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Exclusive: decision to grant licences condemned by critics as a stunt that shows Tories are ‘playing politics with climate’

Fossil fuel companies will be allowed to explore for oil and gas under offshore wind-power sites for the first time, the government will announce on Friday, in a move which campaigners say is further proof that ministers are abandoning the climate agenda.

The North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA), which regulates North Sea oil and gas production, will confirm that it is granting licences to about 30 companies to look for hydrocarbons on sites earmarked for future offshore windfarms.

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Executives at two carbon removals firms have called for urgent investment to ensure the nascent technology-based sector develops fast enough for corporations to meet net zero goals.

Credit quality is more dependent on the certifying carbon standard and methodology than whether it has been authorised for corresponding adjustments by a host country government under the Paris Agreement, according to speakers on a webinar.

Caledonian Climate has approximately 7,000 hectares collectively of peatland restoration projects in the pipeline with clients for 2024-25 in Scotland, many of which will probably be eligible for generating biodiversity credits, an executive has said.

California electricity sector emissions continued to fall to record lows in March, as renewables expanded their share of the state's energy supply, while natural gas again receded, data published Wednesday showed.

It is the first time a creature in the wild has been seen using a medicinal plant to treat a wound.

The high price of cleaner materials is threatening the economic viability of producing green steel in Europe, requiring far higher taxes or incentives to drive the shift from grey steel, or more imports of iron ore, according to research published on Thursday. 

A Chinese dairy giant has become the first company in the industry to release its nature-related information disclosure on risks and impacts based on the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) guidelines, the firm announced Thursday.

Shell unveiled Thursday better than-expected profits of $7.7 billion in the first quarter, and announced it would buy back $3.5 bln worth of shares over the next three months, as it sought to ward off a showdown with investors over its Scope 3 emissions.

Controversy continues to surround the Rimba Raya Biodiversity Reserve project after Verra was unable to comment on a mismatch in the project boundary and forestry licence area, which was reportedly cited by the Indonesian government as a reason for cancelling the contract of the concession holder for the giant REDD+ project.

The UK’s lead negotiator on Article 6 carbon markets negotiations has said that key aspects of the negotiations have changed in the months since parties failed to reach an agreement last December at COP28 in Dubai.

US corporations Delta Air Lines and Chevron are among the companies purchasing low percentages of carbon credits associated with stronger biodiversity scores, according to a study that relies on a new metric.

Carbon capture technologies offered by foreign companies are prohibitively expensive, however, the use of domestic technologies can help Indian companies bring down the costs of decarbonisation drastically, an official told a webinar Thursday.

Solar farms continue to face economic and network challenges. Curtailment for wind generation last year was slightly less severe.

The post The wind and solar regions hit hardest by network and economic curtailment appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Investor interest in nature has ramped up in this year’s voting season, boosted by some of the first calls for standard-aligned biodiversity disclosures, with financiers hailing a surge in awareness despite more corporate resistance.

A European climate tech investor, specialising in decarbonising agriculture, has added 300,000 hectares of farmland in western and central Ukraine to its carbon programme, which will then be certified for voluntary soil-based credits from more sustainable practices.

Neoen says five new big battery projects will help deliver more "baseload renewables" contracts, but is coy about details of latest tender win for a giant four hour battery in W.A.

The post Neoen sees more “baseload renewable” contracts as it rolls out five new big battery projects appeared first on RenewEconomy.

European carbon prices jumped sharply on Thursday morning, following a leap in natural gas prices, as speculative traders were said to be further reducing their short positions in carbon after Wednesday's Commitment of Traders data showed investment funds had trimmed their overall bearish bets for a third week in a row.

Rivers Trust is asking citizen scientists to record observations of local waterways on free app

People in Britain and Ireland are being asked to monitor their local rivers for pollution so a leading water charity can measure the scale of the sewage crisis.

The Rivers Trust is this week launching the Big River Watch, asking people to record observations of their local rivers on a free app. The results will be made available through an interactive dashboard, and will help the organisation, as well as individuals and communities who can all access the data, to take action to improve rivers.

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Compliance entities have continued to surrender large volumes of European carbon allowances in April despite the deadline moving to the end of September this year, with analysts attributing this to a case of 'old habits die hard' given the limited finanical benefit for giving up the permits in advance.