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Charleston, South Carolina, sues 24 fossil fuel companies
The city of Charleston’s lawsuit against major oil companies is set to return to South Carolina state court, in a case that could have implications for climate accountability in the U.S.
The city is suing ExxonMobil, Chevron, Shell and others, alleging they misled the public for decades about the risks of burning fossil fuels. Charleston, which now floods regularly due to rising seas and increased rainfall, argues it needs help paying for infrastructure to protect homes, businesses and historic landmarks.
The case, originally filed in 2020 under then-Mayor John Tecklenburg, claims the companies violated nuisance laws and consumer protection statutes, and engaged in a decades-long “public deception campaign.” The lawsuit is part of a broader legal movement by U.S. cities and states seeking damages from the fossil fuel industry, drawing comparisons to 1990s tobacco settlements.
Judge Roger M. Young Sr. will hear arguments on whether the case should move to trial, while also weighing a recent executive order by Donald Trump declaring such lawsuits a national security threat.
Oil companies argue the claims should be dismissed, saying state courts are not the proper venue for what they describe as global, political issues. Meanwhile, a federal court has already ruled the case belongs in state court.
Current Mayor William Cogswell, the first Republican to hold the office since the post-civil war Reconstruction era, has not dropped the suit. The outcome could shape the future of similar climate cases across the U.S., several of which remain active in Colorado, Hawaii and Minnesota.
Crushed rocks may hold key to cheaper carbon removal
Crushed rocks are emerging as a surprising climate hero, as tech giants, banks and shipping firms pour millions into a carbon removal method that mimics nature
Silicate rocks naturally react with CO₂ in rainwater, locking the gas away as solid carbon. Grinding the rock finely and spreading it on farmland or ocean beds can drastically boost its carbon-sucking power, in a technique called ‘enhanced rock weathering’.
Microsoft has struck a deal to buy 12,000 tonnes of credits from Terradot, which spreads Brazilian basalt on farms. The tech firm is also backing Undo, a UK start-up scaling the approach. Frontier, a billion-dollar carbon removal initiative backed by Stripe, Google, Meta and others, has invested in projects from India to Cameroon.
Supporters say this method is cheaper than high-tech carbon vacuums and can work alongside agriculture and mining. While the technique is promising, verifying the carbon capture takes time and meticulous soil sampling. But estimates suggest enhanced weathering could sequester around four tonnes of CO₂ per hectare – about half the amount of a temperate forest – offering a scalable and natural alternative to industrial carbon removal.
EU edges close to 2030 climate target despite growing pressure
New data from the European Commission reveals the EU is almost on target to meet its ambitious 2030 climate goal. Officials say the bloc is on track to cut greenhouse gas emissions by around 54% by 2030, just shy of the 55% target compared to 1990 levels.
This progress is notable considering recent challenges, including the Covid-19 pandemic, the energy crisis triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and global trade tensions. Most emission reductions have come from the energy sector, driven by a rapid expansion of wind and solar power.
The EU’s progress provides momentum ahead of the commission’s forthcoming 2040 climate strategy, which recommends a 90% emissions reduction, and the COP30 climate talks in Brazil.
Despite this progress, experts caution that the reductions largely reflect production cuts and plant closures rather than true decarbonisation. The agriculture sector continues to lack binding emissions targets, while transport emissions remain stubbornly high. Additionally, logging and extreme weather events such as wildfires have limited the ability of land to absorb carbon dioxide effectively.
While the EU’s share of global emissions has shrunk to 6%, down from 15% in 1990, global emissions have risen by more than 60% over the same period, underscoring the urgent need for stronger climate action worldwide.
Game–changing painkillers offer relief without addiction
A new generation of painkillers is emerging that bypass the brain’s opioid receptors, aiming to reduce the risk of addiction and overdose. These developments come in the wake of a deadly opioid crisis that has claimed tens of thousands of lives.
In the US, deaths involving prescription opioids surged nearly 400% from 1999 to 2017, rising from 3,442 to 17,029. In England and Wales, opiate-related deaths grew from 1,332 in 1999 to 2,551 in 2023. These figures have fuelled demand for safer alternatives to drugs like oxycodone and morphine.
In January, the US approved suzetrigine, branded Journavx – the first non-opioid painkiller in more than 20 years. It works outside the brain, targeting specific pain pathways in the peripheral nervous system, and is designed for short-term moderate to severe pain. However, doubts persist over its effectiveness, particularly in chronic conditions where placebo responses remain high.
Other promising drugs include cebranopadol, which blends opioid-like efficacy with reduced risk of addiction. Meanwhile, VER-01, a cannabis-based drug without psychoactive effects, has shown positive results in chronic back pain trials.
Despite advances, no single treatment can address the complexity of pain. Experts suggest a combination of pharmaceuticals, therapy, and neurostimulation to manage different types of pain without fuelling future addiction crises.
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