The escalating conflict in the Middle East and the continued disruption in the Strait of Hormuz are now sending shockwaves across the globe, exposing the fragility and insecurity of the world’s dependence on fossil fuels.

In Kenya, a second huge price hike on fuel this week sparked nationwide protests. At least 17 people were shot dead in clashes between demonstrators and authorities, and a transportation strike brought the country to a standstill, forcing many businesses and schools to close.

Patrick Kiash, We Don’t Have Time’s Africa Region Representative, was in the middle of it all. He writes:

”Waves of demonstrations sparked by soaring fuel prices have rippled through urban centers, leaving a trail of destruction, disruption, and despair. /…/ Indeed, the connection between fossil fuel dependence and climate vulnerability is stark. Every spike in fuel prices reflects the fragility of economies tethered to volatile global oil markets.”

Read Patrick Kiash’s eyewitness account of the developments and our global outlook.

COP31 President-Designate Murat Kurum talking to media organizations in Copenhagen.

A global shift away from fossil fuels and toward electrification is emerging as a top priority ahead of the UN climate conference COP31 in Türkiye this November.

Speaking at this week’s Copenhagen Climate Ministerial, COP31 President-Designate Murat Kurum said the current energy crisis has exposed the risks of fossil fuel dependence and highlighted the urgent need for renewable power.

In a joint letter to governments, Türkiye and Australia, co-hosts of COP31, also stressed the need for accelerated climate action and renewable energy investment in response to the global energy crisis.

”In these times of uncertainty, accelerating climate action and delivering strong negotiated outcomes is more important than ever,” the letter said.

This push is now also gaining support from policymakers and powerful businesses. On the same day as Kurum’s speech, Australian Climate Minister and COP31 President of Negotiations Chris Bowen met with EU Energy Commissioner Dan Jørgensen. According to an official summary of the meeting, the two discussed electrification as “one of the most powerful policies available to reduce exposure to volatile fossil fuel markets and improve energy security.”

Just one day later, more than 70 leading businesses and organisations signed a business statement underlining ”the urgency and importance of scaling up clean electrification of the region,” for security and competitiveness.

”With scale-up and deployment in Europe having effectively stalled in the EU for decades, it urgently needs to do even more to keep up with the innovation race as other major economies are rapidly seizing opportunities and massively investing in electrification,” writes Coca-Cola, Amazon, Unilever, Google, Iberdrola, Microsoft and the other 70 signatories.

COP31 will be held in Antalya, Türkiye, from November 9 to 20, 2026. We Don’t Have Time will be on-site throughout the conference, producing live broadcasts, conducting interviews, and covering the negotiations.

Do you want to join us? Get in touch 👇

In times of energy conflict and rising global tensions, it feels like a much-needed boost of optimism to read about climate innovations developed by teenagers around the world.

The Earth Prize is the world’s largest environmental competition and ideas incubator for youth aged 13–19, helping young people turn bold climate ideas into real-world impact beyond the classroom. This year, more than 6,000 applications were submitted by young innovators from across the globe. From these entries, seven Regional Winners emerged, representing Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, North America, Central & South America, and Oceania & Southeast Asia.

Now it’s your turn! Read about the nominees and help crown the Global Winner of The Earth Prize 2026.

The candidates and their innovations:

💚 17-year-old Kenyans developed a maize-based vehicle exhaust filter

💚 From seaweed to flip-flops: Helena’s biofabric breakthrough

💚 Arya’s biodegradable plastic breaks down microplastics

💚 Young Brazilians developed biodegradable bandages

💚 Gazan sisters recycle rubble into reusable bricks

💚 Yanin, 17, upcycles waste to protect hornbills

💚 This trio’s fruit waste powder removes microplastics from water

Some highlights from last week:

 

• ✏️ Too much analysis? Climate decision paralysis
• ✏️ Santa Marta climate conference overlooked health: This needs to be put right
• ✏️ We joined rangers protecting Armenia’s wildlife

 

• 💚 Iberdrola completes first phase in Brazil’s Noronha Verde project
• 💚 Polestar sticks to net zero target
• 💚 Global food and beverage leaders align to scale regenerative agriculture

 

• ⚠️ FIFA World Cup players and fans face dangerous heat
• ⚠️ Primary forest losses threaten global fight against climate crisis
• ⚠️ Agriculture drives most tropical peatland loss in DRC

Events & Broadcasts

 

• 📅 June 20-28: London Climate Action Week

 

Crafoord Prize Winner Ramanathan:

Climate Action Enters Its “How” Phase

Science has warned us. Now comes the harder part.
The 2026 Crafoord Prize in Geosciences was awarded to Veerabhadran “Ram” Ramanathan for his pioneering research on aerosols, climate pollutants and Earth’s energy balance.

In this Forbes article, We Don’t Have Time reports from the frontline of science. Our Founder & CEO was among the invited voices at a closed roundtable hosted at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences the morning after the award ceremony. Around the table were world-leading scientists, policymakers, physicians, educators, and astronauts, gathered for an unusually direct conversation on how humanity can protect people and ecosystems from accelerating climate and weather extremes over the next 25 years.

The message was clear: climate action has entered its “how” phase. The world no longer lacks scientific warnings. It lacks the speed, finance, trust, and coordination needed to scale solutions, cut methane, build clean energy abundance, and protect the people already hit hardest.

The bottle is under pressure. Now leadership must remove the cork.