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Governments have committed $1.37 billion towards international emissions trading pilot programmes to help meet Paris Agreement goals, according to a report that charts a fourfold rise in finance inside 18 months.

The Guardian’s biodiversity editor looks back on a year that put the state of the planet on the agenda in ways no one could have foreseen

• Read more in our series Biodiversity: what happened next?

The year 2020 was always destined to be a crucial one for biodiversity, with the Cop15 conference in Kunming, China scheduled for October, at which the international community was expected to agree a Paris-style agreement for nature. But the arrival of the coronavirus pandemic across the world forced biodiversity on to the agenda in a way previously unseen.

Despite the postponement of Cop15, there was a flurry of activity among the world’s leading figures on the environment as it became clear that the state of our planet has never been more urgent. In March, John Vidal was among the first to report on the link between our destruction of nature and Covid-19 – and the warnings continued.

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Campaigners in Ilkley hope River Wharfe designation will ‘trigger a clean-up’ of local sewage system

A stretch of river in Yorkshire will become the first in the UK to be given bathing water status in a major success for campaigners trying to stop releases of untreated sewage into inland waters.

Part of the River Wharfe in Ilkley, which is a popular swimming and paddling spot, is to be added to the list of bathing waters next year, after months of campaigning.

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Grid and network operators look to wind, solar and battery storage to supply the essential grid services to be lost as coal and gas plants decline.

The post Grid operators turn to wind, solar and batteries as system issues grow appeared first on RenewEconomy.

South Australia to double size of reserve capacity with Tesla big battery at Hornsdale as part of AEMO move to boost grid security.

The post South Australia to double size of contract with Hornsdale big battery appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Water for the environment will be delivered into part of the upper Barwon River system over the coming weeks to help native fish communities recover following the driest four-year period on record.

Tilt Renewables agrees to pay $1m penalty for Snowtown 2 wind farm's role in SA blackout, in settlement reached with AER.

The post Tilt settles legal dispute over wind farm’s role in South Australian blackout appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Proposed Covid stimulus package signed off by Trump promises two-year extension of one of the US's most successful renewable energy supports.

The post US solar tax credit to get two-year extension in Covid stimulus package appeared first on RenewEconomy.

It is time for Australia to prepare a transition plan for the global energy system transition. The risks and opportunities are too great to ignore.

The post Coking coal’s decline likely to follow path of thermal coal’s demise appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Construction of all 31 turbines has been completed at the 110MW Biala wind farm in NSW.

The post All 31 turbines completed at 110MW Biala wind farm in NSW appeared first on RenewEconomy.

The debate about the future of Australia's coal production seems to ignore structural changes already happening.

The post Chart of the day: Is Australia in the middle of peak coal production? appeared first on RenewEconomy.

How much can electric cars actually reduce emissions? It depends on when and where you charge.

The post How much do electric cars reduce emissions? It depends when they are charged appeared first on RenewEconomy.

New Zealand will opt for a technical reserve price at its NZU auctions after all, Climate Change Minister James Shaw has said, a move intended to ensure prices don’t drop far below secondary market levels at the government sales.

Genex board confident of landing final investment approvals for pumped hydro project after securing more time from key project partners.

The post Genex buys more time to finalise flagship pumped hydro project appeared first on RenewEconomy.

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Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has instructed the environment ministry to draw up a carbon pricing proposal as an option for the country’s climate policy strategy.

The lemmings didn’t jump – they were pushed

• The Nature of ... is a column dedicated to interesting animals, insects, plants and natural phenomena

A Norwegian lemming looks like a larger, slightly cleverer and much more irate hamster. Their underside fur is biscuit-coloured. On top they wear a mottled calico.

The BBC, in a 2015 documentary episode in which a lemming repeatedly charges a full sized house cat – and then attacks the rock on to which the house cat has leapt in fear – called them “bloodthirsty, hairy berserkers.”

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A top Chinese scientist addresses claims the coronavirus leaked from her lab in the city of Wuhan.

The IEA is seeking a motivated individual who is passionate about the potential for clean energy technology innovation globally and has a track record of working on related analytical projects that support policy-making and investment decisions.

The World Resources Institute is seeking a senior association to lead the Sustainable Finance team's work on Development Finance Institutions, including the MDBs, NDBs, and the IMF. You will be responsible for proposing, designing, and directing policy-oriented research to promote climate ambition of the DFIs