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The Baku Cop29 talks were marked by division and self-interest, with rancorous meddling right until the end

• Fiona Harvey is an environment editor at the Guardian

When I first visited Azerbaijan this spring, one fixture of the Baku skyline was unmissable. The bright orange of flaring – the product of the oil and gas extraction that makes up 90% of Azerbaijan’s export revenues – lit up the night sky, not far from the Olympic stadium, where nearly 200 nations would gather in November for the Cop29 climate summit.

Flaring burns methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, and is a major source of carbon emissions. If all the world’s flared gas were captured instead, it could power sub-Saharan Africa. But that entails installing new equipment, so producers don’t bother.

Fiona Harvey is an environment editor at the Guardian

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A mere 12% of airlines around the world are making "noteworthy efforts" to switch from kerosene to truly sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs), while the others are either buying too little or the wrong kind of alternative, according to an NGO ranking published on Tuesday.

A German building company is on track to complete the first industrial-scale carbon capture and storage (CCS) plant for the cement industry, with the system now ready for testing.

The European Union could make adjustments to, or delay the implementation of, its ETS2 mechanism amid a shift in priorities at the heart of the EU, an analyst said on Tuesday.

Survey finds 25 percentage point gender gap across all age brackets on whether nuclear power would be positive for the country, with majority of men saying it would

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New data points to a stark gender split in attitudes towards nuclear energy, with women much more likely to say they don’t support it or think the risks are too great.

Research company DemosAu surveyed 6,000 people on behalf of the Australian Conservation Foundation and found 26% of women thought nuclear energy would be good for Australia, compared with 51% of men.

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The deal reached at COP29 to finalise Article 6 of the Paris Agreement marked a pivotal moment for the establishment of international carbon markets. Now, the challenge lies in demonstrating that capital markets can deliver results for the climate, a leading international legal expert said on Tuesday.

The European Commission will cap the number of carbon permits in the incoming trading scheme for transport and buildings at just over 1 billion in 2027, in line with a gradual reduction of emissions under existing measures.

The EU and UK should explore linking their emissions trading systems and cooperate on cross-border carbon capture and storage (CCS) under efforts to form a resilient clean tech hub on the global stage, an industry body said on Tuesday.

Exclusive: Campaigners say company’s apparent abandoning of 2030 pledge is a ‘masterclass in greenwashing’

Coca-Cola has been accused of quietly abandoning a pledge to achieve a 25% reusable packaging target by 2030 in what campaigners call a “masterclass in greenwashing”.

The company has been previously found by researchers to be among the world’s most polluting brands when it comes to plastic waste.

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A Chinese tech major on Tuesday launched the second phase of its carbon accelerator programme, calling on proposals for low-carbon innovations globally, with the purpose of providing funding and support to the tune of tens of millions of dollars.

Numbers of red and grey squirrels rising, survey finds, but more greys are present in last remaining red strongholds

Campaigners are concerned about the rising presence of grey squirrels in England’s last remaining strongholds of reds.

An annual distribution survey of about 250 sites in woodlands and gardens across northern England shows that occupancy figures for red and grey squirrels are increasing – but they are rising more steeply for greys.

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European carbon prices eased on Tuesday, despite colder weather forecasts, as they continued to track TTF natural gas, which slipped marginally lower following two bullish sessions amid expected comfortable supply fundamentals for winter.

Two workers have reportedly been rescued by helicopter from a wind turbine in Brazil after a fire broke out in the generator of the Siemens Gamesa wind turbine.

The post Two workers rescued from burning Siemens Gamesa wind turbine by helicopter appeared first on RenewEconomy.

China has seen the registration of a first voluntary project under its national offset scheme since the market relaunched earlier this year, moving one step closer to the issuance of new credits.

Fragmentation in international carbon markets is now a “reality”, and it is unlikely that there will be a single global standard for credits as countries continue to take different approaches in terms of project development, according to panelists speaking at a conference on Tuesday.

Europe's industrial slump is widely seen as the main driver behind weak demand for CO2 allowances on the EU carbon market, but some analysts suggest emitters may also be satisfied with the status quo while betting that Europe will eventually backtrack on its climate ambitions or – at the very least – adjust its policies.

Tanzania has announced a $4.5 million programme aimed at restoring 5.2 mln hectares of degraded forests as part of its commitment to the African Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative (AFR100).

A Stockholm-headquartered carbon accounting platform on Tuesday unveiled a new Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) solution and announced the appointment of a new CEO.

Japan’s largest oil company has announced a $200 million investment into Queensland’s green hydrogen ambitions, committing to build a demonstration plant near Brisbane.

The post Japanese oil giant announces $200 million green hydrogen investment in Queensland appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Fortescue suspends its validation work under the Science-Based Target Initiative while the tricky question of scope 3 emissions - created by the use of its products by its customers - is resolved.

The post Fortescue pauses Science-Based Target validation as rules around emission counts are reviewed appeared first on RenewEconomy.