Feed aggregator

An environmental law charity has filed a complaint to the French financial regulator over allegations that an asset manager’s so-called "sustainable" funds are in fact funding fossil fuels.

Colombia is hosting talks to assess global progress in protecting 30% of all land and water by 2030.

Colombia is hosting talks to assess global progress in protecting 30% of all land and water by 2030.

Net-zero efforts are currently undermined by the large array of carbon accounting systems available, a research paper has suggested.

Developing a carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) industry in the UK that can sustain itself without government support and attract CO2 imports from Europe will require de-risking the value chain and transition finance, experts said on Friday.

A carbon registry has updated its high integrity carbon standard and more closely aligned its programme with CORSIA and ICROA, it announced on Friday.

Bankers want regulators to set standards for the emerging carbon removals market, saying this is the only way to create the trust necessary to generate liquidity and unleash investments in the nascent industry.

A global non-profit has warned that the voluntary biodiversity market could be a big distraction for governments during the upcoming COP16 UN biodiversity summit, as global leaders need to prioritise public commitments to plug the financial gap on nature.

Only deep, sector-wide emissions cuts in the buildings sector can keep global warming within safe limits, a webinar hosted by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) heard on Thursday.

Japanese tech firm Panasonic will launch a programme-based project on Monday that will generate J-Credits for Japan's domestic carbon offset scheme by applying energy-efficient air conditioning in private households.

Government accused of ‘shocking’ choice to dilute protection standards in first animal welfare policy

Labour is using its first animal welfare policy since entering government to dilute standards by legalising the harmful practice of carrying chickens by their legs, charities have said.

European transport regulation 1/2005, which still applies in the UK, prohibits lifting chickens by their legs on farms and during loading and unloading, but the government is going to change the law to permit the widespread but illegal method, according to the Animal Law Foundation.

Continue reading...

Ed Miliband seems happy to see the landscape blighted. We value townscape – everywhere else has to fend for itself

Does Labour believe in beauty? The energy secretary, Ed Miliband, celebrated his arrival in office this summer by permitting three of the largest solar panel arrays in Britain. One, a Suffolk array covering nearly 2,800 acres, was described by a county councillor as “the poorest infrastructure application that I have ever dealt with”.

Now Miliband is demanding a procession of pylons filling the glorious Amber Valley in the Derbyshire uplands. Another parade of 420 pylons, each nearly as tall as Nelson’s column, will run down the east of England from Grimsby to Walpole, near King’s Lynn in Norfolk. The government also wants to allow the return of onshore wind turbines, overriding local objections.

Simon Jenkins is a Guardian columnist

Continue reading...

EU Allowance prices extended their weakness for a fourth session as the week neared its end, falling in line with weakening natural gas prices as geopolitical tensions appeared to be easing, while bearish positioned traders continued to pressure the carbon market.

Prices in China's national emissions market hit a record high over the past week, as the market continued to gain momentum amid growing compliance demand. 

The biodiversity credit space in Africa could evolve from a small-scale market to a 'nature economy superpower' if clear regulations and fair prices are implemented, as progress in monitoring and transparency are proving the continent's potential, a Swiss-headquartered non-profit said.

High blood concentrations of ‘forever chemical’ compound PFOS linked to problems falling asleep and waking up

Some of the most common types of PFAS may cause sleep disorders in young adults, new research finds, and the study’s authors for the first time identified how the chemicals probably impact the brain to cause disruptions.

The peer-reviewed University of Southern California (USC) study looked at PFAS levels in the blood of adults between 19 and 24 years old, and found those in the highest one-third slept an average of about 80 fewer minutes nightly than those in the lowest third.

Continue reading...

Exclusive: Data on number and nature of wildfires at odds with claims of landowner seeking to ban wild camping

Wild camping is not a significant fire risk on Dartmoor, data shows, despite claims by a wealthy landowner who has been trying to ban the practice.

The supreme court is deciding on a case brought by the hedge fund manager Alexander Darwall, who is seeking to remove the right to camp on Dartmoor without landowner permission.

Continue reading...

Hail swath estimated at 120 miles damages crops in western Victoria as winds break windows and rip tiles from roofs

On Wednesday, the Australian state of Victoria was hit by thunderstorms. The town of Casterton was particularly badly affected, receiving 21mm of rain in just 30 minutes, followed by large hailstones.

Vehicles and properties were severely damaged, with reports of broken windows and tiles blown off roofs due to strong winds.

Continue reading...

Biomethane could seriously help decarbonise energy and the world’s gas supply, given it is considered a low-carbon source on a net lifecycle basis, but policy, incentives, and pricing need to improve, an energy consultancy said this week.

China saw annual growth in thermal power production outpace total power output in September, while hydro posted a double-digit annual decline, according to government data released Friday.