President Donald Trump's Interior Department released a five-year offshore...

CNN Climate 9 months ago

President Donald Trump's Interior Department released a five-year offshore drilling plan on Thursday that would open up vast parts of California's coastline to drilling, which hasn't happened in that state since the late 1960s. The Department is also proposing new oil drilling in parts of the Eastern Gulf — located approximately 100 nautical miles off Florida's coast — a decision previously opposed by Florida's Republican leadership. The Trump administration's proposal would also open the Eastern Gulf to federal oil drilling auctions starting in 2029. It would open auctions for drilling in central and southern California in 2027 and northern California in 2029. The oil industry has been advocating for opening up parts of the Eastern Gulf that are adjacent to areas where oil production has been happening for decades in the Central Gulf, an industry source told CNN. The proposal is sure to be met with resistance in California. The state's coast has not seen drilling since a devastating oil spill in 1969, which drew national attention for destroying coastal wildlife and the state's fishing industry. The Gulf action will be closely scrutinized in Florida, too, where memories of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon spill still shape public opinion. During Trump's first term, the state's congressional delegation — including Republicans — repeatedly pushed back against attempts to open the eastern Gulf of Mexico to drilling. Gov. Ron DeSantis has also opposed offshore exploration. The first Trump administration extended the offshore drilling ban for the Eastern Gulf, rather than opening it up. Read more at the link in @cnn's bio. 📷: Mario Tama/Getty Images

layersDaily Sustainability Digest

Published about 22 days ago



Financial institutions are accelerating sustainable construction by aligning lending with measurable environmental performance. Santander UK’s decision to adapt mortgage models for Octopus Energy’s Zero Bills homes integrates credit policy with energy-efficient buildings, translating net zero carbon ambitions into mainstream financial metrics. This shift signals the emergence of whole life carbon assessment as a determinant in property valuation and positions embodied carbon and life cycle cost analysis as standard tools of risk management across the sector.

Digital transformation is amplifying the movement. The Monklands digital hospital project in Scotland demonstrates how offsite manufacturing, lifecycle assessment and connected data platforms enhance building lifecycle performance, minimise waste, and verify embodied carbon in materials. Durham’s adoption of digital planning and assessment tools reflects a broader drive toward resource efficiency in construction and environmental sustainability in construction. Together these initiatives redefine sustainable building design by embedding whole life carbon accountability into design and delivery workflows.

Policy remains an enabling force but the centre of momentum is shifting from government mandates to operational proof. A renewed national emphasis on green affordability and the integration of social equity with decarbonising the built environment are reinforcing the transition toward net zero whole life carbon outcomes. These developments illustrate a maturing circular economy in construction where sustainable building practices, low carbon design and eco-design for buildings converge to deliver verifiable carbon footprint reduction. The industry’s direction is now measurable—kilograms of CO₂, minutes saved, resources reused—evidence that green construction is evolving from aspiration to tangible low carbon building performance.

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