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Development plans to pave over allotments in Isleworth rejected on grounds it would harm heritage assets

Local campaigners fighting to preserve a 1.2-hectare space in west London that is under threat from one of Britain’s oldest aristocratic families have landed a victory in a long-running saga to turn the green space into flats.

Development plans to pave over much of the Park Road allotments in Isleworth were rejected by the Planning Inspectorate on Tuesday, on the grounds that it would harm protected local open space and heritage assets – and would be detrimental to allotment provision in an area where demand outstripped supply.

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Norway has pledged to donate $50 million to Brazil's Amazon Fund to help conserve the rainforest region, its first contribution since 2019.

A twice-weekly summary of our biodiversity news plus bite-sized updates from around the world. All articles in this edition are free to read (no subscription required).

What happens underground doesn’t stay underground. If we overexploit groundwater and kill off its species, we put surface species – including us – at risk. Mattia Saccò, Lecturer in ecology, Curtin University Robert Reinecke, Professor, Earth systems modelling, Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz Stefano Mammola, Researcher in ecology and evolutionary biology, National Research Council (CNR) Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Russian petrochemical company Sibur plans to enter the global carbon credit market after registering a solar project for certification with the Qatar-based Global Carbon Council (GCC).

The UK government is commissioning the evidence it needs to take its marine net gain (MNG) proposals to the next stage, following a consultation.

The EU's largest arable farm has signed up to a soil carbon programme that now spans two million hectares across 17 European countries.

Developing countries argue they don’t lack ambition when it comes to phasing out fossil fuels – it’s all about the means

Why do some developing countries appear to be resisting a fossil fuel phase-out? The answer is fundamentally about implementation – how countries struggling to eradicate poverty and provide basic services (including energy) for their people fund the transition away from fossil fuels.

The “means of implementation” has become a sticking point at the talks, with developing countries united in demanding that developed countries honour their legally binding obligations under the Paris agreement. Developing countries that have contributed so little to the climate crisis but are suffering the worst impacts argue that a phase-out must be centred around equity, which means it must be “fast, fair, funded and forever”.

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Exclusive: analysis by Oxfam raises concerns about influence wielded by ultra-rich mega-emitters at summit

• Cop28 live – latest updates

At least a quarter of the billionaires registered as delegates at Cop28 made their fortunes from highly polluting industries such as petrochemicals, mining and beef production, a new analysis has shown.

The findings, revealed to the Guardian in an exclusive analysis of the 34 billionaires who are signed up to the UN summit, raise concerns about the influence wielded by ultra-rich, mega-emitters on the world’s efforts to tackle the climate crisis. Together the 34 are worth about $495.5bn.

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Airlines and airports face increased scrutiny – and possibly legal action – over the contradictions between their sustainability claims and the reality of their high-emissions businesses. James Higham, Professor of Tourism, Griffith University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

A new wave of jurisdictional REDD+ (J-REDD+) projects, many announced at COP28, hope to bring together the private sector and governments, by commanding higher prices for 'high-integrity' carbon credits in a pivot away from a project-based approach.

Market mechanisms under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement are not a solution to fight climate change, said an official from Sri Lanka's environment ministry, adding that developed countries must phase out their fossil fuel usage in order to resolve the crisis.

The EU formally adopted its Critical Raw Materials Act on Tuesday after a vote by MEPs, as the bloc attempts to shore up domestic production of the materials that will be needed for the transition to clean energy.

The first study to quantify what our felines eat on a global scale finds they have a significant impact on wildlife

Cats may be adored human companions, but they are also highly effective killers, according to a study that shows they eat more than 2,000 species globally – including hundreds that are of conservation concern.

Since domestication 9,000 years ago, house cats have spread to all continents except Antarctica. In the paper, published in Nature Communications, researchers describe them as “amongst the most problematic invasive species in the world”.

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Singapore’s environment minister has emphasised the importance of standards in drawing up Article 6 implementation agreements with host countries, as voluntary standards and market stakeholders try to figure out how these agreements will work on the ground, particularly in developing nations with weak governance and capacity issues.

Many accused of being too mired in fossil fuel hypocrisy, as wrangling over possible deal continues

• Cop28 live – latest updates

Rich countries have failed to show the leadership necessary to solve the climate crisis, and many are too mired in their own hypocrisy over fossil fuels to break the impasse at Cop28, climate justice advocates have told the Guardian.

Talks at the UN climate summit were deadlocked on Tuesday night, as countries fought over the wording of a potential deal on the future of fossil fuels.

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Singapore-based Abaxx Commodity Futures Exchange and Clearinghouse plans to launch two physically-settled carbon futures in January after being granted licenses by the Singaporean authorities, company representatives have revealed to Carbon Pulse.

Unilever, one of the world’s largest consumer good companies, is being investigated for greenwashing by the UK’s competition watchdog amid a crackdown on corporates making bogus climate friendly claims.

Australian Renewable Energy Agency to invest $1.64 million in EnergyLab to help the climate and cleantech accelerator support the next generation of renewable startups.

The post EnergyLab lands more funds to support next generation of renewable startups appeared first on RenewEconomy.

An Article 6.2 deal between Switzerland and Thailand that had achieved the world’s first issuance of ‘internationally transferred mitigation outcomes’ (ITMOs) may not involve additional emissions reductions, according to an NGO report this week.