In a year marked by climate-linked catastrophe, the economic drawbacks of fossil fuels stood in stark relief while renewable energy’s slow expansion continued.

As the climate crisis worsens, the calls for more aggressive action grow louder. 2021 saw more business as usual, industry obfuscation and delay, but also some reasons for optimism.

DeSmog's UK team looks back at the best stories of a turbulent year.

The oil and gas industry has refined its techniques to stay a step ahead over decades. And it has no plans to stop anytime soon.

Before the Koch brothers, Standard Oil realized the power of universities to spread its free-market ideology and prevent the growth of socialism.

From doomsday scenarios to conspiracies totally removed from reality, a Twitter analysis found the top fear-based narratives that today’s climate deniers are spreading to prevent climate policy.

A DeSmog analysis found that the delegations from multiple countries are heavily drawn from their oil ministries and even large oil companies. Shell and other publicly traded oil giants are also attending the climate proceedings under the cover of trade groups.

Analysis found links to Exxon, Koch Industries, and the US Chamber of Commerce, raising concerns about a potential “revolving door,” one campaigner said, between the insurance and fossil fuel industries.

One expert called it a “systematic deceptive marketing campaign designed to interfere with the solution that is necessary to respond to the climate emergency: stopping fossil fuel production.”

A new study finds that hydrogen fuel produced from water using renewable energy will be cheaper than natural gas-based hydrogen with carbon capture by 2030.