News Update - 29.08.24

• Firefighters in Carlow are gearing up to climb aboard the first emergency service vehicle in Ireland powered by hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO). The first fire engine in the world that combines state-of-the-art software with HVO is being launched by Carlow Fire Station. This climate friendly fire engine is solar-powered, uses vehicle intelligent software - and in addition to the green fuel, will see its carbon footprint slashed by 95% compared to diesel engines. In the line of fire: 'Green' engine to tackle emissions (rte.ie)

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• Auto sales in Europe were roughly flat in July as demand for electric vehicles weakened further in Germany, the region’s biggest car market. New-car registrations ticked up just 0.4% compared to a year ago to 1.03 million units last month, the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association said Thursday. While sales of battery-electric cars increased in countries including France and the UK, those gains weren’t enough to offset a 37% decline in Germany. European Car Sales Stagnate as EV Demand Plummets in Germany - Bloomberg

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• Before Canada said this week it was imposing a 100% duty on Chinese-made electric vehicles, Tesla approached Ottawa and asked for a lower tariff on its autos, a Canadian government source said on Wednesday. Canada, following the lead of the United States, said on Monday it was setting the tariff for all Chinese-made vehicles sold in the country because of what it called China's intentional, state-directed policy of over-capacity. Exclusive: Tesla asked Canada for lower tariff on China-made EVs, government source says | Reuters

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• The UK government will not fight a legal challenge against the decision to grant consent to drill in untapped oil fields off Shetland and Aberdeen. Greenpeace and Uplift jointly brought judicial reviews in an attempt to stop the development of the Rosebank and Jackdaw fields. It comes after the Supreme Court ruled that a UK council should have considered the climate impact of new oil wells – setting a precedent for all regulators. This litigation does not mean the licences for Jackdaw and Rosebank have been withdrawn. UK government will not fight Rosebank oil field legal challenge (bbc.com)

• Ukraine’s military said on Thursday it had attacked an artillery depot and two oil storage facilities in Russia, causing a fire on Wednesday at the Atlas oil depot in the southern Rostov region. The military said it had also attacked the Zenit oil facility in Russia’s Kirov region, some 1,500km (930 miles) northeast of the border with Ukraine. A field artillery depot in the Russian region of Voronezh was also attacked, it added in the same message on the Telegram app. Ukraine confirms attacks on oil facilities, military depot in Russia – The Irish Times