Researchers have developed a novel five-dimensional imaging system to observe real-time moisture movement, chemical transformation, and mechanical damage during concrete carbonation, paving the way for enhanced sustainable construction practices. Researchers have deployed a novel operando five-dimensional imaging system to observe, in real time, the interplay of moisture movement, chemical transformation and mechanical damage as cement paste carbonates , a development that could sharpen strategies for using recycled concrete as a CO2 sink while protecting material performance. According to a paper in Communications Materials by El Faqir, Tengattini, Huet, Briffaut and Dal Pont, the team combined simultaneous neutron and X‑ray tomography…

Schneider Electric unveils Resource Advisor+, a comprehensive sustainability intelligence platform integrating AI and existing ecosystem tools to streamline emissions management and drive operational decisions across complex supply chains. Schneider Electric on 20 January 2026 unveiled Resource Advisor+, an enterprise-grade energy and sustainability intelligence platform the company says is intended to turn dispersed data into operational decisions for large, multi-site organisations and complex supply chains. According to the company announcement, the product unifies emissions management, energy performance, supply‑chain sustainability, climate risk and regulatory reporting into a single, interoperable ecosystem designed to replace fragmented toolsets and accelerate decarbonisation programmes. At the platform’s…

At Davos 2026, global leaders are recognising that climate risk is now central to industry strategy, with energy costs and decarbonisation emerging as critical competitive factors driven by AI and digital infrastructure demands. Davos has long been where global anxiety hardens into an agenda. In 2026 that agenda is unmistakable: ESG storytelling has ceded ground to a hard-nosed economic reality in which climate risk is not a side issue but the operating environment for industry, trade and corporate strategy. The organising logic for chief executives is shifting decisively away from labour arbitrage toward energy arbitrage , where the decisive unit…

As Southeast Asia’s energy demand soars, the region is turning to cluster-driven models to balance economic growth with sustainable energy goals, unlocking new pathways for regional decarbonisation and industrial transformation. Southeast Asia stands at an inflection point: rapid economic and population growth is driving energy demand that, left unchecked, risks locking the region into a higher‑carbon industrial pathway. Home to more than 670 million people and a $3.8 trillion economy, ASEAN is projected to see energy demand more than double by 2050. The region’s ability to reconcile competitiveness, job creation and energy security with decarbonisation will shape its industrial future.…

Uzbekistan shifts from planning to large-scale implementation in its power sector, rapidly expanding renewables, developing nuclear, and modernising its grid to meet rising industrial demand and ambitious decarbonisation targets by 2030. In 2025 Uzbekistan moved decisively from planning to large‑scale delivery across its power sector, accelerating capacity additions, diversifying generation sources and pairing renewables with grid and storage investments to tackle growing industrial demand and system stability. Official tallies presented during the year point to more than $35 billion of foreign investment drawn into the sector since 2017 and roughly 9,000 MW of new capacity commissioned, with annual electricity output…

eBay unveils a comprehensive Climate Transition Plan prioritising carrier engagement and logistics decarbonisation to achieve net-zero emissions by 2045, highlighting industry shifts towards sustainable delivery practices. eBay’s newly published Climate Transition Plan frames the company’s decarbonisation challenge around a single, dominant source: the delivery of goods sold by its 134 million marketplace sellers. According to eBay’s roadmap published on Jan. 14, downstream transportation and distribution account for almost 84% of the company’s total greenhouse gas footprint, and eBay is now explicitly leaning on logistics partners to deliver a large share of the required emissions reductions. The plan, which eBay says…

Despite its advances in solar energy, Japan faces a geopolitical and industrial challenge as over 90% of its solar modules are imported from China, raising strategic risks amid China’s expanding export dominance and supply chain vulnerabilities. Since the Fukushima disaster, Japan has rebuilt a substantial solar fleet yet failed to rebuild a domestic industry. The country now obtains roughly 10% of its electricity from solar panels, a penetration higher than France, the United States and, notably, China, but that generation increasingly rests on imports. According to industry data, Japan relied on foreign-made modules for more than 90% of its installed…

As Malaysia seeks to reposition its free trade zones amid global supply chain shifts, the country plans to leverage digital interoperability, sustainability, and regional cooperation to become a major hub for advanced manufacturing and high-tech exports. As global supply chains reconfigure under geopolitical pressure and the scramble for advanced manufacturing intensifies, Malaysia is carving out a clearer strategic path: transform its 46 free trade zones into innovation-led industrial ecosystems that marry high-value production with digital interoperability and greener logistics. Industry figures assembled by Business Today Malaysia argue that the country’s existing FTZ footprint, port connectivity and skilled workforce give it…

A report by Energy Systems Catapult reveals that while AI adoption in UK manufacturing is boosting operational efficiencies, its role in fundamental material and process redesign remains limited, highlighting both opportunities and challenges for climate goals. PROGRESS in applying artificial intelligence to decarbonise manufacturing has been uneven, with meaningful wins in operations but slower movement on fundamental material and product redesign, according to a report by Energy Systems Catapult commissioned by the UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. The Catapult’s analysis found that amid a “torrent of news and hype” around AI, deployment has advanced fastest where clear…

As Europe faces mounting geopolitical and climate pressures, leaders at Davos must prioritise long-term public investments in energy infrastructure to secure industrial competitiveness and resilience amid a reactive global stance. Europe arrives in Davos on the defensive after a year in which trade disputes, tariff threats from the United States and pressure to dilute parts of the Green Deal have sharpened questions about the bloc’s strategic direction. The war in Ukraine, disruptions in the Arctic and the politicisation of energy supplies have underlined that decarbonisation is not only an environmental project but a matter of industrial competitiveness and geopolitical resilience.…