thought Hitler a joke who wouldn't last. Luckily, my grandmother – barred from medical school for being a Jew – understood the truth.
Auschwitz was at the end of a process. We must remember that it did not start from gas chambers.
This hatred gradually developed: from ideas, words, stereotypes & prejudice through legal exclusion, dehumanization & escalating violence... to systematic and industrial murder.
Auschwitz took time.
This hatred gradually developed: from ideas, words, stereotypes & prejudice through legal exclusion, dehumanization & escalating violence... to systematic and industrial murder.
Auschwitz took time.
January 27, 2026 at 2:30 PM
This Holocaust Memorial Day I honour my grandparents, who escaped the Nazis, and our relatives who were murdered.
My grandfather, an architect, had thought Hitler a joke who wouldn't last. Luckily, my grandmother – barred from medical school for being a Jew – understood the truth.
My grandfather, an architect, had thought Hitler a joke who wouldn't last. Luckily, my grandmother – barred from medical school for being a Jew – understood the truth.
Reposted by Simon Evans
Western countries are hitting refugees twice: they are making it harder to claim asylum *and* they are cutting aid to troubled regions.
I went to Sudan, the world's worst humanitarian situation, where the UN refugee agency has had to cut half its staff. Please have a read: as.ft.com/r/df593f1e-e...
I went to Sudan, the world's worst humanitarian situation, where the UN refugee agency has had to cut half its staff. Please have a read: as.ft.com/r/df593f1e-e...
Adapt, shrink or die: the global crisis in humanitarian aid
[FREE TO READ] On the road in Sudan with the UN’s outgoing High Commissioner for Refugees
as.ft.com
January 25, 2026 at 9:36 AM
Western countries are hitting refugees twice: they are making it harder to claim asylum *and* they are cutting aid to troubled regions.
I went to Sudan, the world's worst humanitarian situation, where the UN refugee agency has had to cut half its staff. Please have a read: as.ft.com/r/df593f1e-e...
I went to Sudan, the world's worst humanitarian situation, where the UN refugee agency has had to cut half its staff. Please have a read: as.ft.com/r/df593f1e-e...