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The imposition of tariffs and regulatory barriers on clean technologies may initially benefit countries wanting to protect nascent industries from competition, but they will backfire in the long run and ultimately hurt consumers, warned a senior official at UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

Refurbishing an old building is subject to full VAT, but it isn’t if you build a polluting new one. The government’s priorities are all wrong

You can damn oil companies, abuse cars, insult nimbys, kill cows, befoul art galleries. But you must never, ever criticise the worst offender of all. The construction industry is sacred to both the left and the right. It may be the world’s greatest polluter, but it is not to be criticised. It is the elephant in the global-heating room.

It’s hard not to feel as though we have a blind spot when it comes to cement, steel and concrete. A year has now passed since the UN’s environment programme stated baldly that “the building and construction sector is by far the largest emitter of greenhouse gases”. The industry accounts for “a staggering 37% of global emissions”, more than any other single source. Yet it rarely gets the same attention as oil or car companies.

Simon Jenkins is a Guardian columnist

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Dutch-headquartered bank Triodos announced on Tuesday it will invest a minimum of €500 million in nature-based solutions (NbS) by the end of 2030 as part of its biodiversity strategy.

The G20 reaffirmed a broad commitment to climate finance efforts in a communique following the conclusion of its summit in Brazil, but observers say more is needed from the world’s wealthiest countries to adequately address climate change globally. 

Thousands of projects have already applied to transition to the new Paris Agreement carbon crediting mechanism and hundreds of proponents have signalled interest in developing new activities, and with interim UN registry infrastructure to be ready in a few weeks, the first issuances can be processed in early 2025, according to experts.

Australia’s Clean Energy Regulator has launched a consultation process for a new carbon offset project auditing mechanism, including the option to ease auditing requirements for small projects.

The Norwegian government is signing agreements with four developing countries in Baku through a new Article 6 financing initiative in support of the Nordic country’s national and UN climate targets.

Proposed inheritance tax changes targeted by body for agricultural industry in England and Wales

• Farmers protest in Whitehall – live updates

The head of the farmers’ union has accused UK ministers of betraying the agricultural industry with changes to inheritance tax before a protest in Westminster.

Tom Bradshaw, the president of the NFU, told Sky News that the environment secretary, Steve Reed, promised a year ago that a future Labour government would not change the relief on inheritance tax for farmers.

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G20 communique in Rio contains key lines on climate confirming world set to transition away from fossil fuels

In keeping with previous Cop summits in authoritarian countries, authorities in Azerbaijan appear to have made some limited allowances for civil society interventions during the conference.

Here are some pictures of the activism taking place so far on Tuesday at Cop29.

Brazil has shown leadership during its G20 presidency and this signal could pave the way for unlocking a transformative finance deal at COP29, one that should mobilize at least a trillion dollars per year for climate action. This will be a drop in the ocean compared to what governments are already paying and people are already suffering around the world due to climate catastrophes. However, this funding must come in the form of grants and public money, not private finance. Private finance in its very nature is about making profits, before meeting genuine human needs.

While the joint declaration produced by the G20 on Monday shows some early positive signals–addressing key issues such as the ongoing wars in Gaza and Ukraine, a global alliance against hunger and poverty, and discussions on a wealth tax–it remains too broad and lacks specifics. The urgency of the climate crisis demands stronger and more immediate action.

We expect G20 leaders to take the lead on advancing NDCs and mobilising climate finance to send a strong signal to the negotiations taking place here in Baku. Without concrete actions to back these commitments, the gap between ambition and reality will continue to grow, leaving millions of people increasingly vulnerable.

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Albanese government denies media reports it is signing up to collaboration to share advanced nuclear technology

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The UK government has conceded that Australia was mistakenly included on a list of countries that were expected to sign up to a US-UK civil nuclear deal.

The Albanese government flatly denied media reports on Tuesday that it would join the UK and the US in a collaboration to share advanced nuclear technology. The UK and the US announcement said they would speed up work on “cutting-edge nuclear technology”, including small modular reactors, after inking a deal at the Cop29 UN climate summit in the Azerbaijani capital of Baku.

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It is Day 9 at COP29 in Baku - Food Day. As we go deeper into week two, with a matter of days to conclude minister-level talks, a new text is expected on Article 6, and things are turning around on other work streams, including the ambiguous Mitigation Work Programme (MWP). The UK and Brazil have also been tasked with making sure we get over the line in Baku.

Singapore and Zambia Tuesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to collaborate on carbon credits aligned with Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.

Oil and gas major Santos has set a target to build and operate a commercial carbon storage business that would permanently store around 14 million tonnes of third-party CO2 per year by 2040.

Experts say mix of taxes with development bank and private funding can provide $1tn a year needed by 2030

Raising money needed to tackle the climate crisis need not be a burden on overstretched government budgets, leading economists have said.

The sums needed – approximately $1tn a year by 2030 – are achievable without disruption to the global economy, and would help to generate greener economic growth for the future.

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Despite large poultry units being a key driver of river pollution, their number has soared near the Wye and Severn

• ‘The sores on the fish are nasty’: what’s behind the changes in the Severn river?

More than 51 million chickens are being industrially farmed in the river valleys of the Severn and Wye – the equivalent of 79 chickens for every person in the region, according to new figures.

The exponential rise in large intensive poultry units (IPUs) in the valleys is a key driver of river pollution. Chicken dropping contains more phosphates – which starve fish and river plants of oxygen – than any other animal manure.

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Why can’t you keep a wombat or koala as a pet rather than a cat or dog? There are good reasons why keeping native animals as pets isn’t as easy as it seems Meg Edwards, Lecturer in Wildlife Science, University of Southern Queensland Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

The world’s largest onshore wind turbine, a 15MW behemoth capable of powering 160,000 households with blades nearly the length of the MCG, has been powered up.

The post World’s largest onshore wind turbine powers up for first time appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Small island states must continue to be protected by special circumstances and need access to sufficient climate-based finance, Palau’s president writes

A week into Cop29 negotiations, we’re not moving fast enough – or anywhere for that matter – on some key issues.

Climate finance, or more specifically the new collective quantified goal (NCQG) to replace the current $100bn a year goal, and the work to operationalise the loss and damage fund, are key expected outcomes here in Baku.

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EnergyCo, the authority charged with the rollout of the NSW government's renewable energy zones and its infrastructure, is seeking a new CEO.

The post EnergyCo seeks new CEO after James Hay decides on shift to government appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Queensland Investment Corporation joins a Big Four bank and federal green bank in latest fundraising round for Australia's largest dedicated climate technology fund.

The post Queensland government joins cornerstone investors in backing of major climate tech fund appeared first on RenewEconomy.