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Industry makes biggest commitment yet to ending its use of throwaway plastic bottles

Global soft drink companies have made their biggest commitment yet to eliminating the use of throwaway plastic bottles, in an action plan presented to parliament.

In a report sponsored by the likes of Danone, Suntory and Nestlé, the companies give unequivocal backing to a government-implemented deposit and return scheme. Their ambition is for zero plastic packaging to be sent to landfill or escape into the natural environment by 2030, and for packaging to be made entirely from recycled or renewable materials or both.

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Our new US Director will shape and lead our US business. Responsibilities may include but are not limited to leading US business development, including our carbon & climate program, further building our California-based team, and coordinating with Amsterdam on commercial, operational and marketing initiatives.

California will hold a public meeting on Nov. 15 to consider whether regulators should endorse a tropical forest standard, in a move that would pave the way for the state's cap-and-trade programme to become the world's first compliance carbon market to allow REDD credits.

Something ‘fundamentally wrong’ in rural landscape, scientists say, with numbers thought to have fallen 80% since 1950s

A “perfect storm” of intensive farming and rising badger populations has left most of the countryside in England and Wales devoid of hedgehogs, according to the first systematic national survey.

The research used footprints left by hedgehogs in special tunnels to reveal that they were living at just 20% of the 261 sites surveyed. Hedgehogs, which topped a vote in 2013 to nominate a national species for Britain, were significantly less common where badgers were more numerous. Badgers eat hedgehogs and also compete for the beetles and worms the prickly animals consume.

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The British-built Aeolus satellite begins firing its laser down on Earth to map the planet's winds.

Scientists show how searching social media messages can reveal useful data on animal behaviour.

Growers welcome move but 2,500 visas for pickers is not enough to plug labour gap

The government has announced a new temporary work visa for agricultural workers in response to a two-year campaign by farmers to plug the gap in the labour force opened up by Brexit.

While welcomed by farmers, it has also been immediately criticised because it is limited to 2,500 people a year, barely touching the needs of British summer fruit and vegetable growers who point out that horticulture employs 60,000 workers a year, mostly from eastern Europe.

“To have any effect in terms of supporting our successful industry, (a desire much-stated in the release) around 10,000 are needed now – not 2,500 – this number will have little effect on the current shortages UK farms are facing as we speak. The proposal represents a 4% increase in a shrinking workforce, said Nick Marston chairman of British Summer Fruits.

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The world’s largest offshore windfarm has opened off the Cumbrian coast. Walney Extension covers 145 sq km of the Irish Sea and has a capacity of 659 megawatts, enough energy to power 590,000 homes

• World’s largest offshore windfarm opens off Cumbrian coast

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While Australia is coming to terms with yet another new prime minister, one thing that hasn’t changed is the emissions data: Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions are not projected to fall any further without new policies, writes Anna Skarbek of ClimateWorks Australia.

In the crazy world of Australian climate and energy policy, if you wait long enough, an idea killed off by one government eventually comes back and saves the day.

The post The fall and rise of demand response, and the power of “negawatts” appeared first on RenewEconomy.

The point where new wind and solar, backed by energy storage, become cheaper than operating old coal plants is not far away.

The post Fair dinkum! Renewables and storage soon to be cheaper than existing coal plants appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Walney Extension will power 590,000 homes amid fears Brexit could stifle growth

The world’s biggest offshore windfarm has officially opened in the Irish Sea, amid warnings that Brexit could increase costs for future projects.

Walney Extension, off the Cumbrian coast, spans an area the size of 20,000 football pitches and has a capacity of 659 megawatts, enough to power the equivalent of 590,000 homes.

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ARENA offers $22.1m in funding to 16 different R&D projects working to fast-track establishment of national renewable hydrogen industry.

The post 16 renewable hydrogen projects backed by ARENA grants appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Conservatives are still using South Australia as a renewables punching bag. But the reality is the state has shown how solar and wind, with battery storage and smart management, can drive down prices and emissions, and deliver grid stability.

The post The inconvenient truths about South Australia’s renewable success appeared first on RenewEconomy.

A new guide is available to help promote the conservation and recovery of this nationally significant ecological community.

A new guide is available to help promote the conservation and recovery of this nationally significant ecological community.

One of the UK's leading female scientists donates her £2.3m science prize to help more women, ethnic minority and refugee students to become physics researchers.

Three new reports say governments can either act now on climate, and reap trillions of dollars in benefits - or miss the window and put a wrecking-ball to their GDPs.

The post Failure to act on climate will cost trillions, trash global economies appeared first on RenewEconomy.

An international report has found there's no future for Australia's coal exports. Frank Jotzo, Director, Centre for Climate Economics and Policy, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Salim Mazouz, Research Manager, Crawford School of Public Policy; and Principal at NCEconomics, Australian National University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

An activist hopes to pick up a million cigarette butts from his local beaches to draw attention to the plastic they contain.