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The best of this week’s wildlife photographs from around the world

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A frontrunner group in Indonesia’s presidential election has told local media they would introduce the country’s much-delayed carbon tax, as a government official said the tax would unlikely come into effect until 2025, according to an industry source.

Populists are taking advantage of agrarian protests sparked by genuine crises – and it all feels horribly familiar

When environmental activists calling for less pollution sit in the streets, across Europe they are now abused and attacked, arrested and handed extreme and draconian sentences. When farmers contesting pollution rules block entire city centres and major roads and spray manure on government buildings, the authorities sit and wait for them to go home. Few, if any, are prosecuted, and those who are receive small penalties. The promise of equality before the law has seldom looked emptier.

The hard right and far right demonise people who challenge the status quo, and valorise those who seek to restore it. Governments and police forces across the rich world have proved all too responsive to their demands.

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Open letter says lawmakers must ‘reject fearmongering’ and allow scientists to develop crops that can withstand ‘climate emergency’

The EU must “reject the darkness of anti-science fearmongering” before a key vote on gene editing, 34 Nobel prize winners have said.

In an open letter shared with the Guardian and other European newspapers, the laureates demanded that lawmakers relax strict rules on genetic modification to embrace new techniques that target specific genes and edit their code. The technology could make crops more resistant to disease and more likely to survive extreme weather events that are growing more violent as the planet heats up.

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Scientists call for urgent intervention, as bearded pig populations are devastated by the deadly virus on islands such as Borneo

Populations of wild pigs are crashing due to the spread of African swine fever (ASF), threatening the livelihoods of millions who depend on them for food, researchers warn.

With a fatality rate of almost 100%, ASF has swept across Asia, Europe and Africa, devastating domestic and wild pig populations over the past 10 to 20 years. The impacts are especially significant in Borneo, in south-east Asia, where bearded pig numbers have declined by between 90% and 100% since it arrived on the island in 2021, researchers said.

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Germany's last solar module plant – and the largest in Europe – is preparing to close, as the glut of China panels makes business unsustainable.

The post Germany’s last solar module factory threatens to close, as China’s grip distorts market appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Seven nations had their most expensive weather disaster on record in the last 12 months, and the continent of Africa suffered two of its deadliest.

The post A record 63 billion-dollars of weather disasters hit Earth in 2023 appeared first on RenewEconomy.

A Singapore-based nature-based solutions company is expanding in the Southeast Asia region, aiming to begin offering credits from its projects by next year.

Increased economic activity and the removal of the Clean Car Discount (CCR) scheme is likely to see an increased demand for NZUs, according to Salt Fund Management’s Carbon Fund, as its value continues to recover.

Less than a decade after it was built to power a remote WA copper mine, Neoen confirms it will dismantle the Degrussa solar and battery project. But what will become of the panels?

The post Neoen calls time on pioneering off-grid solar and battery project, decommissions Degrussa appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Swedish battery manufacturer secures mammoth $US5bn loan to help develop Northvolt Ett gigafactory and adjacent battery recycling plant, Revolt Ett.

The post Northvolt secures funds for first circular battery gigafactory in western world appeared first on RenewEconomy.

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

California Carbon Allowance (CCA) prices again broke all-time records this week, although on notably smaller volumes, while Washington Carbon Allowance (WCA) prices continued to decline with a dearth of market activity.

A UK-based global mining company is backing a Chilean developer presenting what it claims to be the nation's first blue carbon offset project, developed alongside a university and aquacultural innovation centre.

Clean Energy Investor Group warns solar projects in parts of NSW and Victoria face big hits to revenue, as "old issues around MLFs come back to haunt the industry."

The post Solar farms face “large, unpredictable” revenue swings as marginal loss factors strike again appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Over 100 Vermont legislators have sponsored two companion bills targeting the fossil fuel industry to compensate for their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, with the resulting revenues to be used for climate infrastructure developments in the state.

The US Department of Energy (DOE) on Wednesday confirmed signage of the $1.1 billion credit payment to extend the operation of California’s Diablo Canyon power plant in pursuit of a carbon pollution-free electricity sector by 2035.

Consistent with AEMO's own modelling, our new analysis reconfirms there is no material electricity reliability gap for NSW if Eraring closes on schedule.

The post Stick to the plan: Lights won’t go out when Eraring closes on schedule appeared first on RenewEconomy.

A US academic institution that was recently awarded Department of Energy (DOE) funding, will receive assistance from a global building materials manufacturer and a technology research firm to scale its industrial carbon capture initiative.

Over two dozen insurers and reinsurers have stated that they have no plans to offer insurance to a controversial proposed oil pipeline in East Africa, according to a coalition of environmentalist groups opposing the project.