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European industries are grappling with significant technological, financial, and regulatory hurdles as they work towards net zero emissions, according to a new report.

EU carbon allowances gradually edged higher on Wednesday as weekly positioning data showed investment funds held their first net long position in 15 months, while gas prices rallied modestly after profit taking had dropped prices on Tuesday.

There is an increasingly strong likelihood that the US will implement a carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM), but such a policy would likely come with challenges on the international level, according to experts speaking at COP29.

Some 25 countries, as well as the EU, have urged the rest of the world to stop new unabated coal investment for use in energy systems.

A group of 68 global NGOs, business coalitions, companies, and Indigenous Peoples organisations has called for COP29 parties to recognise nature’s role in addressing the climate crisis within negotiations on the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG).

Azerbaijan’s COP29 presidency has urged ministers to speed up their negotiations on the new global climate finance goal and next steps for cutting greenhouse gas emissions, as major sticking points persist in the final days of the summit.

The government-backed UK Nature Impact Fund remains optimistic about its future, with an associated accelerator programme hoping to announce new funding, following the withdrawal of partner investment manager Federated Hermes.

Researchers found no difference in the diversity of species in urban meadows compared with those in rural settings

Small patches of wildflowers sown in cities can be a good substitute for a natural meadow, according to a study which showed butterflies, bees and hoverflies like them just as much.

Councils are increasingly making space for wildflower meadows in cities in a bid to tackle insect decline, but their role in helping pollinating insects was unclear. Researchers working in the Polish city of Warsaw wanted to find out if these efforts were producing good results.

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The Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) has signed an agreement with Uzbekistan at COP29 in Baku, to promote carbon markets and support the implementation of Article 6 under the Paris Agreement.

Scheme has collected a fraction of the waste it set out to handle and is struggling with broken machinery and poor finances

• Five firms in plastic pollution alliance ‘made 1,000 times more waste than they saved’

The Alliance to End Plastic Waste (AEPW) makes high-profile claims about the projects around the world it supports in the pursuit of clearing up plastic waste leaching into the environment.

It works with partner organisations in developing countries to support community initiatives to collect and recycle plastic waste.

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A US philanthropic foundation will invest $10.9 million to advance African-led clean energy solutions, the organisation announced at COP29.

Brazil's Chamber of Deputies passed on Tuesday evening landmark legislation to establish a nationwide ETS, as the historic proposal for what would be the largest compliance carbon market in Latin America rolls onwards towards full approval.

Australia on Wednesday released the updated method for generating carbon credits from environmental plantings, replacing the previous version that expired in September.

A French bank has launched a sustainable forestry fund that will collect in-depth carbon data, saying this will give it a competitive advantage as companies up the value chain prepare to comply with EU reporting obligations.

Only 2.5% of more than 300,000 farms were inspected at least once in 2022 and 2023, researchers find

There is just one local authority inspector for every 878 farms in England, Scotland and Wales, according to a report, which says that the current welfare system is continuing to fail animals.

Researchers for the Animal Law Foundation found that only 2.5% of the more than 300,000 UK farms were inspected at least once in 2022 and 2023, a marginal decrease from 2018-21 when Covid-19 might be expected to have affected inspection rates.

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The Japanese government is expected to soon release draft regulations for its planned emissions trading scheme, requiring hundreds of domestic emitters to participate in the programme, according to domestic media reports.

Day nine of the climate summit in Baku, Azerbaijan, with progress slow for negotiators

Activists have been out at the conference in Baku this morning trying to put pressure on negotiators to agree a deal on climate finance.

Alliance of Champions calls on governments and financial institutions at COP29 to prioritise climate finance for food systems

In Brazil, a National Program for Productive Forests (Programa Nacional de Florestas Produtivas) to promote sustainable agroforestry practices, enhance food production, generate employment, and restore degraded areas. The program’s initial phase targets the state of Pará and supports Brazil’s wider commitments to restore 12 million hectares by 2030 and create up to 2.5 million jobs.

In Cambodia, the deployment of 1,600 agriculture officers in agricultural communes across the country, developing modern agricultural cooperatives to improve access to markets, capital and water, whilst also increasing the economic efficiency and sustainability of smallholders;

In Norway, an annual policy dialogue with farming unions to negotiate policy measures that are tailored to farmers’ needs, delivering a ‘bottom up’ participatory approach that is designed to deliver against the country’s national and international commitments;

In Rwanda, a commitment by 2030 to halve per capita food waste at the retail and consumer levels and to reduce food losses in farm production and along supply chains, including post-harvest losses.

In Sierra Leone, the implementation of the national flagship ‘Feed Salone’ strategy is sustainably driving local food production by making agriculture more competitive for investment, decreasing food imports and supporting smallholder farmers, especially women and youth.

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It is Day 10 at COP29 in Baku - Urban and Transport Day. It is getting close to crunch time and parties will soon be expected to agree on key texts, or get stuck in a quagmire of debate that will drag negotiations into overtime. In our daily running blog, Carbon Pulse will report relevant or useful updates throughout the day. Timestamps are in local time (GMT+4).

New Zealand's environment ministry is seeking comments on the country's 2035 international climate change target, as the government is set to finalise the latest Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) in the coming months.

New data shows unemployed people are also turning to rooftop solar to have certainty about electricity bills. PV is not just for rich people, says Kaveh Khalilpou from UTS.

The post SwitchedOn Podcast: Why the jobless are also turning to solar PV appeared first on RenewEconomy.