• The US is trying to cut itself off from China's green tech like solar, EVs, and batteries.
• The moves could hit China's economy and risks slowing down the green transition.
• The US and China, as the world's largest polluters, are key to solving the climate crisis.

There will be a long list of grievances when China's top climate envoy, Liu Zhenmin, visits the US this month for his first formal talks with US officials.

The meeting comes as the US and China jockey for power in the green-energy transition. The Biden administration is trying to cut itself off from Chinese goods that are key to solving the climate crisis — such as solar panels, electric vehicles, batteries, and semiconductors. The US wants to protect its factories against competition from cheaper products, which, in turn, could hit China's economy and risk slowing down the green transition. China is also under pressure to stop building new coal plants, the dirtiest form of power production, because the expansion undercuts the country's promise that its greenhouse-gas emissions will start dropping after 2030.

"The recent moves by the US to connect the climate issue with trade measures, industrial competition, and national security is something I'm sure the Chinese will raise because they have a lot of concerns on this policy direction," Li Shuo, the director of China Climate Hub at the Asia Society Policy Institute, told Business Insider.

Li said China's view was that the US prioritized economic competition at the expense of mitigating the climate emergency. The world needs affordable green technology for the energy transition, and China's record levels of investment have driven down the costs, he added.

A recent example is the remarkable rise of BYD, a Chinese automaker that briefly eclipsed Tesla this year as the world's largest seller of EVs.

However, the US views China as a threat to both national security and the climate. The country's boom in green-tech manufacturing was largely powered by dirty energy, with coal still accounting for about 60% of China's electricity, an S&P Global analysis found. And even though China is adding renewable energy to its grid faster than any other country, it's also building new coal-fired power plants at a rapid clip.

Coal is a major source of tension between the US and China, Li said. China has no policy to signal a coal slowdown, undermining its climate promises.

The issue could be inflamed following a deal this week among seven of the world's wealthiest countries to stop burning coal for power by 2035. During a G7 meeting in Italy, Japan, another major coal user, endorsed the timeline for the first time and was joined by the US, Canada, and several European nations.

For its part, the US in late April finalized stricter emissions limits on power plants, which are expected to speed up the shift away from coal. About 16% of US electricity comes from coal, a steep drop over the past decade largely due to the fracking boom that made gas a cheaper source of power.

But neither the US nor China is in a position to compromise, Li said.

China defends its coal expansion as a matter of energy security. Last year, sky-high temperatures and drought in regions reliant on hydropower forced rolling blackouts and factory closures.

Biden-administration officials, including the climate envoy John Podesta and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, in recent months have said the US is evaluating new strategies to counter China's dominance over green technology. Former President Donald Trump said he would impose tariffs of more than 60% on China if he won the election in November.

Given the tension, there likely won't be any major breakthroughs during this month's talks, Li said. But the fact that the world's two largest polluters are meeting in person shows that the climate still carries special weight. Few Chinese senior officials travel to the US.

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• Chubb, the Baltimore bridge insurer, is set to pay out $350 million, per The Wall Street Journal.
• The bridge's collapse in March killed six people and shut down the port of Baltimore.
• Chubb, the state of Maryland, and victims' families will likely sue the ship's owners, per the Journal.

The insurer of Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge is gearing up to issue a $350 million payout to the state of Maryland, The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday.

Chubb has opted to pay the full coverage amount quickly and could approve it within weeks, per the outlet, which cited Henry Daar, the head of US property claims for the bridge's broker WTW.

"I am confident that Chubb will pay the full limits of liability," Daar told the Journal.

"I give Chubb kudos for recognizing that this is clearly going to be a full-limits loss," he added. "They could spend millions and millions of dollars in fees for accountants and adjusters over the next few years, or they could pay the claim."

Chubb's payment would be the first related to March's disaster. The Lloyd's of London insurance syndicate previously warned that the bridge's collapse could trigger the "largest single maritime insurance loss ever," with Barclays analysts estimating that the damage caused could lead claims worth up to $3 billion.

The bridge collapsed after the Dali container ship collided with one of the bridge's support beams in the early hours of March 26, killing six people and shutting down the port of Baltimore, which analysts have estimated cost the economy about $15 million a day.

Chubb, the state of Maryland, and the victims' families are likely to sue the Dali's Singaporean owners to recover some of their losses from the crash, per the Journal.

Chubb didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider. WTW confirmed the Journal's reporting but declined to elaborate.

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• Ukraine wants to limit companies taking satellite imagery of its territory, according to reports.
• Russia could access the images through shell companies, a Ukrainian defense official said.
• This comes a month after the US warned that China is providing geospatial intelligence to Russia.

Ukraine says it is cracking down on satellite images of its territory over fears that they could be used by Russia against it, according to reports.

"Every day, satellite companies take images of Ukrainian territory. These images can be used by the enemy," Ukraine's deputy defense minister, Kateryna Chernohorenko, said in a statement relayed by multiple media outlets.

Chernohorenko said that "in times of war, we must minimize the risks of the enemy using images of Ukraine," adding that Russia can access them through shell companies, per Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

Ukraine's defense ministry has signed a memorandum of understanding with unnamed satellite companies to limit the distribution of such images, per the Kyiv Independent, and met with the leadership of one of them, according to Ukrainska Pravda.

The ministry also said it had struck a deal with one satellite company, which it refused to name for security reasons, to provide high-resolution imaging for security and defense purposes, per the Kyiv Independent.

Ukraine's Ministry of Defense didn't immediately reply to a request for comment from Business Insider.

The news comes a month after the US warned its allies that China is providing geospatial intelligence to Russia, as Bloomberg reported.

Satellite imagery has proven a crucial resource for capturing and verifying the movements of naval assets, Russia's advances into Ukraine, the war's death toll, and the trail of destruction left by fighting across the front line.

Both Ukraine and Russia have used satellites, notably Elon Musk's Starlink network, for military purposes, to allow soldiers to communicate on the front lines and for weapons systems and drones to function.

Elon Musk has denied Ukrainian claims that Russians are using Starlink, saying that the network is inoperable in Russia, but a complex black market has allowed terminals to fall into the hands of Russian soldiers and those of other armed forces, according to The Wall Street Journal.

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• Business Insider asked interior designers and gardeners to share the best and worst backyard trends.
• Experts said fun umbrellas, outdoor pergolas, and edible gardens are rising in popularity.
• But monoculture lawns and large outdoor kitchens are out this year.

Upgrading your outdoor space is a great way to increase the resale value of your home.

Business Insider spoke to interior designers and gardeners to learn which trends are best to add or eliminate from backyards this year.

Here's what they said.

Wabi-Sabi-inspired outdoor spaces are on the rise.

Wabi-Sabi design, which embraces weathered materials, rustic elements, and organic shapes, is in, according to Kelsey Ross, designer, landscape architect, and owner of Garden Party Landscape Design.

"In practice, this can mean opting for natural, unstained cedar fencing that fades from tan to silver over time," she said.

Other opportunities to embrace the trend include choosing weathered brick for your patio and planting trees with a naturally weathered or gnarly shape.

People are embracing cold-plunge tubs in their backyard spaces.

Jessica Holmes Holiday, founder and principal designer of HSH Collective Home and Design, told BI that personal cold-plunge tubs "have taken over the outdoor design world."

Use of the tubs, typically available at spas and wellness facilities, can help reduce inflammation and improve mental health.

Personalizing a backyard with a fun umbrella is in.

People are adding flair to backyard design by introducing pops of color and creative shapes — and a fun and colorful umbrella is a great way to lean into the trend.

"When clients design their dream outdoor space, they look for individuality. What better way to do that than in their shade solution? " Holmes Holiday told BI. "We see many bold colors and scalloped designs."

Outdoor pergolas are having a major moment.

According to Marisa Bettencourt, founder of North + Fair Interior Design, outdoor pergolas are all the rage right now.

"Outdoor pergolas provide additional shade and can help define an area in your yard that's meant for entertaining and mingling," she said.

The outdoor structure, typically made from wood and topped with a slatted roof, can be built in several styles. But Bettencourt said pergolas with retractable shades (for privacy and sun protection) are especially popular.

Edible gardens are top of mind for many this year.

Lindsey Hyland, expert gardener and founder of Urban Organic Yield, expects to see more edible gardens in backyards this year.

"The idea is to integrate fruits, vegetables, and herbs into landscaping in a way that's not only practical but also aesthetically pleasing," she told BI.

The gardens can be more sustainable and give people access to fresh, home-grown foods.

On the other hand, large outdoor kitchens are a fading trend.

Lara Hermanson, principal and cofounder of Farmscape, told BI that people are moving away from large outdoor kitchens to preserve the natural feeling of a backyard.

"Clients are more interested in reconnecting with nature in their space than having their backyard feel like an extension of their family room," she said.

Artificial turf lawns are out.

Ross said she's seeing more clients remove and replace artificial turf lawns.

"When artificial turf was trending a few years back, people assumed it was a shortcut to a maintenance-free outdoor space," she told BI. "But in reality, it can get blisteringly hot when exposed to direct sun and tends to hold on to pet odors."

The designer recommended using artificial turf as a last resort in deeply shaded areas or where other groundcover solutions are not an option.

Monoculture lawns are on the decline.

According to Alice Moszczynski, an interior designer at Planner 5D, monoculture lawns with uniform grass fields are declining in popularity.

"The monoculture lawn trend is falling out of favor due to its high water consumption, chemical dependency, and lack of biodiversity, which can contribute to ecological imbalances," she told BI.

Firepits are becoming a thing of the past.

Holmes Holiday said most modern firepits are trending out — despite their practicality for evenings outdoors.

"While firepits can create a cozy atmosphere, oversized designs have been left in the past," she told BI. "They dominate smaller outdoor areas, taking away from the overall space."

Industrial-style, minimalist design is out.

Hyland said people are swapping industrial-style, minimalist designs for natural touches to create cozier backyards.

"People are moving away from cold, hard materials like concrete and steel in favor of warmer, more inviting settings that include a mix of natural elements," the gardener told BI.

This trend also includes a move toward more biodiverse and wild gardens.

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