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Of all Australia’s climate policies, the Renewable Energy Target has been the most effective. Why have Australian governments moved away from it, and how can they revive it? Tim Nelson, Associate Professor of Economics, Griffith University Joel Gilmore, Associate Professor, Griffith University Tahlia Nolan, Griffith University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Tree that’s withstood storms and firewood collectors wins contest highlighting those in urban areas

A 480-year-old sweet chestnut that has withstood storms, firewood collectors and, increasingly, parties and picnics beneath its boughs has been crowned tree of the year.

The stately ancient tree in Wrexham’s Acton Park fought off competition from 10 other urban trees in the Woodland Trust competition, which this year highlighted city trees which are widely enjoyed by the public but are often still vulnerable to destruction.

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A carbon intelligence platform has shared an update on the voluntary carbon market, which now appears stalled until COP28 negotiations provide clarity on Article 6, while highlighting strong growth in the project pipeline for nature-based projects.

A non-for-profit methane emissions certifier on Wednesday announced it will launch its certificates on ESG commodity marketplace operator Xpansiv's CBL Global Spot Exchange. 

The recommendations from the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) are more consistent than the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) requirements, the lead of an EU-established group has said.

A carbon storage project in the Netherlands obtained its final investment decision on Wednesday, becoming the first in the EU to reach this stage.

An alliance of asset owners has seen annual emissions across its 86 members fall for the first time, albeit marginally, as the group moves to defend its role in the face of rising political pressure against collective corporate climate action from some factions.

Small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) should partner with larger companies in their supply chain to boost action on nature, the private sector Capitals Coalition has said.

Industry lobbying and rightwing politicians are involved in this decision. The pushback against green policies must be resisted

• Geoffrey Lean is a specialist environment correspondent and author

Can there be a better example of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory? In a disclosure that threatens to go relatively unnoticed, it emerges that at the last minute, vital steps to protect Europeans from toxic chemicals have fallen foul of the growing political backlash against green measures. Continent-wide rules that would have banned the use of dangerous substances have been delayed and may now be abandoned altogether, with huge consequences for human health and the chemical industry.

As exclusively reported by the Guardian, the European Commission has dropped plans to regulate chemicals from its latest work programme after lobbying by industry and opposition from rightwing politicians. The measures – whose details had been virtually finalised ready for publication – would, among other things, have outlawed all but essential use of thousands of hazardous substances believed to cause more than a quarter of a million cancers in Europe each year.

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More than 100 species, from frogs to killer whales, contaminated with long-lasting chemicals with serious health effects

More than a hundred species of wildlife found across every continent are contaminated with highly toxic flame retardants, and the pollution is probably responsible for population declines in some species, a new analysis of published research shows.

The dangerous chemicals have been detected in everything from sea urchins to bobcats to Arctic foxes, and at alarming levels in endangered species such as red pandas, chimpanzees and killer whales.

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A Europe-based developer of biochar-based carbon removal parks sees strong demand from regional-focused buyers prepared to pay well into triple digits for its carbon credits, having sold out of its initial offering for the first two projects it has operating so far.

A Germany-based startup company has raised €1.7 million in early stage funding, hoping to capitalise on a growing list of voluntary and mandatory requirements for corporates to address biodiversity loss and impact.

The UAE hosts of the upcoming UN climate summit have signalled a desire to secure more so-called Just Energy Transition Partnerships (JETPs) at the Dubai event, also outlining in writing several of the previously-stated core aims for the event, such as renewable energy expansion, the phasing down of unabated coal power, and the importance of scaling carbon markets.

European carbon prices were little changed at midday after moving in a relatively narrow range during the morning, with sources expressing surprise that levels had not declined further after position data showed investment funds had more than halved their net short position last week.

Forest fires leave Manaus with second worst air quality in the world, while low river levels cut off communities

A withering drought has turned the Amazonian capital of Manaus into a climate dystopia with the second worst air quality in the world and rivers at the lowest levels in 121 years.

The city of 1 million people, which is surrounded by a forest of trees, normally basks under blue skies. Tourists take pleasure boats to the nearby meeting of the Negro and Amazon (known locally as the Solimões) rivers, where dolphins can often be seen enjoying what are usually the most abundant freshwater resources in the world.

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A large insurance marketplace has granted ‘in principle’ approval to a carbon insurance company to commence underwriting of carbon credit risk from Jan. 1, 2024.

Growth in China’s thermal power generation accelerated in September, though slower than the growth of total power output, which was supported by a sharp increase in hydropower production, government data showed Wednesday.

Journey Castillo’s parents say she is the youngest person to have gone to every one of the country’s national parks

A three-year-old girl has visited all 63 US national parks to complete a goal her family set only weeks after she was born.

The aptly-named Journey Castillo’s parents, Eric and Valerie Castillo, have also staked the claim that their daughter is the youngest person known to have gone to every one of the country’s national parks. The couple from San Antonio, Texas, has said they want to inspire other families to get outdoors together and savor the sights and sounds that the world has to offer.

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China has released guidelines on emissions reporting requirements for several carbon intensive sectors for the 2023-25 period, seen as laying the foundation for the domestic carbon market to expand the scope of covered industries in the coming years.

Existing rules around environmental planting carbon projects can make them unsuitable to achieve biodiversity outcomes, a project developer told a conference in Canberra.