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If we fail to balance the social impacts of climate change with responsible climate action, we risk substituting one kind of harm for another – and this would be a disaster of another kind. Nick Bainton, Associate Professor, The University of Queensland Deanna Kemp, Professor and Director, Centre for Social Responsibility in Mining, The University of Queensland Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Ever paused over the recycling bin, wondering whether to add a pizza box? You could be a wishcycler.

On the Greek island of Evia last summer an intense conflagration took almost two weeks to control.

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

Global carbon emissions are set to get back close to the levels they were at before Covid.

Andrew Forrest continues spree of green energy deal-making, with massive renewable hydrogen hubs proposed for Jordan and Argentina.

The post Forrest’s relentless pursuit of green hydrogen deals extends to Jordan and Argentina appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Big coal users like Poland and Canada vow to phase it out, but key players China and India have not.

The BBC’s Roger Harrabin takes a look at the tech behind hydrogen energy and its green potential.

Australia’s policy at Cop26 is weak and unacceptable. It doesn’t give me any sense of hope

• Your Cop26 jargon buster
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I am 15 years old, and like so many young people across the world, I came to climate activism through protest. I don’t know exactly how to write a policy; what exact words or grammar should be used. I am not a scientist. I am a year 9 student. But through joining the School Strike for Climate (SS4C) movement, I have learned the basic science and policies, and I am doing my best to make a change in this world.

Earlier this year, I took to the streets of Milan to strike with Greta Thunberg, demanding climate justice. We were together at Youth4Climate, an event held in Milan preceding Cop26, the UN Climate Change Conference, that brought 400 young people from 200 countries together to draft a paper and present it to ministers from around the world.

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Almost every day for 40 years, expert diver Jim Abernethy has been swimming with sharks in the Bahamas.

Most concerning is the long-term upward trends of CO₂ emissions form burning fossil fuels, which are far from trending towards net-zero by 2050. Pep Canadell, Chief research scientist, Climate Science Centre, CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere; and Executive Director, Global Carbon Project, CSIRO Corinne Le Quéré, Royal Society Research Professor of Climate Change Science, University of East Anglia Glen Peters, Research Director, Center for International Climate and Environment Research - Oslo Pierre Friedlingstein, Chair, Mathematical Modelling of Climate, University of Exeter Robbie Andrew, Senior Researcher, Center for International Climate and Environment Research - Oslo Rob Jackson, Professor, Department of Earth System Science, and Chair of the Global Carbon Project, Stanford University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

The first ever physically-backed, exchange-traded carbon investment vehicle will launch on the London Stock Exchange on Thursday.

Fossil fuels are surging in post-pandemic recovery as scientists warn 1.5C emission limits will be reached in 11 years

Global carbon emissions are shooting back to the record level seen before the coronavirus pandemic levels, new analysis has shown. Scientists said the finding is a “reality check” for the world’s nations gathered at the Cop26 climate summit.

The emissions driving the climate crisis reached their highest ever levels in 2019, before global coronavirus lockdowns saw them fall by 5.4%. However, fossil fuel burning has surged faster than expected in 2021, the international research team said, in stark contrast to the rapid cuts needed to tackle global heating.

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Global greenhouse gas emissions will surge past pre-Covid levels, as the world returns to old practice, despite calls for a "green recovery".

The post Global emissions to surge past pre-Covid, as world fails to grasp ‘green recovery’ appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Large scale solar developers in Australia are starting to explore new, larger, module sizes in their installations. There are now many large modules on the market. But is bigger always better? A large scale PV power plant not only delivers consistent green energy, but is also a significant financial investment over 25 years. Long term […]

The post Is bigger always better when it comes to solar modules? appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Critics say pledge to end use of dirtiest fuel source in 2030s and 40s does not go far enough

More than 40 countries have agreed to phase out their use of coal-fired power, the dirtiest fuel source, in a boost to UK hopes of a deal to “keep 1.5C alive”, from the Cop26 climate summit.

Major coal-using countries, including Canada, Poland, Ukraine and Vietnam, will phase out their use of coal for electricity generation, with the bigger economies doing so in the 2030s, and smaller economies doing so in the 2040s.

More than 20 governments and financial institutions, including the UK, US and Denmark, agreed to phase out overseas finance for all fossil fuels.

Research showed that the world could be on track to limit global heating to 1.9C, if commitments from India and other countries on greenhouse gas emissions are fulfilled.

Data seen by the Guardian revealed fossil fuel companies were using the energy charter treaty to sue governments for the losses they incur from national commitments to decarbonise.

Ireland was told it would need to cull 1.3m animals to meet climate targets.

The UK chancellor, Rishi Sunak, told the Cop26 conference London would become a global hub for net zero investment.

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UN climate envoy Mark Carney insisted carbon credits could play a role in corporate climate action on Wednesday, despite protestors disrupting a COP side event seeking to establish credible offsetting practices and denouncing commitments set out by a coalition of hundreds of banks.

Transmission company Transgrid names former AGL boss Brett Redman as new CEO.

The post Redman to head Transgrid as it chases renewable energy future appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Greta Thunberg pledges to offset swear words, investors pledge $175 trillion to decarbonisation, and new targets may keep 2 degrees within reach.

The post Glasgow Brief: Greta pledges net zero swearing, as new targets keep 2 degrees within reach appeared first on RenewEconomy.

More than 100 nations have pledged to end deforestation by 2030. But there’s no mention of the need for Indigenous people to give their prior informed consent. Robert Hales, Director Centre for Sustainable Enterprise, Griffith University Rowan Foley, CEO of Aboriginal Carbon Foundation, Indigenous Knowledge Tim Cadman, Research Fellow with the Law Futures Centre and the Institute for Ethics, Governance and Law, Griffith University Toni Hay, Expert in Indigenous climate adaptation, Indigenous Knowledge Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.