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Complete with the "perennial forecast of shortfalls," AEMO's latest Gas Statement of Opportunities has analysts scratching their heads on why the market operator sees gas power demand soaring in 2040.

The post AEMO issues another gas shortage warning, but analysts question why appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Executives at Texas summit claim clean-energy transition is failing and say world should ‘abandon the fantasy’ of fossil-fuel phaseout

The bosses of the world’s leading oil and gas companies have poured scorn on efforts to move away from fossil fuels, complaining that a “visibly failing” transition to clean energy was being pushed forward at an “unrealistic pace”.

The oil executives, gathered at the industry’s annual Cera Week conference in Houston, Texas, have taken turns this week to denounce calls for a rapid phase-out of fossil fuels, despite widespread acknowledgment within the industry, as well as scientists and governments, of the need to radically reduce planet-heating emissions to avoid the worst effects of the climate crisis.

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European carbon prices were little changed by midday, after moving in their narrowest range in more than a month amid a marked decrease in trading activity on Wednesday, as the weekly Commitment of Traders data showed a third successive decrease in investment funds' net short position.

Automakers can now align voluntary emissions reductions from their largest source of pollution — people driving their vehicles — with a pathway to limiting global warming to 1.5C, based on revised guidance released Wednesday by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). 

The UK Infrastructure Bank (UKIB) has committed up to £50 million ($64 mln) to a first-of-its-kind venture capital fund seeking to create and scale businesses that harness nature and climate solutions developed by British research institutes.

A "non-network" solution - likely big batteries - has been chosen over new transmission lines, and will turn Kalgoorlie into a massive micro grid to avoid blackouts.

The post Batteries to turn Kalgoorlie into massive micro-grid after storms tear down network, and gas fails appeared first on RenewEconomy.

A waste-to-energy plant in the Norwegian capital is planning to sell an initial 50,000 removal credits on the voluntary carbon market by the summer in a bid to raise capital for the construction of a carbon capture and storage (CCS) facility.

One of the world’s largest coal miners would like to see Article 6 negotiations concluded so it can better trade carbon credits and decarbonise operations, it said Wednesday.

The Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) will start trading voluntary carbon credits within a matter of months, its chief executive told Bloomberg.

South Australia expected to double grid demand as new industry floods to the state, lured by low cost clean energy and its accelerated 100 pct renewables target.

The post South Australia’s world-leading renewable transition is attracting flood of new industry appeared first on RenewEconomy.

China's steel sector has the potential to cut carbon emissions by as much as 11% by 2025 if the government sets a more ambitious target for the adoption of electric arc furnaces (EAFs), a report has found.

A Seychelles-based environmental non-profit is spearheading a project to build Africa's first on-land regenerative coral aquaculture facility, paving the way for innovating coral reef conservation and restoration in the region.

City trees are an incredible green resource but are under serious assault. Banksy’s stark image shows the damage being done

Amid the excitement around Banksy’s latest art piece – a tree mural unveiled on a wall in Islington, north London – very little is being said about the tree at the centre of the story, a brutally pollarded 50-year-old cherry, and what it communicates about the way our urban trees are “managed”.

I visited it on Monday, just 10 minutes’ cycle from my house, and stood startled by the large, leafless tree, its bark darkened by pollution. It splays upwards like an agonised hand, with green paint – literal green wash – splashed up the wall behind it by a woman holding a pressure washer. But gradually I felt horrified, dismayed as the media filmed stories and crowds of people smiled, cooed and held their phones aloft for the latest Instagrammable image. People talked about whether the work could be “stolen” and the effect it would have on house prices and rents.

Gio Iozzi is a London-based writer and tree campaigner who set up Haringey Tree Protectors

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Development of a new Australian environmental plantings methodology is likely to take priority over the Integrated Farming Land Management (IFLM) method, an expert told a conference Wednesday, all but confirming the development of the IFLM method will be pushed back.

Analysis shows alarming prevalence of harmful fishing methods thought to ‘destroy whole ecosystems’

Industrial vessels suspected of using a harmful fishing method known as bottom trawling spent more than 33,000 hours in British marine protected areas last year, a new analysis of satellite data shows.

Ten of these vessels, primarily from the EU, were responsible for a quarter of this activity in offshore protected areas, according to Oceana UK, a conservation group.

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Victoria’s plan to bring forward its net-zero target from 2050 to 2045 and have its grid operating on 95% renewable energy by 2035 passed the state parliament Tuesday.

China’s two largest EV battery makers are pledging to slash the cost of their batteries this year. Behind the pledge is a cost war – and new battery chemistries. Muhammad Rizwan Azhar, Lecturer, Edith Cowan University Waqas Uzair, Research associate, Edith Cowan University Yasir Arafat, Senior research associate, Edith Cowan University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Greenhouse gases from sector could make up 44% of continent’s total output by 2030, says transport group

The failure to tackle Europe’s “runaway” transport emissions could lead to the sector pumping out nearly half of the continent’s planet-heating pollution by 2030, a report has found.

Driven by polluting cars and pushed higher by the growing thirst for flights, transport emissions in Europe have grown 26% since 1990 – even as efforts to clean up other areas of the economy have led to an overall emissions fall.

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Renewables peak body says Victoria's accelerated planning decision does not change the process, and is not about steamrolling farmers.

The post Faster, not different: Victoria renewables fast-track is not a steamroller appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Monash Uni’s Yolande Strengers and Kari Dahlgren on one of the big challenges of the energy transition - trust. Plus, all the news of the week in this nuclear free podcast.

The post Energy Insiders Podcast: Would you trust your utility to control your solar? appeared first on RenewEconomy.