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Policy is not sufficiently ambitious and out of line with Paris agreement, say environment groups

A new EU target of a 55% reduction in carbon emissions by 2030 has been described as a “farce” by environmental groups after it was agreed in Brussels on the eve of Joe Biden’s climate summit for world leaders.

After 14 hours of intensive negotiations, representatives of the EU’s member states and parliament emerged on Wednesday morning to announce a deal in principle on cuts and the establishment of a new independent body of scientists to monitor the policy.

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Ella Adoo-Kissi-Debrah's mother calls on the government to "reduce air pollution immediately".

The EU's climate-change goals of becoming climate neutral by 2050 will become legally binding.

Report following 2013 death of Ella Kissi-Debrah, 9, calls for Britain to follow WHO recommendations

Legally binding maximum levels of particulate air pollution should be lowered in the UK to be in line with World Health Organization limits, a coroner has said.

UK levels for two particularly harmful kinds of pollution are currently twice as high as the WHO recommends.

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As homelessness rises, climate-related disasters make matters worse. But Covid relief measures and Biden’s infrastructure proposal are providing cause for cautious optimism

Terri Domer knows well what a brewing storm looks like.

Domer, 62, an Iowa native, has spent her life watching thunderstorms gather and tornadoes dash across rolling hills. Last August, when the midday sky darkened over the riverside homeless encampment where Domer and four other people spent most nights – built on a sandy bank near downtown, under tall trees – she quickly set about covering up their supplies.

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Australia on Wednesday announced A$540 million ($417 mln) in new funding for CCS and hydrogen technology, a move observers say likely means the government will make no new GHG target commitments at this week's global climate summit.

South Korean emissions allowances notched a fifth consecutive session of gains Wednesday, as the temporary price floor and fresh demand pushed prices to a two-week high.

The $540 million plan will fund carbon capture and storage technology and methods for making 'clean' hydrogen out of gas or coal.

The post Morrison dodges net zero, throws cash at blue hydrogen and CCS instead appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Researchers measure the significant untapped potential of Australian airports as ideal hosts for large-scale solar.

The post Australian airports are ideal hosts for large-scale solar installations, researchers say appeared first on RenewEconomy.

At present, the distribution market PV demand is increasing year by year. According to IHS, the CAGR for distribution market of PV modules in 2020-2024 will reach 9.81%.

The post Tiger Pro 54p, JinkoSolar’s Brand New Product to Lead Distribution Market appeared first on RenewEconomy.

It is extraordinary that the museum is receiving funding from a fossil fuel giant for an exhibition on, of all things, the climate

Taking money from fossil fuel companies today is like taking money from tobacco firms in the 1990s. The damage public institutions inflict on themselves by receiving this sponsorship exceeds any benefits. Just as their hands were once stained with nicotine, now they are stained with oil. The tobacco experience suggests that it can take many years to expunge these damn’d spots and restore their reputations.

This is the position in which the Science Museum now finds itself. It appears to have learned nothing from the reputational harm it caused itself by accepting money from the oil companies BP and Equinor. Last week it revealed that Shell was funding – wait for it – its new exhibition on climate breakdown.

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Oceanex Energy hopes to develop more than 9GW of offshore and floating wind farms in Australia, and another 3GW in New Zealand.

The post Oceanex eyes massive 10GW of offshore and floating wind farms in Australia appeared first on RenewEconomy.

EU decision-makers sealed early on Wednesday an agreement on the European Climate Law setting the bloc’s net zero objective by 2050 into law, while maintaining the 2030 climate ‘net’ target of at least 55% below 1990 levels.

Acciona's plans to develop a wind energy precinct of more than 1000MW in south-west Queensland have been given the green light by the state government.

The post Gigawatt-scale Queensland wind complex gets development green light appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Some flood dangers can be hard to spot initially – to planners, developers and home-buyers. Sometimes, the danger comes from underground. Ana Manero, Research Fellow, Australian National University Anneliese Sytsma, PhD Candidate, University of California, Berkeley Margaret Shanafield, Senior researcher, Hydrology/hydrogeology, Flinders University Sally Thompson, Associate professor, The University of Western Australia Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Clean Energy Council calls on federal government to lead a managed phase-out of Australia's coal-fired power plants, to avoid a disorderly energy transition.

The post CEC calls for managed phase out of Australia’s remaining coal generators appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Queensland's state-owned energy generator may put its two coal plants on "standby" mode as more renewables come onto the grid.

The post Energy giant Stanwell flags coal exit as it pivots to renewables and storage appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Amazon signs up for nine new wind and solar projects in North America and Europe, to become the largest corporate buyer of renewable energy in the world.

The post Amazon signs up nine wind and solar farms to become world’s biggest corporate buyer appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Virtual summit on Thursday will be the first meeting between the two leaders since Biden took office

China’s President Xi Jinping will attend a US-led climate change summit on Thursday at the invitation of President Joe Biden, in the first meeting between the two leaders since the advent of the new US administration.

Biden has invited dozens of world leaders to join the two-day virtual summit starting on Thursday, after bringing the US back into the 2015 Paris agreement on cutting global carbon emissions.

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Queensland space company Hypersonix plans to use green hydrogen produced in Brisbane to fuel zero emissions rockets.

The post Hydrogen-powered space rockets are coming to Queensland appeared first on RenewEconomy.