Feed aggregator

‘We cannot negotiate with nature’ says Denmark’s climate minister as talks to phase out fossil fuels hang in balance

The next few days could be the world’s last chance of keeping global heating within safe limits, nations meeting for the Cop28 UN climate summit have been told.

With talks in Dubai now entering their final phase, the world’s governments are still far apart on the central question of whether to phase out fossil fuels.

Continue reading...

Nature is not sufficiently addressed in the draft text of COP28’s Global Stocktake, with countries needing to better integrate their national biodiversity and climate plans, WWF has said.

European carbon prices slid back below a key level on Friday after an early rally had pushed the market to its highest in three days, maintaining a close correlation with energy prices that snapped a two-day rising streak amid continued mild weather.

A €100-million fund will soon start selling voluntary credits generated from its Iberian forest carbon investments.

Exclusive: Figures reveal growing push by fossil fuel sector for technologies that scientists say will not stop global heating

Cop28 organisers granted attendance to at least 475 lobbyists working on carbon capture and storage (CCS), unproven technologies that climate scientists say will not curtail global heating, the Guardian can reveal.

The figure was calculated by the Centre for Environmental Law (Ciel) and shared exclusively with the Guardian, and is the first attempt to monitor the growing influence of the CCS subset of the fossil fuel industry within the UN climate talks.

Continue reading...

EU institutions agreed on new rules to boost energy performance of buildings across the bloc late on Thursday evening after months of negotiations, though NGOs criticised co-legislators for significantly weakening the European Parliament's original stance.

A Zambian energy company will issue a $54 million tranche of a green bond programme, the first from a firm in the country, by the end of the year with indirect benefits for forests.

Singapore has signed an implementation agreement on Article 6 carbon credits with Papua New Guinea, its first of the kind, although environmental groups have called for projects in PNG to be barred from proceeding due to what they argue is poorly crafted domestic carbon market legislation.

The spot price in China’s carbon market over the past week dropped to the lowest level since mid-September amid relatively low trading volume, while liquidity in the national offset market remained stable.

The Guardian asks five climate experts to explain the key differences between 1.5C and 2C

The world’s most ambitious climate target is under threat, both from physics and politics. But what would it mean for the planet and its inhabitants if humanity were to abandon the goal to limit global heating to 1.5C above preindustrial levels?

The inclusion of 1.5C (2.7F) was hailed as one of the great triumphs of the Paris climate agreement of 2015. Until then, international ambition had been limited to 2C (3.6F), much to the frustration of small island states and others on the frontline of climate disruption.

Continue reading...

Exclusive: plant from South America, also known as Gunnera, found to spread rapidly and choke native flora

With its dramatic leaves and sprawling structure, the giant rhubarb has long been a popular garden plant, gracing the grounds of stately homes and multiple National Trust properties.

But the UK government is now to enact a ban – similar to that on Japanese knotweed – on the plant, also known as Gunnera, meaning it cannot be sold or cultivated, and those who have it in their gardens must ensure it does not spread.

Continue reading...

The government of President Xiomara Castro in Honduras has unveiled an initiative renewing and strengthening its commitments to protect the biosphere of Platano River and the Moskitia forest at COP28 in Dubai.

As Canada faces pressure from civil society to swiftly implement regulations, questions remain regarding how its new oil and gas emissions cap policy will reduce emissions while also achieving its stated purpose of enabling enhanced production of the fossil fuels.

A renewable energy subsidiary of an Abu Dhabi-based asset management firm has launched a project in Brazil to produce large volumes of biofuel from a native plant species in the country, which will have substantial potential for generating carbon credits, reforesting the country, and job creation.

Vietnam seeks to learn from international experiences to construct the legal framework for a domestic carbon exchange, as the country is set to launch the marketplace in the second half of this decade.

A science vessel currently docked in Dubai is being called upon by governments around the world to help better understand the carbon and biodiversity stores of their coastal waters.

Delegates return after rest day with children, education and food on the agenda

Canada has been asked by the Cop28 president, Sultan Al Jaber, to help develop language on the potential phase down or phase out of fossil fuels, its environment minister told reporters on Friday morning.

Steven Guilbeault, a former activist who is environment minister for the fourth largest oil and gas producer in the world, announced that Canada would require its fossil fuel industry to cut its emissions between 35% to 38% below 2019 levels starting in 2030 on Thursday.

Continue reading...

In a statement released Friday at COP28 in Dubai, Bolivia called for the ceasing of all market functions under the market-based Article 6.4 mechanism, which it sees as crowding out progress on non-market option Article 6.8.

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

Continue reading...

Voluntary carbon standard Verra will announce on Saturday a partnership with a high-level advisory body to produce research on how best to develop its approach, and share the information with stakeholders as early as the second quarter of next year.