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Research suggests writing down your ‘feelings’ about winter can help with seasonal affective disorder. I’m willing to give it a go

Dear winter,

It seems that you intend to visit us again this year. I just want to make it clear – because researchers have found that expressing “feelings” about you in the form of a “dear winter” letter could make me less miserable at this time of year – that I did not invite you.

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A new study produced by a collection of NGOs, think tanks, and academics said that international commitments to halt deforestation have not yet been backed up by sufficient action or funding to tackle the challenge.

Three sets of guidance for measuring biodiversity covering direct operations, supply chains, and ecosystem conditions have been launched by the EU Commission-funded Aligning Accounting Approaches for Nature (Align).

China on Tuesday published methodologies for four project types that will be eligible to generate Chinese Certified Emissions Reductions (CCERs), providing clarity for developers and investors.

European carbon prices made a small recovery on Tuesday morning after the market had dropped to a two-month low on Monday, as prompt gas prices ticked up despite a generally bearish fundamental outlook and weaker TTF prices further along the curve.

IEA, for first time, says demand for oil, gas and coal will all peak by 2030, but must fall sharply before then if agreed climate targets are to be met.

The post Australia issued “stark warning” by IEA as fossil fuel demand tipped to plummet by 2030 appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Biodiversity over an area equivalent to at least 3,000 hectares was supported by ASN Impact Investor’s biodiversity fund last year, according to the “first” measuring of positive nature impact by an investment manager, it said.

Wind and solar deliver more than 70 pct of generation on main grid for first time, as the share of renewables hits a new instantaneous peak of 72.5 pct.

The post Wind and solar smash records as renewables reach new peak of 72.5 pct on main grid appeared first on RenewEconomy.

The bifurcation of the global oil patch grew this week once again as Chevron bought its US peer Hess for $53 billion, giving it control of billions of barrels of reserves offshore Guyana, one of the most prolific oil provinces in the world, and signalling American oil companies have very different views of the energy transition compared to other independent majors.

The EU’s first draft legislation defining a framework for certifying carbon removals was backed almost unanimously during a vote in the European Parliament’s cross-party environment committee on Tuesday.

Australia has a new energy market - for very fast frequency control - that has attracted huge interest from flexible technologies such as battery storage and demand response.

The post Big batteries and demand response dominate new very fast frequency control market appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Global development mechanisms like the Green Climate Fund (GCF) have become too easily dominated by multilateral financial organisations at the expense of the small and vulnerable nations they are designed to support, an academic paper has claimed.

Australia is pursuing standards and compliance for rooftop solar PV inverters that will allow centralised control by AEMO and network operators. There are smarter and more equitable solutions.

The post Cutting off solar isn’t the answer: There are smarter alternatives appeared first on RenewEconomy.

The Shanghai government will auction off 1 million carbon allowances under its emissions trading scheme at the end of this month, with the price floor likely to be set below market levels.

Research finds companies more likely to revisit corporate social responsibility results when tied to CEO pay

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Australian companies are reporting better social and environment performance but many gains are generated by revising past outcomes, particularly when a chief executive’s own remuneration is tied to the results, a new study has found.

The study, “CSR Restatements: Mischief or Mistake?”, examined 674 instances of corporate social responsibility (CSR) reporting from the Top 500 ASX-listed companies between 2004 and 2020.

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Archaeologists say pottery and stone tools have also been found at the site in Orkney.

There is an easy federal government fix that would allow companies to play a bigger role in renewables growth. But time is running out to take it up.

The post Companies can speed up the energy transition. We should let them appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Rishi Sunak unveiled funding pot for expanding charging facilities at motorway services in 2020 but it is not yet accepting bids

Almost £1bn meant to help build Britain’s electric vehicle charging network remains unallocated more than three years after it was first announced by Rishi Sunak.

Promised in March 2020 before the first Covid lockdown in Sunak’s early weeks as Boris Johnson’s chancellor, the “rapid charging fund” was meant to support electrical capacity at motorway service stations. It was intended to help fund upgrades to the grid so that more electric cars can be rapidly charged at the same time.

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The chick hatched on a high platform built by conservationists to keep nests safe from foxes which swim to Tumby Island from the mainland

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Birdwatchers from around the world have celebrated the arrival of a rare eastern osprey chick in South Australia.

Fran Solly, secretary of the Friends of Osprey conservation group, says everyone in Tumby Island and Port Lincoln knows about the chick that hatched last Thursday. But the livestream has captivated bird watchers from as far away as the UK, America, South Korea and Russia.

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CleanCo takes stake in up to 372MW wind farm in central Queensland as the state government introduces legislation to enshrine its renewable targets into law.

The post CleanCo lines up another major wind farm as Queensland pushes renewable legislation appeared first on RenewEconomy.