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Scientists say extreme weather events are getting worse as emissions rise and the planet warms

• ‘Uneasy about the heatwave’: readers on a year of climate anxiety

The UN’s recent alert that the world has at most 12 years to prevent climate catastrophe was a landmark moment. Never before has the threat of irreversible damage been so close.

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Around the world, species hunters unearth 128 vascular plants and 44 species of fungi, many already facing extinction

A spectacular orchid sold from a barrow in a Laos market, a flower which may contain cancer-fighting chemicals, and a tall tree found beside an African highway, are among more than 100 plants that were newly discovered by science in 2018. But experts warn it is a “race against time” to discover many new species before they become extinct.

Species hunters scouring the globe for the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and its partners, this year found about 128 vascular plants and 44 species of fungi.

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Wildlife groups say delay has allowed some farmers to systematically cull the animals

• Letter: Scotland must commit to helping beavers make a comeback

Wildlife experts have said wild beavers in Scotland are being trapped and shot because ministers have broken promises to make them a protected species.

A group of 17 prominent ecologists and conservation bodies have signed a letter to the Guardian urging the Scottish government to honour its pledge two years ago to legislate to protect more than 400 wild beavers in the southern Highlands and Tayside.

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The Clean Energy Finance Corporation has committed to carbon neutrality

Greens call out federal Coalition's "dodgy accounting" efforts to minimise emissions targets, as government says heatwaves and droughts will reduce abatement because it is killing crops.

The post Greens accuse Coalition of “cooking books” – and planet – on emissions appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Emissions projections report shows Scott Morrison’s claims Australia will meet obligations under Paris agreement are incorrect

Australia will miss its 2030 emissions reduction targets, despite Scott Morrison’s claim the country is on track to meet its obligations “in a canter”, new government projections show.

The government published its 2018 emissions projections report on Friday, just before Christmas, in its now customary style of releasing greenhouse data just before a public holiday.

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The post Season’s greetings from RenewEconomy – see you in 2019! appeared first on RenewEconomy.

The ACT Government continues to be recognised internationally for its leadership on zero emissions transport, committing to the Driving Change Together – Katowice Partnership for Electro-mobility declaration, which was launched at the COP24 United Nations climate change summit in Poland last week.

The post ACT joins global partnership to drive change for e-mobility appeared first on RenewEconomy.

There are some simple, cheap and equitable solutions to some of the concerns raised about cross-subsidies to and from rooftop solar.

The post Cross about subsidies: The equity implications of rooftop solar in Australia appeared first on RenewEconomy.

The performance of the Tesla big battery helped redefine the debate around the clean energy transition in Australia last year. But it wasn't the only big thing that happened.

The post Six developments that changed the world of energy in 2018 appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Australia on Friday released its annual emissions forecast to 2030, adjusting downwards expected GHG output over the next decade but still expecting to miss its Paris target by up to 760 million tonnes of CO2e over the 2020s.

Plants have been on the planet for hundreds of millions of years – but we’re still discovering new ones.

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

Tesla activated its "storm watch" mode for household batteries ahead of last week's cyclone in north Queensland - the first time it has done so outside the US.

The post Tesla activates Tesla Powerwall “storm watch” in Queensland – first time outside US appeared first on RenewEconomy.

What sort of policy do we need to take Australia's electricity grid into 2019 and beyond? Some of the nation's leading energy innovators tell us what's on their list.

The post All we want for Christmas: Four “disruptors” share their 2019 energy policy wishes appeared first on RenewEconomy.

British Columbia is not ruling out a tradable component or the use of offsets in its carbon intensity benchmark programme for heavy industry, the province’s environment minister told Carbon Pulse.

If Labor's one million battery target is achieved, what would that look like for the grid, and for consumers?

The post One million batteries may not work the way you think they will appeared first on RenewEconomy.

We talk to Electric Vehicle Council boss Behyad Jafari about the year just gone and what to expect in 2019.

The post The Driven Podcast: Why 2019 be the year that EV market finally takes off appeared first on RenewEconomy.

The emissions projections provide detail on emissions trends, including sector specific analysis of factors driving emissions. The projections also track progress against Australia’s emissions reduction targets.

Carbon prices on both North American coasts rose this week as New Jersey released its proposed cap for its re-entry into the RGGI market, while California Carbon Allowances (CCAs) nudged toward next year’s floor price.