What's New in Sustainability? April 2026

April was defined by a single, urgent backdrop: the energy shock triggered by the US-Israeli attack on Iran exacerbating an energy crisis and accelerating what years of climate summits could not. Fossil fuel dependency became impossible to ignore, while the data on renewables and the exacerbating political pressure on climate itself painted a clearer picture of where we stand, and how far we still need to go.

🌞 Renewables overtake coal globally for the first time! According to Ember's Global Electricity Review 2026, renewables reached 33.8% of global electricity generation in 2025, surpassing coal's 33% share for the first time. Solar alone met 75% of global electricity demand growth, with wind and solar together meeting 99%, pushing fossil-fuel generation into structural decline for the first time ever. 🔗 Read more: https://lnkd.in/eDfrcvCF

🌍 50+ countries gather in Santa Marta for historic fossil fuel phase-out summit. Colombia and the Netherlands co-hosted the first-ever International Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels in Santa Marta on 28–29 April. Fossil fuel lobbyists were explicitly excluded. The summit ended with a mandate to begin formal negotiations toward a binding Fossil Fuel Treaty, with the next conference to be hosted by Tuvalu in the Pacific.🔗 Read more: https://lnkd.in/d3AprqAW

⚡ EU launches energy crisis response package. With gas prices surging due to the attack on Iran and Strait of Hormuz disruptions, the European Commission unveiled a package of emergency measures on 22 April to shield households and businesses from price spikes.🔗 Read more: https://lnkd.in/d4UrcQZN

🏛️ Italy delays coal phase-out by 13 years amid energy crisis. Italy's lower house voted to extend the life of the country's four remaining coal power plants until 2038. The decision, backed by Prime Minister Meloni's coalition, was framed as a necessary response to the "serious international energy crisis" caused by the US-Israel war on Iran.🔗 Read more: https://lnkd.in/dY4wE5Ce

📊 Climate removed from G7 agenda to avoid confrontation with the US. France, hosting a G7 meeting in Paris in late April, chose to omit climate change from the agenda entirely in order to avoid a dispute with the Trump administration.🔗 Read more: https://lnkd.in/dQJ3Qqz9

This series highlights the sustainability developments that actually matter.

By Ihabe El Kehal 30.4.2026