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European carbon prices drifted for a third day on Wednesday, falling below a key technical level as traders awaited exchange data showing market positioning, while natural gas prices declined to near their recent 17-month lows in thin trading.

Most carbon credits and results-based payments hinge on individual emissions mitigation projects, but methodologies exist to extend this model to government-run climate policies, where payments linked to the latter would help accelerate these types of broad-reaching climate actions.

The environment minister of an African nation told an event Wednesday that the best way to utilise carbon markets to save rainforests would be to establish an "integrity index" overseen by a global ratings agency, which could address both sovereign and voluntary carbon needs.

A law to restore 20% of the EU’s nature is at risk of being blocked in the European Parliament by a coalition of centre-right political groups, as a vote in favour of felling the bill passed by a slim majority in an interim committee ballot on Wednesday.

More than 200 million face more intense and frequent floods due to plastic pollution blocking drainage systems, report finds

A devastating 2005 flood that killed 1,000 people in the Indian city of Mumbai was blamed on a tragically simple problem: plastic bags had blocked storm drains, stopping monsoon flood water from draining out of the city.

Now a new report, attempting to quantify this problem, estimates that 218 million of the world’s poorest people are at risk from more severe and frequent flooding caused by plastic waste.

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The Science Based Targets Network (SBTN) on Wednesday launched methods for companies to set targets for ecosystem protection and restoration, freshwater use, and freshwater pollution, with 17 global firms to pilot the methods ahead of a general launch next year.

Exclusive: investigation finds energy giant’s efforts to offset its huge emissions rely on schemes with little impact

A new investigation into Chevron’s climate pledge has found the fossil-fuel company relies on “junk” carbon offsets and “unviable” technologies, which do little to offset its vast greenhouse gas emissions and in some cases may actually be causing communities harm.

Chevron, which reported $35.5bn in profits last year, is the US’s second-largest fossil fuel company with operations stretching from Canada and Brazil to the UK, Nigeria and Australia.

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Decline worse in Britain than other countries, as conservationists blame agriculture and global heating

Butterfly populations that live on grasslands across Europe have declined by more than a third in the past decade, according to a study.

Seventeen species that were once commonly found in pastures and meadows across 22 countries, including the small copper, common blue and meadow brown, declined by 36% on average between 2011 and 2020.

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In an industry-led push, the two countries agreed to share expertise and ideas in a new taskforce.

The post Green hydrogen taskforce links Australia and India in race to renewable fuel appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Indonesia’s regulations on taking a portion of carbon projects’ credits is creating uncertainty for proponents, given the slim investment rates of return on projects that could be upended by the rule, a developer has told Carbon Pulse.

Working out where to put the 120kW battery in densely built Richmond might be the most difficult part of the process.

The post Melbourne community group looking for home after winning funds for inner city battery appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Virgin Orbit's shutdown follows a major launch failure and most of staff have been laid off.

Science-Based Targets Network says new schema will ‘get nature into the boardroom’ in the same way as climate footprints

Businesses can now assess their impacts on nature loss using science-based targets as part of a move to “get nature into the boardroom”.

Research shows that the biodiversity crisis is as serious as the climate crisis, yet there is less information about how companies drive nature loss, because this data is not being disclosed. The Science-Based Targets Network (SBTN) is providing the first framework for companies to report their impacts on nature as part a new frontier of corporate environmental reporting.

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Campaigners call for rigorous testing of waterways to protect species after analysis reveals scale of problem

Chemical cocktails that are harmful to wildlife have been found in 81% of river and lake sites tested in England, a study has found.

Wildlife organisations are calling on the government for more rigorous testing of waterways for chemical cocktails, and new legal protections against dangerous mixtures, including requiring assessments of potential hazardous chemical mixture impacts before any new chemical is allowed on the market.

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To reach 80 pct renewables by 2030, we need 20GW of wind and solar committed in four years, and six years for transmission to be built. That’s a doubling of the historic pace.

The post Australia needs 20GW renewables in four years to meet 2030 target appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Solar Victoria announces raft of rule changes and recommendations to make solar homes "future ready," including for a shift to all-electric appliances.

The post Victoria falls in line on dynamic rooftop solar exports, to make homes ready for electrification appeared first on RenewEconomy.

The enhanced partnership could accelerate Australia’s transition from fossil fuel exporter to clean energy powerhouse. But success is far from assured. Wesley Morgan, Research Fellow, Griffith Asia Institute, Griffith University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

CSIRO-backed hydrogen hopeful Endua has raised another $11.8 million from existing and new investors to develop its 100 kW hydrogen energy storage unit.

The post Australian start-up raises $11.8m for small scale hydrogen ‘battery’ appeared first on RenewEconomy.

NSW energy minister Penny Sharpe says the Energy Security Corp will help address the spiralling costs of pumped hydro which lost out to battery storage in a recent tender.

The post NSW Energy Security Corp to address “spiralling costs” of pumped hydro projects appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Campaign group says plastics are incompatible with circular economy as countries prepare for treaty talks

Recycling plastic can make it more toxic and should not be considered a solution to the pollution crisis, Greenpeace has warned before the latest round of negotiations for an international plastics treaty.

“Plastics are inherently incompatible with a circular economy,” the global environmental network said in a report that brings together research showing recycled plastics are more toxic than their virgin constituents.

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