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An auction of offshore plots for future windfarms is being held by the Crown Estate

The Queen’s ownership of the British coastline is as old as the monarchy itself. But her right to collect royalties from wind and wave power is much more recent: it was granted by Tony Blair’s Labour government in a 2004 act of parliament.

The Crown Estate, which manages the royal property portfolio, is holding the first auction of seabed plots for windfarm turbines in a decade. It emerged this week that bidding has reached record highs as energy firms look to diversify away from oil.

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Eviction team comes face to face with protesters after digging down shaft near London station

The HS2 eviction team has spent more than 18 hours trying to remove one of the environmental protesters from tunnels dug near Euston station in London.

He is understood to still be “locked on” underground, and there are concerns about his wellbeing.

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Male nano-chameleon, named Brookesia nana, has body only 13.5mm long

Scientists say they have discovered a sunflower-seed-sized subspecies of chameleon that may well be the smallest reptile on Earth.

Two of the miniature lizards, one male and one female, were discovered by a German-Madagascan expedition team in northern Madagascar.

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The European Commission launched an investigation into Romanian utility CE Oltenia’s restructuring plans on Friday, blocking funding that observers say the company was likely relying on to buy several million carbon allowances over the next two months.

Alok Sharma should resign unless plans for a deep coal mine in Cumbria are dropped, Lib Dems say.

The White House gives its backing to Nasa's effort to return to the Moon.

The male Brookesia nana, or nano-chameleon, was discovered on Madagascar and is the size of a seed.

South Korea’s carbon market surplus for 2020 could be almost 75% higher than previously expected, analysts said Friday, writing down emissions estimates and warning that KAU prices could near all-time lows as a result.

Lucrative live shellfish trade also hit hard, with consultation over further restrictions on live animal exports ending soon

Livestock and live shellfish exports from the UK to mainland Europe are at a standstill as producers struggle with post-Brexit transport conditions.

In 2019, excluding lamb and cattle traded between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, a combined 31,000 cattle, sheep and goats were exported from the UK to the EU mainland. About 5% would have been exported for fattening for slaughter and the rest for breeding, the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) estimates.

National Pig Association (NPA) data shows about 12,000 breeding pigs were shipped from the UK to the EU in 2020. The UK does not export pigs for slaughter, the NPA said, although 1,000 to 2,000 pigs are sent from Great Britain to Northern Ireland each year when extra slaughter capacity is needed.

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‘Bizarre’ decision to go ahead with Cumbrian mine criticised as the UK prepares to host vital climate summit

Pressure is growing on the government over its support for a new coalmine in Cumbria, as the UK prepares to host the most important UN climate summit since the Paris agreement was signed in 2015.

Developing country experts, scientists, green campaigners and government advisers are increasingly concerned about the seeming contradiction of ministers backing the new mine – the UK’s first new deep coalmine in three decades, which will produce coking coal, mostly for export, until 2049 – while gathering support from world leaders for a fresh deal on the climate crisis.

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Genex locks in a $147m funding commitment from the Queensland government to establish new network link to Kidston pumped hydro project.

The post Kidston pumped hydro project gets $147m state government boost appeared first on RenewEconomy.

NSW Independent Planning Commission rejects proposal to expand a coal mine under major drinking water catchment, describing it as "not in the public interest."

The post Coal mine expansion rejected as “unacceptable” risk to drinking water appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Jemena is to lead a trial of "smart wall chargers" across three states to test how networks can "dynamically" manage charging of electric vehicles at home.

The post Jemena to lead wall charger trial to allow networks to control home EV charging appeared first on RenewEconomy.

New report says states need to accelerate plans for zero emissions buses if they are to meet their net zero targets.

The post States must ramp up electric bus plans to meet net zero pledges appeared first on RenewEconomy.

A daily summary of our news plus bite-sized updates from around the world.

An update to inverter standards to control rooftop solar systems, battery storage devices and electric vehicle charging, was rushed through a week before Christmas in 2020. But AEMO has bigger plans.

The post New solar inverter standard rushed through, as AEMO pushes for tighter controls appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Angus Taylor's claims of $750 a tonne abatement cost for a "typical" electric vehicle is plain wrong, because it is based on the comparison of a big electric van with a small petrol one.

The post Angus Taylor’s trouble with numbers continues as he snubs EVs on emissions costs appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Taylor urges hybrids over electric vehicles, and says there will be no government incentives for EVs in policy paper described as a "flaccid" and "do nothing" document.

The post Taylor pushes hybrid first strategy in “do nothing” transport transition policy appeared first on RenewEconomy.

The damage mining causes to Sydney's water supplies is unsustainable, and the law has failed to stop it. Pete Dupen, PhD Student, University of Technology Sydney Rebecca Louise Nelson, Associate Professor in Law, University of Melbourne Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Paper does not include policies to make it more affordable to buy EVs or a phase-out date for the sale of new fossil fuel cars

The Morrison government has ruled out subsidies to encourage people to buy electric or hybrid vehicles, and assumes they will be adopted at a pace that would lead to greenhouse gas emissions from transport increasing over the next decade.

A “future fuels strategy” discussion paper released on Friday is largely consistent with a leaked draft in December. It does not include policies to make it more affordable to buy electric vehicles (EVs) or a phase-out date for the sale of new fossil fuel cars, as some other countries have announced.

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