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The year 2024 was a “turning point” for integrity in the voluntary carbon market (VCM) and the prices that high-quality credits command, according to a new set of quality and pricing indices launched by a ratings agency and backed by a carbon market intelligence firm.

Concerns raised as $10bn Bezos Earth Fund halts funding for Science Based Targets initiative, which monitors companies’ decarbonisation

Jeff Bezos’s $10bn climate and biodiversity fund has halted its funding of one of the world’s most important climate certification organisations, amid broader concerns US billionaires are “bowing down to Trump” and his anti-climate action rhetoric.

The Bezos Earth Fund has stopped its support for the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), an international body that assesses if companies are decarbonising in line with the Paris agreement. Earth Fund had been one of two core funders of the SBTi, with the Ikea Foundation: the two accounted for 61% of its total funding last year. Earth Fund’s decision was first reported by the FT.

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A carbon removal developer with huge offtake support verified the first US-based afforestation (ARR) project through the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), it announced Thursday.

Even brief exposure to particulate matter found to impede selective attention and emotional recognition

A person’s ability to focus on everyday tasks is affected by short-term exposure to air pollution, a study has found.

Researchers analysed data from cognitive tests completed by 26 participants before and after they were exposed either to high levels of particulate matter (PM) using smoke from a candle, or clean air for an hour.

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The UK government has sold £236,376 in statutory biodiversity net gain (BNG) credits to developers to offset their impacts since the legislation came into force, Carbon Pulse has learned.

A carbon removal company announced the start of operations at its pilot plant in Hawaii on Thursday.

New EPA administrator Lee Zeldin’s pillars pledge to help auto industry and have no mention of the climate crisis

A new and starkly different vision for the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been outlined by the Trump administration – one that involves mass staff cuts, an influx of industry lobbyists and, unusually, the promotion of artificial intelligence as a key agency priority.

A set of five “pillars” issued by new EPA administrator Lee Zeldin to guide the agency, set up under Richard Nixon in 1970 to protect US public health and the environment, does include one referencing “clean land, air and water for every American”.

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ArcelorMittal, the world's second-largest steelmaker, expects significant growth in steel demand this year, it said in annual results Thursday, suggesting a related increase in demand for EU emission allowances to cover the carbon costs.

A European carbon removal accelerator has announced its latest funding cohort, including a Kenya-focused direct air capture developer, it said Thursday.

Bangladesh’s vast garment industry could cut costs and reduce carbon emissions, according to a team of local and German researchers.

Japan's domestic J-Credit scheme has received a boost after the voluntary programme administrator on Thursday said it has approved 19 projects c capable of generating a total of around 3.5 million carbon credits over their lifetimes.

Schemes established across the EU to help farmers adopt sustainable practices and support the bloc's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) are failing to deliver robust outcomes for nature, according to a report released this week.

A carbon mineralisation company has secured an additional $5 million in a Series A investment from a sovereign climate investor and a MENA-focused venture capital firm, bringing its total Series A funding to $42 mln.

EU monitor says global temperatures were 1.75C above preindustrial levels, extending run of unprecedented highs

A run of record-breaking global temperatures has continued, even with a La Niña weather pattern cooling the tropical Pacific.

The Copernicus Climate Change Service said last month was the warmest January on record, with surface – air temperatures 1.75C above preindustrial levels.

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Colombia-based environmental standard Cercarbono has set up an independent panel of biodiversity experts to facilitate its certification process, the company announced on Thursday.

Top players in Taiwan's semiconductor industry are tapping into the carbon removal sector, as nature-based offset projects have increasingly gained popularity on the island. 

The eligibility criteria for Phase 2 of UN's Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) are set to become more stringent for international carbon standards, a member of the Technical Advisory Body (TAB) told Carbon Pulse.

Dylan Cooper and Cory Kerewaro from Reptile Relocation Sydney have removed 102 red-bellied black snakes from a single mulch pile on a property in western Sydney. Upon arrival they had expected to remove only four red-bellies which had been seen by the owner of the Horsley Park home. But during summer it can be common for some female snakes to congregate and share the same birthing site

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Chicken used in dog treat was cultivated from single sample of cells taken from one egg, says manufacturer Meatly

A dog treat made from lab-grown meat has gone on sale at Pets at Home in a move the retailer claims is a world first.

Chick Bites are made from plant-based ingredients combined with cultivated meat, which is produced by growing cells and does not require the raising or slaughter of animals.

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Despite the promised riches from Australia's east coast gas export gambit, new report finds main result has been "perennial threats of shortages" and higher prices at home.

The post “Golden age of gas” has not paid off for Australian consumers, manufacturers appeared first on RenewEconomy.