Feed aggregator

PM’s warning to world’s richest countries comes amid suggestions US could commit more funds

Boris Johnson has warned the world’s rich countries that “history will judge”, if they fail to act now to tackle the climate crisis, as US climate envoy John Kerry suggested President Biden was poised to commit more funds to the fight.

At the UN general assembly in New York, the prime minister urged other developed countries to increase their contributions, to help meet the target of $100bn (£73bn) in climate financing set more than a decade ago.

Continue reading...

Poland has vowed to continue extracting coal at its Turow mine after being ordered by Europe's top court to pay daily fines of €500,000 to the European Commission over the government's refusal to adhere to an earlier ruling.

Speaking to journalists in New York at the start of a three-day visit to the US, the UK prime minister urged developed countries to come forward with additional funding to help tackle the climate crisis. 'It is the developed world that for over 200 years has put the carbon [dioxide] in the atmosphere, so it really is up to us to help them,' he said.

The comments came as the UK finalised preparations for hosting the Cop26 summit in Glasgow in November

• Meeting Cop26 finance goals ‘going to be tough’, says Boris Johnson

Continue reading...

The UK prime minister says he is "increasingly frustrated" at support offered to poorer countries.

Rising gas prices in a climate emergency is not the time for the rigid application of free-market principles

There is a level of government complacency about energy price shocks. Ministers think the best course of action is to just accept them. Wholesale gas prices are now more than five times their level two years ago, raising the prospect that household bills will rise by 12% next month. Shoppers could also face empty supermarket shelves as it becomes unprofitable to produce the dry ice and carbon dioxide needed to store meat products. If the energy crunch continues, industry warns, a 1970s-style three-day week might have to be introduced.

The government response has been familiar: deny the problem, deflect responsibility for failure and delay taking action. This strategy is a reminder of the importance of perceptions in a crisis. If something feels like a crisis, it is effectively a crisis. That is why perhaps Kwasi Kwarteng, the business secretary, says there is “no question of the lights going out, of people being unable to heat their homes”. But what if people cannot afford the energy costs to heat and light their homes? About 85% of the UK’s domestic heating comes from natural gas. Fuel poverty is a real issue, especially when millions of workers are facing cuts to universal credit and a hike in national insurance. Price caps help poorer people afford necessities of life such as gas – but there’s no sign that ministers think the hardship merits more generous help.

Continue reading...

Sweden-controlled utility Vattenfall has pledged to phase out coal by 2030 as part of a ramping up of its voluntary emissions reduction pledge designed to align with a 1.5C global warming scenario.

From Western Australia to Norway, photographers around the world capture animals and plants in their natural environment – and under threat from human activity

• Deep impact: the underwater photographers bringing the ocean’s silent struggle to life

Continue reading...

Clean energy investors call on energy ministers to reject controversial energy market reforms, including a plan to subsidise coal generators.

The post Clean energy sector issues plea to ministers to reject ‘disruptive’ market reforms appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Tech companies poured $65m into lobbying in 2020 – but only 6% of their lobbying activity is targeted at climate policy

The world’s biggest tech companies are coming out with bold commitments to tackle their climate impact but when it comes to using their corporate muscle to advocate for stronger climate policies, their engagement is almost nonexistent, according to a new report.

Apple, Amazon, Alphabet (Google’s parent company), Facebook and Microsoft poured around $65m into lobbying in 2020, but an average of only 6% of their lobbying activity between July 2020 and June 2021 was related to climate policy, according to an analysis from the thinktank InfluenceMap, which tracked companies’ self-reported lobbying on federal legislation.

Continue reading...

Officials looking at emergency funding to help large energy firms rescue customers of rival suppliers who have gone bust

Energy companies willing to rescue the customers of rival suppliers that go bust amid the gas and electricity market crisis could get state-backed loans in a scheme under government consideration.

The Guardian understands that officials are looking at the emergency funding to help the UK’s large suppliers pick up potentially millions of unprofitable customers this winter as record prices threaten to decimate the energy market.

Continue reading...

Carbon clawed back early losses on Monday after natural gas prices jumped on the news that Russia's Gazprom declined to book additional gas capacity through Ukraine in October.

Grant Shapps calls for swifter police action after Insulate Britain blocks London orbital motorway again

Twenty-nine environmental protesters have been arrested for stopping traffic on London’s M25 motorway for a fourth time, as Grant Shapps, the transport secretary, called on police to move more quickly to clear blockades.

Shortly after 8am, activists from the Insulate Britain group blocked the M25 and slip roads leading to the orbital motorway in several locations. They are calling for the government to insulate all homes in the country by 2030, starting with social housing.

Continue reading...

Structure was built by Tighnabruaichs’s Extinction Rebellion chapter to raise awareness about climate crisis

When Argyll and Bute council’s planning department asked David Blair if the huge wooden ark he had raised on a hillside overlooking the Kyles of Bute was a permanent structure, he did not think long about his answer.

“I told them it’s not permanent in the same way that humanity won’t be if we don’t take action on the climate,” says Blair, with a laugh that does not diminish the urgency of his message.

Continue reading...

Lightsource bp to lift its global solar capacity to 25GW by 2025, with its Australian operating portfolio to grow four-fold to 2GW.

The post “Gigawatts to terawatts:” Lightsource bp to boost solar capacity to 25GW by 2025 appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Business development expert to help us sell data and research, among other products and services, to organizations that are looking to better understand the carbon offsetting market, their role in it, and how they can best make use of offsetting as part of their energy toward a clean future.

Senior Policy Analyst with a broad range of experience, with particular background in economic or quantitative analysis to be a core part of the team supporting the transition to a low emissions economy.

The Environment Policy Manager has primary responsibility for the development of B+LNZ's environmental policy positions, and leading a team tasked with advocating those policies at a national and regional level.

Through rigorous research, stakeholder consultation, and collaboration with other institutions, the successful applicant will contribute to policy thinking about one of the great challenges of coming decades.

Manage the development and implementation of Verra’s strategy to support the global energy transition and other industrial and technological greenhouse gas (GHG) innovation opportunities.

Director to lead the GECA Climate Policy and Delivery, Industry and Infrastructure (CPD-II) team which has responsibility for GECA activities across the industry, commerce agribusiness, infrastructure and energy sectors.