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Internal watchdog found the agency has no approved procedures to determine how much security the administrator needed

The millions of dollars spent on a round-the-clock security detail for the scandal-laden former head of the US Environmental Protection Agency were not justified, according to the findings of an internal watchdog.

Scott Pruitt’s transition team asked for a 24/7 security team for him when he was appointed as head of the EPA by Donald Trump, even pulling agents from criminal investigations to guard him, in a move that dramatically escalated the cost for the taxpayer and broke with the protocol followed by his predecessors.

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EU carbon prices held their ground on Tuesday to consolidate above €20 after another weak auction result and yesterday's big losses.

Labor says it would use a grant agreement clause to force the return of any unspent funds

Labor has warned the Great Barrier Reef Foundation to prepare to return a $443.8m grant in the event of change of government.

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A rapidly-rising EU carbon price is helping to boost confidence that the Paris Agreement rulebook will be finalised this year, though this could mean leaving out guidance on how carbon markets will operate under the UN pact.

Rockfall a growing risk as high temperatures thaw ground at higher altitudes

France will impose a daily cap of 214 climbers on Mont Blanc next year, one of several measures taken to limit overcrowding on one of Europe’s highest peaks.

“It’s a tough decision but a very good one, because Mont Blanc is a climb unlike any other. You have to be prepared,” said Jean-Marc Peillex, mayor of Saint-Gervais-les-Bains, the Alpine town where the most popular route to the top of the mountain begins.

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French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday named Francois de Rugy as the country’s new environment minister, after the previous minster Nicolas Hulot resigned abruptly last week.

The room has been transformed in honour of pioneering palaeontologist Mary Anning.

The nation is united behind drought-hit farmers, but some query the merits of "special treatment".

Marine biologist Melissa Marquez shares a dive on the Great Barrier Reef, and tips for swimming with sharks.

European carbon will hit €30 before the end of 2019, as the current momentum could combine with structurally bullish factors ahead to lift EUA prices to record highs, analysts predict.

Most extinctions were caused by deforestation in South America, a new study of endangered birds shows

Spix’s macaw, a brilliant blue species of Brazilian parrot that starred in the children’s animation Rio, has become extinct this century, according to a new assessment of endangered birds.

The macaw is one of eight species, including the poo-uli, the Pernambuco pygmy-owl and the cryptic treehunter, that can be added to the growing list of confirmed or highly likely extinctions, according to a new statistical analysis by BirdLife International.

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The EU risks a repetition of the large-scale ETS VAT fraud that has cost governments billions of euros in tax revenue unless it extends protections beyond this year, a group of business associations said on Tuesday.

AEMO has lifted its forecasts for the uptake of electric vehicles for the second time in less than six months, and flags it could have an impact on the way we manage the grid.

The post How the EV boom will reshape the way we use electricity appeared first on RenewEconomy.

As a federal enterprise, GIZ supports the German Government in achieving its objectives in the field of international cooperation for sustainable development. For our operations in Kampala/Uganda, we are looking for an Intern at the Global Carbon Markets Programme.

New Zealand’s Productivity Commission on Tuesday released a government-commissioned report on how to shift to a low-carbon economy, backing efforts to reform the emissions trading scheme and set a price on emissions from agriculture.

Pacific Correspondent Barbara Dreaver was detained by police after she tried to interview a refugee.

Forum leaders are calling for an update of Biketawa Plus security agreement.

CWP Renewables submits plans to develop 600MW solar and storage project about 15 kilometres south-west of Goulburn.

The post CWP moves forward with 600MW solar farm in Angus Taylor’s electorate appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Exclusive: organic fresh produce and dairy are now worth a record £2.2bn a year

Supermarket sales of organic food and drink in the UK have risen by 4% this year, new figures reveal, marking seven consecutive years of growth.

Despite an exceptionally cold winter and a hot, dry summer which have played havoc with crops, organic fresh produce and dairy sales remain the main drivers fuelling growth of the overall market, now worth a record £2.2bn.

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Exclusive: Friends of the Earth says revised national planning policy makes it ‘virtually impossible’ for councils to refuse fracking schemes

The government is facing a legal challenge over its new planning policy, which campaigners say was illegally adopted because the government failed to assess its environmental impact.

The revised National Planning Policy Framework, published in July, informs local policies across England, from planning permission to town and country planning and land use. It has significant weight in development decisions, from the amount and location of built development to the way environmental impacts are assessed, and also deals with policies concerning air pollution, energy generation, water management and biodiversity.

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