Around The Web

Plants take carbon from the atmosphere as they grow, but it goes straight back when they die or are harvested. There is an important difference between carbon fluxes and actual carbon sequestration. Sebastian Leuzinger, Professor, Auckland University of Technology Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

As we face mounting job losses, taxpayers have a right to anticipate that the government's investments will be strategically sound. Laura Schuijers, Research Fellow in Environmental Law, University of Melbourne Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Emissions in the EU ETS this year will plunge by twice as much as previously thought, analysts have estimated amid predictions of a major economic contraction for the bloc in 2020 due to the coronavirus.

New England ISO (NE-ISO) electricity generation slid during the first quarter amid the COVID-19 pandemic, likely reducing entities' compliance obligations in the US Northeast RGGI ETS, data suggests.

António Guterres calls for coronavirus aid to be directed at firms with green credentials

• Coronavirus – latest updates
• See all our coronavirus coverage

Governments should not use taxpayer cash to rescue fossil fuel companies and carbon-intensive industries, but should devote economic rescue packages for the coronavirus crisis to businesses that cut greenhouse gas emissions and create green jobs, the UN secretary general has urged.

“Where taxpayers’ money is used to rescue businesses, it must be creating green jobs and sustainable and inclusive growth,” said António Guterres, speaking at the Petersberg Climate Dialogue, a virtual meeting of more than 30 governments on the climate crisis, which concluded on Tuesday. “It must not be bailing out outdated, polluting, carbon-intensive industries.”

Continue reading...

Three dozen California lawmakers asked Governor Gavin Newsom (D) on Monday to hold firm on environmental and public health regulations during the COVID-19 pandemic, citing industry attempts to utilise the virus outbreak to weaken those policies.

Brussels will delay its assessment of the bloc’s 27 National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs) initially scheduled by June, as four countries have not yet submitted their own roadmaps, Croatia’s environment minister said on Tuesday.

Nicola Sturgeon says there may be "some benefit" in wearing a cloth face covering in enclosed areas.

Planet of the Humans, which takes aim at the green movement, is ‘full of misinformation’ says one distributor

A new Michael Moore-produced documentary that takes aim at the supposed hypocrisy of the green movement is “dangerous, misleading and destructive” and should be removed from public viewing, according to an assortment of climate scientists and environmental campaigners.

The film, Planet of the Humans, was released on the eve of Earth Day last week by its producer, Michael Moore, the baseball cap-wearing documentarian known for Fahrenheit 9/11 and Bowling for Columbine. Describing itself as a “full-frontal assault on our sacred cows”, the film argues that electric cars and solar energy are unreliable and rely upon fossil fuels to function. It also attacks figures including Al Gore for bolstering corporations that push flawed technologies over real solutions to the climate crisis.

Continue reading...

EUAs dipped below €20 early on Tuesday amid a weakening technical outlook and sliding energy prices, but climbed back following a stronger auction.

China’s Guangdong province will delay the annual compliance deadline for companies in its emissions trading scheme by two months, the government said Tuesday, giving local emitters more time to finalise 2019 data verification.

More big falls in cost of wind, solar and storage mean they are cheapest form of new energy generation nearly everywhere in the world, and particularly in Australia.

The post Solar, wind and battery storage now cheapest energy options just about everywhere appeared first on RenewEconomy.

The EU should raise its 2030 emission target to a 65% cut under 1990 levels to align with the Paris Agreement, according to the lead lawmaker on the issue for the EU Parliament, setting an ambition marker far higher than Brussels is planning.

China PV manufacturer claims new industry benchmark with recently launched Vertex series of panels notching up peak power output of 515.8Wp during independent testing.

The post Trina Solar module tops 515W output in independent testing appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Carbon credit deliveries to the Australian government’s Emissions Reduction Fund (ERF) rose in the first three weeks of the month, Clean Energy Regulator data showed Tuesday.

US-based 8minute Solar Energy boosts development pipeline to 18GW-plus with 3GW of new large-scale PV this month alone, says storage could be added throughout.

The post US-based 8minute Solar expands project pipeline to 18GW, batteries included appeared first on RenewEconomy.

First electric bus built in Victoria has been given expert review by bus expert Paul Aldridge, and he is giving it the thumbs up.

The post First Victoria-built electric bus gets thumbs up from bus expert appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Snowy 2.0 tops a list of projects to be fast-tracked through the planning system, as the NSW government looks for major construction stimulus opportunities.

The post Snowy 2.0 tops Berejiklian’s planning fast-track for post Covid-19 recovery appeared first on RenewEconomy.

AEMO flags changes to Integrated System Plan after seeing cost of battery storage fall sharply, and acknowledging cost of new transmission, pumped hydro and gas plants has jumped.

The post Big cost swings point to more big battery storage, less pumped hydro appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Transgrid CEO Paul Italiano discusses new upgrade and the challenge - putting square pegs in round holes - of negotiating Australia’s complex regulatory regime.

The post Energy Insiders Podcast: Transgrid and the new links to the future grid appeared first on RenewEconomy.