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Ahead of the World Economic Forum, Elizabeth Maruma Mrema urges governments to take definitive action on climate, deforestation and pollution

Humanity will have given up on planet Earth if world leaders cannot reach an agreement this year to stop the mass extinction of wildlife and destruction of life-supporting ecosystems, the United Nation’s new biodiversity chief has warned.

Elizabeth Maruma Mrema, the acting executive secretary of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, has implored governments to ensure 2020 is not just another “year of conferences” on the ongoing ecological destruction of the planet, urging countries to take definitive action on deforestation, pollution and the climate crisis.

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Record customer participation in demand response cuts risk of blackouts and delivers more than half a million dollars to savvy households, new data shows.

The post Victoria slashes grid outage risk with record demand response uptake appeared first on RenewEconomy.

It's been a deadly summer for Australia's wildlife. But beyond the fires, we need to act now to protect bats -- which make up a quarter of Australian mammal species -- from a silent overseas killer. Christopher Turbill, Senior Lecturer in Animal Ecology, Western Sydney University Justin Welbergen, President of the Australasian Bat Society | Associate Professor of Animal Ecology, Western Sydney University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Morrison misrepresents federal emissions targets and renewables investment while trying to chastise NSW energy minister Matt Kean over climate.

The post Morrison says NSW minister “doesn’t know what he’s talking about.” Does Morrison? appeared first on RenewEconomy.

The price of the precious metal palladium has hit a record high of $2,500 an ounce as demand rises.

Construction imminent for Lacour Energy’s 800MW Clarke Creek wind farm in central Queensland, with inaugural community consultative committee meeting held last week.

The post Progress as 800MW Clarke Creek wind farm nears construction in Queensland appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Renewable microgrid specialist begins early works on two new 5MW solar farms in South Australia, in continued focus on smaller grid-connected PV projects.

The post MPower starts work on two more 5MW solar farms for South Australia appeared first on RenewEconomy.

This role will be primarily responsible for supporting the development of new business opportunities for Viva Energy that will assist the organisation in the transition to a lower carbon emission economy.

Rooftop solar nearly caught wind energy at start of 2020, as low futures prices mark debut of the New Year.

The post Know your NEM: Rooftop solar catches wind in slow, but low priced start to 2020 appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Nearly 50 threatened species believed to have had more than 80% of their area affected, including seven critically endangered plants

Nearly 50 nationally threatened animal and plant species are believed to have had at least 80% of the area in which they live affected by bushfire, a federal environment department analysis has found.

Another 65 have had more than half their area in the fire zone. Scientists have warned some affected species could be pushed to extinction.

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German government, utilities and key mining states agree on coal phase out, although environmental groups say the plan is too slow.

The post German government, mining states, and utilities fix path for coal exit appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Federation Asset Management makes bid to acquire all remaining shares in Windlab, which has experienced delays in two of its key renewable energy projects,

The post Federation makes big offer to acquire wind farm developer Windlab appeared first on RenewEconomy.

China is a country caught in the middle of a global struggle: to develop but also be green.

A list of threatened and migratory species known or predicted to occur in areas affected by recent bushfires has been released.

A list of threatened and migratory species known or predicted to occur in areas affected by recent bushfires has been released.

Forest thinning is a good way to lower the risk of fire, but there are potential downsides. Rod Keenan, Professor, University of Melbourne Chris Weston, Senior Lecturer, University of Melbourne Luba Volkova, Senior Research Fellow, University of Melbourne Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Both bailing out the failing airline and pushing on with HS2 will be disastrous for the environment, writes Prof Bill McGuire, while Isabella Stone says politicians must make it clear conserving the biosphere is in all our interests

In his discussion of Flybe and HS2 (Growth versus green? The short-term view always prevails, Journal, 16 January), Larry Elliott seems to be tying himself in knots. On the one hand, he rightly claims that it is the better-off who fly intercity in the UK, while on the other hand he suggests that allowing Flybe to go under would hack off a lot of voters, many of whom voted Tory for the first time in December. Frankly, I think it is more likely than not that intercity fliers and the reluctant Tories of the now-collapsed red wall form two mutually exclusive groups.

The bottom line is that both bailing out Flybe and pushing through HS2 are appalling options from an environmental perspective. The green way forward is simple and straightforward. Leave Flybe to sink or swim, keep air passenger duty as it is (or preferably hike it further), and scrap HS2. The £100bn or so saved should be diverted to developing railways – and reopening some of those lost to Beeching’s axe – in those parts of the country where improved transport links are needed most.
Bill McGuire
Emeritus professor of geophysical and climate hazards, University College London

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Awareness training across London led to ‘intelligence’ tip-offs, according to report

A police force in London labelled Extinction Rebellion one of its “key threats” in a counter-terrorism assessment and provided awareness training on the climate crisis group across the capital, resulting in “intelligence” tip-offs, the Guardian can reveal.

City of London police grouped the environmental protest group alongside “far-right organisations” in an assessment of its counter-terrorism operations seen by the Guardian.

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The US company demonstrates how it would rescue astronauts during a failing rocket launch.

East Yorkshire councillors bemoan lack of national guidance and funding

Ministers have been urged to step in to help families whose homes are at imminent risk of collapsing into the sea on the fastest-eroding coastline in northern Europe.

Residents in the Yorkshire village of Skipsea were told this week that more than 20 homes were at risk of falling into the North Sea in the next 12 months, with hundreds vulnerable in the coming decades.

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