Daily Update: Exploring Carbon Capture; Inside the AI Landscape; and Weak Consumer Confidence
Today is Tuesday, November 25, 2025, and here’s your curated selection of Essential Intelligence on global markets from S&P Global. Subscribe to be notified of each new Daily Update.
Energy Transition & Sustainability
The opportunity for carbon capture technology is expanding as the role of natural gas in power generation grows. Ion Clean Energy, which includes Chevron, ExxonMobil, Williams Companies and Carbon Direct as investors, is working to address this opportunity with its proprietary absorbent technology.
Tim Vail, CEO of Ion Clean Energy, joined Hill Vaden and Sam Humphreys to discuss carbon capture technology and the opportunities for growth as power markets seek clean, firm and dispatchable generation.
Artificial Intelligence
Technological advancements dictate the pace of progress, and industries must adapt or be left behind. The stakes have never been higher, but this report cuts through the noise and offers a critical examination of the AI landscape.
Global markets have reached an inflection point, where the evolution of AI demands robust investment in infrastructure and talent as well as a strategic recalibration of risk management practices. As adoption accelerates, companies must balance innovation with pragmatic operational improvements to safeguard long-term value. The challenge lies in navigating disruptive opportunities alongside integration and security hurdles.
Economy
The so-called golden quarter is crucial for retailers. The final three months of the year, which include Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Christmas sales, can account for one-third of retailers’ sales and up to half of their annual profits from selling discretionary products, such as electronics, apparel, jewelry and toys.
S&P Global Ratings sees little evidence of widespread festive cheer heading into the holiday trading period, as consumer confidence remains weak in Europe and the UK. Economic uncertainty and lingering concerns about high prices, especially for food and services, are constraining domestic demand, while tariffs have begun to hit exports to the US. In the UK, households face the added worry of a weakening labor market and uncertainty due to potential changes to taxation and public spending in the government's autumn budget, scheduled for Nov. 26.
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Last week, I was talking with a neighbor about their efforts to lower their home’s energy use. They mentioned how hard it felt at first to make changes, but after a few small steps, like using less plastic and turning off lights, it started to feel doable. Each tiny change built a little more confidence that bigger things were possible. It made me think about how important it is to start where you are, even if it seems small at first. Thank you for sharing this update with such clear examples from the worlds of carbon capture and AI. Your point that steady effort and curiosity can move both industries and daily life forward really stayed with me. I am interested to hear from others. Have you tried a small experiment to save energy, explore AI, or change a habit, and were you surprised by the results? I hope we can swap ideas and learn from each other’s journeys.
S&P Global I am trying to understand the electricty generation dilemma 'Artifical Intelligence is posing to developing countries, AI data centers need large amounts of electricity, so is it wise for African Countries in Southern Africa to invest more in AI? ZESA Holdings & Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC)