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A comprehensive review of research into the economic consequences of controversial water buybacks in the Murray-Darling Basin reveals many studies are of poor quality. Better standards are needed. Sarah Ann Wheeler, Professor in Water Economics, University of Adelaide Alec Zuo, Associate Professor, School of Economics and Public Policy, University of Adelaide Ying Xu, Research Fellow, School of Economics and Public Policy, University of Adelaide Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

A twice-weekly summary of our biodiversity news plus bite-sized updates from around the world. All articles in this edition are free to read (no subscription required).

Exclusive: Meal attended by Environment Agency and Ofwat chairs attacked as outrageous example of ‘regulatory capture’

Water company bosses and the chairs of the regulator Ofwat and the Environment Agency went for dinner at an exclusive private members’ club to discuss how to quell public anger over bill rises and sewage spills, the Guardian can reveal.

Campaigners have said the private meeting is an outrageous example of “regulatory capture” as Ofwat and the Environment Agency are supposed to hold water companies to account, rather than help with their public relations.

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A US-based direct air capture (DAC) technology developer has introduced a smaller version of its containerised system for removing CO2 from the atmosphere.

Right-wing politics in Germany poses a threat to nature conservation, as well as all areas of life in the country, a minister has said.

The EU’s 27 leaders managed to agree on the bloc's budget for the next four years on Thursday, with funding secured for Ukraine and migration but no fresh financing for net zero industry.

Experts expressed split views on when remote sensing technology should be deployed for monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) purposes of carbon projects, speaking during a webinar Thursday.

A US-based environmental NGO has released an introductory handbook to provide guidance on carbon credits that are developed using natural climate solutions (NCS).

Including land-based carbon removals in the EU ETS may not be a good idea, but credible industrial carbon removals should be incorporated post-2030 to deal with residual emissions from hard-to-abate industries, according to the chair of the scientific board advising the EU on climate change.

CDC Biodiversite has added an overfishing module to its Global Biodiversity Score (GBS) methodology in its first step to integrating marine biodiversity.

Regional and international disclosure frameworks should enhance cooperation to minimise the risk of "biodiversity leakage", a German Ministry of Finance official has warned.

Voluntary carbon certification body, Gold Standard, has launched a new emissions reduction methodology to credit projects that implement shore-side or offshore electricity supply for ships, adapted from a Clean Development Mechanism version, it said in a quarterly update.

A joint initiative between an American credit developer and a Chilean processing facility for ozone-depleting substances (ODS) has sent refrigerant gases to France for destruction, anticipating issuance of high-priced carbon credits in a category that could receive an expedited high-integrity stamp from the Integrity Council for Voluntary Carbon Markets (ICVCM).

The newly appointed secretary general of the International Maritime Organisation is increasingly confident that an agreement will be reached on the technical measures and pricing mechanism to implement under its GHG strategy, a press briefing heard today.

Exclusive: Investigation finds banned chemicals at levels up to 260 times higher than that deemed safe to consume

Seventeen landfills across England are known to be producing a highly toxic liquid substance containing some banned and potentially carcinogenic “forever chemicals”, in some cases at levels 260 times higher than that deemed safe for drinking water, it can be revealed.

However the government says it does not know where these landfills are.

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European farmers protested in Brussels for the third day in a row on Thursday calling for a redistribution of the budget, with climate and sustainability policy also a strong driver behind the backlash, as EU leaders headed to the city for a special economy-focused summit.

A climate disclosure platform has announced a Series C funding round worth $100 million, as it seeks to expand a tool to help corporates manage their emissions data.

Retirements of carbon credits from the four largest voluntary carbon registries topped 20 million and outstripped issuances in January, although momentum slowed from the surprisingly high level of retirements in December, data from the Carbon Pulse VCM Portal shows.

Canadian regulators have authorised the use of a feed ingredient proven to reduce cattle methane emissions by around a third, bringing Canadian farmers a step closer to being able to generate and sell carbon offsets by incorporating the additive into their practices.

European carbon prices slumped back towards key psychological and technical support levels after the weakest auction interest in ten months led to the largest discount of the year so far, while natural gas prices snapped a four-day winning streak with mild weather is set to continue.