Around The Web

A new study has unveiled stark inequalities in global climate governance, highlighting that the most influential countries in climate negotiations bear far fewer consequences from climate-related disasters than those with less influence.

Investment from the US private sector towards decarbonisation has slowed since 2022, a US treasury official said Wednesday, calling on firms to finance technologies to reduce emissions from the shipping and industrial sectors.

Higher emissions in 2023 under Alberta’s Technology Innovation and Emission Reduction (TIER) programme resulted in increased usage of offsets and emission performance credits (EPCs), according to a compliance report published Monday.

Global solar installations exceeded most industry forecasts in 2024, with 593 GW expected to be added by the end of the year, according to analysis by a global energy think tank.

The ocean’s ability to absorb CO2 is not only vital for mitigating climate change, but also crucial for enhancing global wealth and reducing the cost of national climate policies, according to a new study.

Brazil's voluntary carbon market (VCM) will play a role in mitigation efforts if it is able to attract large-scale investment – but even then, it may not channel sufficient climate finance and reduce enough emissions to be an engine of net zero on either a global or national scale.

Airline passengers are increasingly willing to accept additional costs and time commitments to reduce the environmental impact of their flights, for example paying an extra 11% for offsets, according to a new survey.

A new registry launched Wednesday for Brazilian carbon projects, announcing its first transaction at the Brazil Climate Summit in New York.

As the voluntary carbon credit industry has grown, so has the number of related lawsuits, prompting one US university to expand its legal resources to address this trend.

Food campaign Bite Back says 10 firms account for more carbon emissions globally than aviation industry

Britain’s biggest food and drink firms are doing too little to tackle the climate emergency and are producing “staggering” amounts of greenhouse gases, campaigners claim.

The 10 companies that manufacture more of the UK’s food than anyone else produce more carbon emissions between them than even the aviation industry, a report says.

Three of the firms increased their annual emissions in 2022 – Ferrero, Kraft Heinz and PepsiCo.

Seven are on course to miss meeting emissions targets they have set themselves to achieve by 2050.

Only four have a verifiable commitment to reach net zero emissions by 2050 – Danone, Mars, Mondelēz and Nestlé.

Continue reading...

India’s methane emissions from coal mining could double should it expand its domestic industry in order to reduce reliance on imports and feed its increasingly demanding power and steel sectors, a think tank has found.

A US-based tech giant has inked another deal to purchase CO2 removal credits, this time from a California-headquartered carbon-negative power company.

Scientists found 90% of young coral surveyed remained healthy compared with 25% of older corals, after mass bleaching event in the Caribbean

Young corals bred using in vitro fertilisation (IVF) and planted in reefs around the US, Mexico and the Caribbean have surprised scientists, after most survived last year’s record marine heatwave, while older corals struggled.

A study has found that 90% of the young IVF-created corals surveyed remained healthy and colourful, holding on to the algae that live within them and supply them with nutrition. In contrast, only about a quarter of older non-IVF corals remained healthy.

Continue reading...

Energy intensive industries continue to face obstacles on their road to decarbonisation, according to economists from the European Central Bank (ECB), who raised concerns about the next phase of EU emissions trading.

A company overseeing a biodiversity credit pilot in Romania is seeking to show the government how its use of EU environmental payments is incentivising the degradation of hay meadows, Carbon Pulse has learned.

The buyers club Frontier has facilitated its fourth round of carbon removal (CDR) pre-purchases, with $4.5 million spent on credits from nine project developers, including first-of-their-kind deals in India and Africa.

Hosting the conference would help us overcome our colonial mentality and the fossil fuel lobby, both of which have held us back from tackling climate change

As the world grapples with the climate crisis, Australia stands at a crossroads. Our bid to co-host the UN’s climate conference, Cop31, with Pacific nations is not just a diplomatic event; it is a pivotal opportunity to redefine our nation’s role in the global fight against climate change. This could mark a shift, propelling Australia from climate laggard to leader on the world stage. With the Cop presidency, we would be at the centre of international climate negotiations, shouldering the responsibility to provide the infrastructure and visionary leadership needed to drive meaningful progress. The stakes are high, but so too are the potential rewards for our nation and the planet.

For years, Australia has been held back from meaningful climate action by the powerful influence of the fossil fuel lobby. This industry has shaped policies and public opinion, prioritising short-term profits over long-term sustainability. Their grip on our political landscape has delayed the transition to cleaner energy and put us on a dangerous path that threatens the security of our communities, our environment and our economy. Now, as the cost of living skyrockets and climate impacts escalate, we’re facing the consequences of that inaction.

Continue reading...

The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) published an update Wednesday that experts saw as opening the door for corporates to use removals as part of carbon neutralisation claims under the organisation's net-zero standard.

Over 650 UK farms have been assessed in the “largest and most thorough” baseline of environmental farm performance in the UK, in an effort to standardise a confusing landscape of processes for collecting the data, according to a report published on Wednesday.

Australia could double its rooftop solar by 2030, but to do so will require new homes to be built with solar, solar on social housing, and businesses to start installing.

The post Two-thirds of new-build homes don’t have solar: Report calls for policy to plug holes in rooftop rollout appeared first on RenewEconomy.