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The EU’s heads of state and government continue to discuss the increase of the 27-nation bloc emissions reduction target by 2030 well on to the night, as latest draft conclusions have made some concessions to Central and Eastern member states but differences remain.

Latest CSIRO GenCost report shows wind and solar still easily cheapest electricity generation - even when storage and network costs added for 90% renewable grid.

The post Wind, solar and storage still cheapest by far, latest CSIRO GenCost report says appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Scientists brand 7% decline a ‘drop in the ocean’ and call on governments to push ahead with structural changes

Greenhouse gas emissions, which plunged by a record amount this year because of the coronavirus pandemic, are set to rebound next year as restrictions are lifted further and governments strive to return their economies to growth, according to a global study.

The UK showed the second biggest fall in emissions globally, down 13% for the year compared with 2019, with only France showing a larger drop, of 15%. The plunge reflects the prolonged and severe lockdowns in both countries, with surface transport particularly affected.

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Mayor of Paris praises ‘important milestone’ on fifth anniversary of the landmark agreement

More than 50 of the world’s leading cities are on track to help keep global heating below 1.5C and tackle the worst impacts of the climate crisis, according to a new report.

From mass tree-planting in Buenos Aires to new public transport networks in Mexico City, 54 of the world’s leading cities are now rolling out plans that will cut their greenhouse gas emissions in line with the Paris agreement, according to a new study by the C40 cities network.

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A California watchdog group reiterated calls for state regulator ARB to address the WCI allowance surplus to encourage future emissions reductions, saying low prices could minimise the linked cap-and-trade scheme’s contribution to hitting the Golden State's 2030 GHG goal.

California Carbon Allowance (CCA) prices rose toward the 2021 WCI floor price this week with fewer sellers on the secondary market, as RGGI Allowance (RGA) values trended upward after the Q4 auction cleared above traders’ expectations.

United Airlines will eschew the use of traditional carbon credits in favour of direct air capture technology and sustainable aviation fuel in reaching CO2 neutrality by mid-century, the Chicago-based company announced Thursday.

More gas, less wind and less big solar: The electricity numbers in Taylor's emissions roadmap make no sense. But that's not the only weird part of this report.

The post Angus Taylor’s 2020 emissions report: pro gas, anti wind and very weird appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Switzerland’s revised NDC is set to curb the country’s reliance on international credits, but intends to use flight ticket tax revenues to help compensate for emissions linked to fossil fuel imports.

ENGIE are recruiting for a Carbon and Compliance Consultant to be based in Canary Wharf, London. As an integral part of a carbon and compliance team, this position will be working on numerous client contracts to ensure compliance with energy audits and reporting.

The new Sentinel satellite to track global sea-level rise is in excellent shape, say space officials.

US biofuel credit (RIN) prices mostly trended down this week from multi-year highs, while a coalition of agriculture and biofuel groups challenged the EPA’s granting of several dozen Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) compliance waivers for 2018.

Greta Thunberg has warned the world is failing to tackle the climate emergency and is in a ‘state of complete denial’ nearly five years after the Paris agreement.

Thunberg, 17, whose solo school strike in 2018 snowballed into a global youth movement, spoke out ahead of a UN event at which national leaders have been asked to increase their pledges on emissions cuts.

In a video shared exclusively with the Guardian, she calls on leaders to account for failing to reverse rising carbon emissions, but concluded: ‘There is hope … we are the hope – we, the people’

• The Paris agreement five years on: is it strong enough to avert climate catastrophe?

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Exclusive: Climate striker speaks before UN event marking five years since the Paris accord

The world is speeding in the wrong direction in tackling the climate emergency, Greta Thunberg has said, before a UN event at which national leaders have been asked to increase their pledges for emissions cuts.

Thunberg, whose solo school strike in 2018 has snowballed into a global youth movement, said there was a state of complete denial when it came to the immediate action needed, with leaders giving only distant promises and empty words.

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European carbon prices jumped to a three-month high on Thursday on the back of rising energy prices, a looming supply shortage, and optimism surrounding efforts to adopt stronger EU climate targets, with EUAs now within sight of this summer's 14-year high as well as their all-time peak.

Project hopes to influence policymakers at Cop26 UN climate change conference in Glasgow

People around the world will have a chance to discuss responses to the climate crisis in a planned global citizens’ assembly to inform UN talks in Glasgow in 2021, organisers said on Thursday.

The project aims to build on similar initiatives in individual countries such as Ireland, France and Canada, where citizens’ assemblies have given politicians a steer by generating ambitious proposals on divisive issues.

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A letter has been signed by singer Ellie Goulding and Hollywood stars Emma Watson and Emma Thompson.

Three frog and one shark species have vanished, and Amazonian dolphin and oak trees are threatened

Europe’s biggest land mammal, the European bison, is beginning to recover in numbers thanks to conservation efforts and breeding programmes, according to an update on threatened species.

By the early years of the last century, the once abundant European bison could be found only in captivity in a few places, and it was only after the second world war that animals were reintroduced into the wild in small numbers. By 2003 there were 1,800 in the wild, and by last year the number had more than tripled to a population of more than 6,200 in 47 free-ranging herds in Poland, Belarus and Russia.

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European bison take a step back from the brink, but there is bad news for other animals and plants.

I enjoy the camaraderie between motorists, so it was a nasty shock to find myself shunned when I took my friend’s BMW X5 for a spin

I always need to be liked; the opposite is too difficult to bear. All the best therapists say this way of thinking is seriously suboptimal, but there you go. This feeling is so ingrained that I even take it on the road with me, literally. I am the most accommodating driver ever. I am always letting people in with a cheery wave, often to the annoyance of my passengers and doubtless the motorists stuck behind me. A true saint among drivers.

I loved driving lorries for my dad’s scaffold company, many moons ago. The code of pleasantries between lorry drivers is a wonderful thing and I wanted as much of it as possible. When overtaking another lorry, the driver would flash you in when it was safe to move back into the lane. I would then flash my hazard lights to convey my gratitude for their assistance. Naturally, I would provide the same service when I was being overtaken. Sweet.

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