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Much has changed already under Lula da Silva’s presidency, but this vast country does not receive the attention it deserves

British interest in Latin America, and its biggest country, Brazil, has been disgracefully fitful. It woke up when Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva narrowly beat Jair Bolsonaro, the disastrous tree-felling extreme rightist, last October. It even caused the BBC to lead its morning news bulletin in January, when a mob inspired by Bolsonaro and the example of the Capitol riot in the US two years ago attempted to take over the centre of Brasília.

But what is really going on in this vast country of 203 million people? How was it that Bolsonaro, an obscure congressman who had dedicated a vote to impeach President Dilma Rousseff, Lula’s leftist successor, and was a frank admirer of the dictatorship that Lula and Rousseff had struggled to overthrow, ever got elected as president in 2018?

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A Japanese climate tech firm has paired up with several financial institutions to raise 2 billion yen ($13.5 million) in order to strengthen and expand its business, it said on Tuesday.

A New Zealand study has found that a biodiversity market could be a viable, credible solution to encouraging farmers and landholders to making their business climate resilient and meeting environmental expectations, compared to traditional debt funding models.

The ACCC approval of Brookfield's bid for Origin is a landmark for Australia, given it is the first time climate change has trumped competition concerns.

The post ACCC chooses climate over competition for first time in landmark Origin ruling appeared first on RenewEconomy.

The world’s oil cartel is backing itself over other analysts and predicting higher oil demand to 2045 as the world’s population expands by 1.5 billion and fears of energy insecurity drive nations to lock in energy security.

Report on state of flora and fungi says newly discovered plants should be listed as threatened by default

More than 2m fungi species are waiting to be identified around the world in what scientists have called “a new frontier of discovery” for life on Earth, according to a new report.

But researchers also warn that the vast majority of new plant discoveries are endangered species, which should be listed as threatened with extinction by default, warning that three-quarters of undescribed species are likely to be at risk of disappearing.

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The first fully operational turbine at world's largest offshore wind farm has started sending power to the British grid.

The post “Mind boggling:” World’s largest offshore wind farm powers up, with lessons for Australia appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Companies that are active buyers in the voluntary carbon market (VCM) reduce their emissions quicker and have more ambitious climate strategies than those that are not, according to a study published Tuesday that reinforces previous research with similar findings.

Almost half the world's known flowering plants could be threatened by extinction, scientists warn.

First wind farms inaugurated in United Arab Emirates, across four locations and using special low wind speed technology, in time for COP28.

The post Masdar powers up UAE’s first wind farms, using low wind speed technology appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Plans to develop critical offshore wind port infrastructure in Victoria to handle the massive wind turbines have been submitted for environmental assessment.

The post Victoria port submits plans for Australia’s offshore wind terminal appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Osaka-based Ex-Fusion will set up a wholly owned subsidiary in SA by the end of the year, to further develop its laser technology.

The post Japan laser fusion start-up sets up base in South Australia appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Solar set a new generation share record in South Australia, and pushed operational demand and coal output to new lows in NSW. Even Tasmania celebrated a new solar milestone.

The post Solar reaches new peak of 126.7 pct of South Australia demand, NSW coal at record low appeared first on RenewEconomy.

South Australia-based Yes Group has received a $70 million boost to its plans to roll out up to 30 small solar and battery projects in regional Australia.

The post Global giants back network of small scale solar and battery projects in regional Australia appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Federal government formally opens the tender process for the $2 billion hydrogen head-start program as Australia tries to keep pace in the global green energy arms race.

The post Australia opens $2 billion tender to support massive green hydrogen projects appeared first on RenewEconomy.

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

The Australian government began accepting funding applications for its A$2 billion ($1.28 bln) Hydrogen Headstart programme Tuesday, designed to award credits to proponents for each kilogram of renewable hydrogen it produces.

This internship offers a valuable learning opportunity for someone interested in the application of emerging technologies in the design and implementation of NbS for climate change mitigation (including REDD+).

Study finds only 39% of unique species have had threats and status assessed – less than half of New Zealand’s

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More than half of Australia’s unique plants have not been assessed to determine whether they are at risk of extinction, scientists warn.

Conservation experts have gathered in London to provide a snapshot of plant heath and what countries are doing to safeguard hundreds of thousands of species.

It warns an estimated 45% of the world’s known flowering plants could be at risk of extinction as climate change and other threats mount.

The situation is even worse for 100,000 or so plant species yet to be formally named, with an estimated 75% of those at risk of vanishing.

The study analyses what individual nations are doing to protect their unique species – those found nowhere else on earth. In Australia, almost nine out of 10 plant species fit that bill.

But the nation isn’t doing what’s needed to understand if they are in trouble.

“By international standards, Australia performed very poorly in conservation assessments,” said Western Sydney University’s Rachael Gallagher, who led the global evaluation of those efforts.

Only 39% of Australia’s unique species have had their threats and conservation status assessed – less than half of what New Zealand and South Africa have managed.

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James Milward went high tech in his quest to stop the animals fouling in his Surrey garden.