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Exclusive: Efforts to eradicate American mink help boost population of river-residing mammal in 11 areas of country

Water voles continue to decline in their distribution across Britain but there are signs of recovery in some regions, with populations bouncing back in 11 key areas, according to a report.

The river-residing mammal, which inspired Ratty in the Wind in the Willows, has revived in number in parts of Yorkshire, Oxfordshire, Hertfordshire and East Anglia thanks to targeted conservation work.

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The Global Environment Facility (GEF) Council has approved nearly $700 million in financing to support developing countries in enhancing chemicals and waste management and protecting biodiversity.

The first hydrogen production contracts have been signed under the UK's Hydrogen Allocation Round 1 (HAR1), the Low Carbon Contracts Company (LCCC) has announced.

A startup developing technology for sustainable microalgae production with a carbon-negative footprint has secured €5 million in a funding round.

Temperatures expected to reach about 10C in Copenhagen and highs of 5-6C in Oslo, Stockholm and Helsinki

Nordic countries are often associated with cold, snowy winters and temperatures well below zero celsius. However, this year unseasonably mild weather is forecast to move in across Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland over the Christmas period, with temperatures well above the seasonal average.

A particularly mild air mass is expected to arrive on Christmas Day, with temperatures widely rising above 0C (32F). Oslo, Stockholm and Helsinki will probably have highs of 5-6C on Christmas Day, with a high of about 10C in Copenhagen. These temperatures would be 4-5C above the seasonal average, but the highest anomalies will be found further north across Finland, where temperatures in Rovaniemi – the capital of Lapland – will be up to 8C above average with an expected high of 2C on 25 December.

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The European Commission’s upcoming ‘Competitiveness Compass’, due in January, will pave the way for streamlining corporate sustainability reporting obligations in Europe by putting it all “in one place”, EU officials have indicated.

Australian carbon prices have softened in recent days as the market enters into its Christmas lull.

Transmission remains the fundamental building block to decarbonising the grid. But the LNP is making it difficult to do on time and within costs.

The post Build it and they will come: Transmission is key, but LNP make it harder and costlier appeared first on RenewEconomy.

The managing director of Australia’s largest soil carbon project developer has become chair, with the company’s general manager stepping into fill his place.

The election of US President Donald Trump means Australia’s Climate Change Authority (CCA) will delay its advice on the country’s 2035 climate target in order to conduct further analysis, according to local media.

Snowy blames bad weather for yet more delays to controversial Hunter gas project, now expected to cost more than three times its original estimate.

The post Snowy Hunter gas project hit by more delays and blowouts, with total cost now more than $2 billion appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Here’s everything you need to know about this iconic animal, including why they need antlers, why they really can have red noses and how their eyes change colour! Julie Old, Associate Professor, Biology, Zoology, Animal Science, Western Sydney University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

A Peruvian offset developer on Friday appealed a case involving one the world’s biggest historical issuers of REDD-based carbon credits, after a judge ruled against the project's backers, including several government agencies, and ordered the nullification of some forest concessions.

An Oslo court has ruled that Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA was not obligated to fulfil its obligations under the EU ETS for 2020 during its reconstruction process, and that a NOK 400 million (€33.8 mln) penalty imposed on the carrier by the country's Environment Agency was unlawful.

For the past decade, the Barcelona-based visual artist Xavi Bou has devoted his work to revealing “the hidden beauty of natural movement”. His initial focus was birds; now he’s moved on to insects. In collaboration with US entomologist Adrian Smith he’s created an eye-popping series that captures – by merging multiple frames into a single image – the rhythmic flutterings of butterflies and chaotic leaps of spittlebugs and treehoppers. As well as their beauty, Bou was struck by the crucial role that insects play in ecosystems, even as their numbers plummet – it’s estimated that the biomass of flying insect species has decreased by 75% over the past 27 years. “We need to move beyond seeing insects as mere nuisances,” says Bou. “They are fascinating, essential creatures, and we owe them a great deal.”

• See more of Xavi Bou’s images here

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Ministers set out plans for outlawing neonicotinoids but considering application by farmers to use Cruiser SB

Bee-killing pesticides are to be banned by the UK government, as ministers set out plans to outlaw the use of neonicotinoids.

However, the highly toxic neonicotinoid Cruiser SB could be allowed for use next year, as ministers are considering applications from the National Farmers’ Union and British Sugar.

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Producers and managed money narrowed their California Carbon Allowance (CCA) and RGGI Allowance (RGA) net V25 length, even as the groups continued to build their open interest (OI) in the vintage year across both markets, data released Friday from the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) showed.

Dairy industry members were dissatisfied with Washington’s proposed revision to its Clean Fuel Standard (WCFS), arguing that the regulator’s considerations for biomethane fell short of incentivising investment. 

Planned legal changes will see three neonicotinoid pesticides completely banned from any future use.

The New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) released Thursday a discussion draft of its future Clean Transportation Fuel Standard (CTFS), inviting public comments until mid-January.