Around The Web

NSW government to draw upon the state's energy experts to seize green industry opportunities, unveiling the first Renewable Energy Sector Board.

The post NSW appoints first Renewable Energy Sector Board to guide energy plan appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Japanese oil and gas firm Inpex has agreed to buy 5 million carbon credits over a five-year period from the Rimba Raya REDD project in Indonesia, it said Monday.

A Swiss non-profit is developing a method for standardising climate neutral commodity transactions, attracting interest from major trading houses keen to align with the Paris Agreement.

Chevron will supply Singapore-based energy trader Pavilion with 500,000 tonnes of LNG annually from 2023, with each shipment accompanied by a statement on associated carbon emissions, in a bid to encourage voluntary offset trading.

CBI, Energy UK and others tell chancellor cutting scheme will risk target of net zero emissions by 2050

Business groups are urging the chancellor, Rishi Sunak, to keep funding home insulation and other low-carbon measures under the green homes grant, which is under threat from cuts.

They warned that moves to reduce the amount of money paid out under the scheme, or abandon it altogether, would make it harder to reach the government’s target of net zero emissions by 2050, and damage the UK’s credibility as host nation of this year’s Cop26 UN climate summit and president of the G7 group of rich nations.

Continue reading...

The Removing and Storing carbon leader will be part of a newly created Removing and Storing Carbon program team that focuses on achieving the highest possible removal and storage of carbon for climate change mitigation in forestry and other land use.

An investment in major transmission lines linking Australia's best wind and solar resources could deliver reliable and cheap and clean electricity.

The post For $100 billion, Australia could have a low cost and reliable zero emissions grid appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Verdant Technologies raises $2m in a pre-IPO investment round, as it plans to revive the Redbank power station to produce hydrogen.

The post Hydrogen start-up seeks funds to convert old coal generator to biomass appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Independent review says department received allegations soon after first permits were issued but exports continued

The federal environment department failed to investigate allegations endangered and rare Australian birds were being sold in Europe at a huge profit and instead continued issuing permits to allow more birds to be exported to a secretive German charity, an independent review has found.

The investigation, by KPMG, was triggered after reporting by Guardian Australia revealed hundreds of birds, including endangered species, were exported to the Berlin-based Association for the Conservation for Threatened Parrots (ACTP) on the grounds that they would be used for a zoo exhibition.

Continue reading...

The outperformance of cleantech stocks in the post-Covid market has illustrated their "two birds, one stone" appeal to investors.

The post Cleantech stocks continue to soar in the post-Covid economy appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Federal Court orders failed Australian solar and battery project developer to pay roughly $A6 million plus interest to global PV giant First Solar.

The post First Solar awarded $6m plus interest in case against Lyon appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Owner of two Queensland coal generators fined for failing to deliver grid services as promised, including in one incident when the power supply was put at risk.

The post Coal generators fined after failing to match big batteries and putting grid at risk appeared first on RenewEconomy.

An increasing number of households are coming up against strict limits to the amount of energy they are allowed to export to the grid, and some cannot export their solar at all.

The post Zero-sum game: The rise of solar export limits, and what can be done about it appeared first on RenewEconomy.

The public consultation period for assessment for export accreditation will be open until COB 25 March 2021.

Aung San Suu Kyi's government did not have a perfect environmental record. But at least things were starting to change. Narissa Bax, Marine Biologist, University of Tasmania SiuSue Mark, Independent Scholar-Practitioner, Columbia University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Ingestion of lead shotgun pellets from bed of Larnaca Salt Lake blamed for rise in deaths of migrating flamingos

Conservationists in Cyprus are urging authorities to expand a hunting ban throughout a coastal salt lake network, amid concerns that migrating flamingos could swallow lethal quantities of lead shotgun pellets.

Martin Hellicar, the director of Birdlife Cyprus, said flamingos were at risk of ingesting the tiny pellets lying on the lakebed as they fed. Like other birds, flamingos swallow small pebbles to aid digestion but cannot distinguish between pebbles and the lead pellets.

Continue reading...

Independent MP Helen Haines introduces legislation to establish a new Australian Local Power Agency to support community ownership of renewable energy.

The post Haines proposes $483m Local Power Agency to help communities buy in to wind and solar appeared first on RenewEconomy.

A rare Amazonian cactus called the moonflower has bloomed for what botanists believe is the first time in the UK. Experts at the University of Cambridge's   Botanic Garden kept a night watch throughout the week so they did not miss the flowering of Selenicereus wittii – an event that usually begins at sunset and is over by sunrise.

The moonflower actually bloomed earlier on Saturday afternoon at about 3pm, and the garden said it was 28cm (11in) long. The flower produces a sweet-smelling scent that turns 'rancid' after just two hours, as the plant begins to die

• Rare Amazonian cactus flowers for first time in UK
• Ready, steady, bloom! Botanists wait for rare cactus to open for one night only

Continue reading...

The Lone Star State is aptly named. If you’re not part of the Republican oil elite with Cruz and Abbott, you’re on your own

Texas has long represented a wild west individualism that elevates personal freedom – this week, the freedom to freeze – above all else.

Related: Why the cold weather caused huge Texas blackouts – a visual explainer

Continue reading...

Director Martin Scorsese says streaming algorithms demean cinema and treat viewers as consumers.