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The NHS, child poverty, defence: Labour is selling itself on its ability to get some big things done

Britain’s new government has just reached the point where things get serious. The king’s speech marks the ceremonial divide between Labour’s pinch-yourself fortnight following the 4 July election landslide and the start of the hard slog of delivery, by which Keir Starmer’s government will actually be judged next time. It’s the end of the overture and the start of the drama itself, the part that really matters.

Before the election there was a debate among those around Starmer about how to approach the opening days in government. Some wanted the new government to immediately trigger a blizzard of activity to show that Labour was active and a contrast to the Conservatives. In this view, promoted in particular by Starmer’s chief of staff, Sue Gray, the first 100 days were crucial, an agenda-driven opportunity to reignite confidence in government.

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Regulation is becoming a major risk for carbon market participants in a growing number of jurisdictions, experts said at a panel discussion on Tuesday organised by Gold Standard. 

Sugarcane suppliers will receive R$2-3 ($0.50) per tonne of cane converted into ethanol and then CBio credits, which represent 1 tonne CO2 avoided relative to conventional fossil fuels, according to Brazilian media.

The South American country, which as of 2023 accepts select carbon credits in lieu of payment of its $5 per tonne tax, will see minimal supply emerge in 2024 despite hopes that the mechanism would take off once liable entities had sufficient time to source offsets.

The shareholders of a UK forest carbon fund have voted to accept a bid from an investment vehicle, owned by an existing shareholder, to acquire the firm, according to public documents.

Azerbaijan's COP29 presidency is bringing together top negotiators next week to advance complicated talks on two of Baku's priorities for the summit - agreement on a new global climate finance goal, and finalisation of the Paris Agreement's rules for international carbon markets, it announced on Wednesday.

A multinational brewery and pub chain has decided to withdraw its carbon negative claim and stop purchasing voluntary carbon credits to focus on reducing emissions instead.

Carbon pricing mechanisms can play a pivotal role in transitioning the economies of the Western Balkans by incentivising clean energy investments, limiting their exposure to the EU's carbon tariff, while raising revenue that can be used to support vulnerable communities, the World Bank said in a report published Wednesday.

There are fewer than 400 of critically endangered species left and sighting gives ‘glimmer of hope’

A critically endangered North Atlantic right whale has been spotted off the coast of Ireland for the first time in more than a century.

Holidaymaker Adrian Maguire, from County Tyrone in Northern Ireland, glimpsed the large, dark body of the whale on the surface of the water while out fishing for mackerel.

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The new UK government's plans to spur clean energy and infrastructure investment, including with the creation of a public company, were widely welcomed after they were confirmed in the King's Speech on Wednesday - although many cautioned that more is needed to tackle climate change.

The Clean Cooking & Climate Consortium (4C), led by the Clean Cooking Alliance (CCA), is seeking technical help for its new methodology for crediting emissions reductions from clean cooking projects as part of a UN-backed initiative.

One of Australia’s most ambitious hydrogen developers has all but abandoned its plans for the green fuel, it said Wednesday, which the firm had once suggested could rival the scale of Saudi Aramco’s oil output.

African banks could face a 21% increase in credit losses by 2050 unless companies in highly-exposed sectors, including agriculture and mining, urgently address their risks and dependencies on nature and shift to more sustainable practices, a report has said.

Andrew Forrest dials down his ambitious green hydrogen targets for 2030 - but still intends to reach "real zero" for his iron ore operations by that date.

The post Andrew Forrest concedes he won’t meet green hydrogen targets, but still focused on “real zero” appeared first on RenewEconomy.

WWF has called on the UN’s International Court of Justice (ICJ) to establish a duty for countries to stop harming biodiversity as part of their obligations to address the climate crisis.

European carbon prices were modestly weaker at midday on Wednesday as a downward trend established from the opening was briefly interrupted by bullish gas news that was later proved to be incorrect, while weekly positions data from the futures exchanges showed a modest increase in speculators' bearish bets.

Regulators approve Meatly pet product, cultivated chicken made from growing cells

Lab-grown pet food is to hit UK shelves as Britain becomes the first country in Europe to approve cultivated meat.

The Animal and Plant Health Agency and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs have approved the product from the company Meatly.

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A US off-grid solar company has secured financial backing to expand product sales worth up to $176 million in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.

A Brazilian state government has announced the upcoming implementation of a legal regulation to offset corporate impacts on nature, making it the first state in the country to establish a biodiversity crediting scheme.

A global water company is working with a carbon removal startup to marry the worlds of carbon removal and water purification, delivering attractive cost savings and carbon removal credits in the process.