Feed aggregator

A US-based climate tech firm secured additional funds from an e-commerce company to implement nature-based carbon projects in Latin America, the companies announced Thursday.

Improved forest management (IFM) projects under California's compliance offset programme may not reduce emissions as claimed, researchers said Thursday in findings that add to a growing chorus of academic literature, though state regulator ARB pointed to potential biases in the new study. 

Soil carbon projects could prove a cheaper alternative to direct air capture (DAC) technology for CO2 removal buyers, according to developers in the space, who say testing of ground storage is making older sequestration methods more reliable.

‘My patience ran out,’ said Christiana Figueres, who for years had advocated oil companies should be involved in policymaking talks

Fossil fuel companies should not be included in the Cop28 climate summit if they continue to block climate action, the UN’s former climate chief told reporters on Thursday.

“If they are going to be there only to be obstructors, and only to put spanners into the system, they should not be there,” said Christiana Figueres, who was pivotal to the delivery of the landmark Paris climate agreement in 2015.

Continue reading...

Nature positive is the new rallying cry to reverse environmental decline. But it could easily become greenwash – if we’re not careful. Martine Maron, Professor of Environmental Management, The University of Queensland Megan C Evans, Senior Lecturer, Public Sector Management, UNSW Sydney Sophus zu Ermgassen, Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Oxford Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

A Swiss foundation is raising the fee it charges fuel distributors to help source a huge amount of international carbon credits required by a change in the nation's climate law.

Incentives work in persuading people to switch to renewables, Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store said Thursday, pointing out that by 2025 there will be no new sales of fossil fuel-powered cars in the country.

They live on flood-plains contaminated by potentially harmful levels of toxic waste, research reveals.

Biodiversity credits could lead to organisations making inaccurate nature-positive claims because the lack of standards makes assessing their veracity impossible, a report has found.

Continue reading...

Experienced European corporate sustainability leaders would be willing to pay as much as 82% more for high-integrity carbon credits due to an understanding of the benefits they bring over low-quality units, according to a survey published on Thursday by a carbon credit marketplace. 

A UK state visit to France aiming to cement climate collaboration between the two countries has resulted in a series of nature-based investments from retail companies, investment houses, and not-for-profits.

Companies are being offered the prospect of both meeting their emissions reduction obligations and receiving a financial return by investing in the first company to receive the London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG)’s voluntary carbon market designation, according to the co-founder of the exchange company's first listed natural capital and forestry fund.

The prime minister said the UK was still on course to hit net zero targets despite announcements on Wednesday that he was rolling back key policies. Rishi Sunak said the UK was adopting a more 'proportionate and pragmatic way' to reach its climate goals and that he was 'absolutely confident that we are on track to hit all our international and domestic targets'

• Rishi Sunak defies critics and presses on with net zero U-turn

• 'You're making claims that aren't true': Sunak pressed on scrapping 'meat tax' proposal – audio

• ‘Dangerous and desperate’: Westminster reacts to Sunak’s net zero U-turn – video

Continue reading...

The cost of importing steel into the EU from India and China could rise by 49% and 56% respectively when the EU’s carbon border adjustment mechanism is fully implemented by 2034, analysts estimated in a report published on Thursday.

Exchange ICE on Thursday announced plans to launch a futures contract for CORSIA-eligible carbon credits, as it steps up competition to rival bourse CME.

Exclusive: Legislation was blocked by small group of peers who tabled more than 60 amendments

Labour has urged ministers to resurrect a bill banning the import of body parts of endangered animals hunted overseas, which was blocked by a small group of peers, saying a failure to do so would leave the government complicit in the trophy hunting trade.

The hunting trophies (import prohibition) bill, a private members’ bill led by two Conservatives, Henry Smith, an MP, and Janet Fookes, a peer, has cross-party support and after passing all Commons stages appeared set to be approved by the Lords.

Continue reading...

European carbon prices were stronger at midday Thursday after a strong auction outcome triggered some buying, while energy prices were weaker after signs that the labour dispute at Chevron's Australian LNG facilities may be nearing a resolution.

Kenya’s Great Rift Valley holds strong potential for scaling up direct air capture (DAC) projects thanks to its abundant low-energy sources and geological resources for storing carbon, according to a partnership of project developers eyeing up the region for the development of large-scale DAC projects.

A 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).