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The Varroa mite is here to stay. This will have wide-ranging impacts on beekeeping and the crops that rely on honey bee pollination in Australia. Cooper Schouten, Project Manager - Bees for Sustainable Livelihoods, Southern Cross University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Macquarie's Green Investment Group has teamed with a local developer to roll out 2.4GW of new onshore wind projects in Western Australia.

The post Macquarie bets big on WA wind, with new JV and 2.4GW pipeline of projects appeared first on RenewEconomy.

We’ve wasted a lot of time delaying climate action. As the damage becomes ever clearer, it’s time to accelerate the transition. Mark Howden, Director, ANU Institute for Climate, Energy and Disaster Solutions, Australian National University Frank Jotzo, Professor, Crawford School of Public Policy and Head of Energy, Institute for Climate Energy and Disaster Solutions, Australian National University Ken Baldwin, Inaugural Director, ANU Grand Challenge, Zero-Carbon Energy for the Asia Pacific, Australian National University Kylie Catchpole, Associate Professor of Solar Engineering, Australian National University Kylie Walker, Visiting Fellow, Australian National University Lachlan Blackhall, Entrepreneurial Fellow and Head, Battery Storage and Grid Integration Program, Australian National University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Bird lovers will see a very different pattern of species in the future, scientists warn.

A look into curtailment of wind and solar on Wednesday shows Australia's new record for renewables share on the grid could have been even higher.

The post AEMO celebrates new renewables record – but it could have been even higher appeared first on RenewEconomy.

A daily summary of our news plus bite-sized updates from around the world.

Potential investors in biodiversity credits must engage effectively with Indigenous peoples or risk sub-par returns, as the wider financial sector moves towards building nature into their decision-making, according to the co-lead of a UN finance initiative.

G20 scorecard says Australia also needs to close off "major loopholes" in emissions reduction policies and stop exporting emissions via coal.

The post Call to snuff out “dead end” coal, including mine approvals, exports and subsidies appeared first on RenewEconomy.

The facility, with a total of 2,240 surface mirrors, will provide heat equivalent to 2.3GWh of gas consumption for a Belgian manufacturing plant.

The post “Europe’s largest” concentrated solar and thermal project turns up the heat appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Climate Action Tracker finds Australia at a decarbonisation "crossroads," with mixed messages on coal and renewables and going the way entirely on fossil gas.

The post “Wrong direction:” Australia called out for betting bigger on fossil gas appeared first on RenewEconomy.

More water company regulations and improvements at treatment plants needed to protect rivers, say authors

Pollution from treated and untreated sewage is the greatest threat to river biodiversity, causing more damage than runoff from farms, according to research.

There is a need for more regulation of water companies and improvements at their treatment plans to protect rivers, say the authors of the study.

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Homegrown clean and renewable electrification remains the answer for the EU's decarbonisation and security of supply, but more investment and infrastructure upgrades are urgently needed to enable a tripling in electrification rates by 2050, a according to an industry group report published on Thursday.

Futures contracts for carbon credits tagged with its Core Carbon Principles (CCP) moniker could appear soon, a member of the Integrity Council on the Voluntary Carbon Market’s (ICVCM) executive body said Wednesday, as the cross-stakeholder group has introduced working groups that could fast-track some offset categories for labelling.

Developments in EV markets and retail electricity markets deliver much hope for a rapid energy transition, and much food for thought.  

The post I’m buying an EV. The generosity of some EV charging and solar export tariffs surprised me appeared first on RenewEconomy.

After a chance discovery in the lab, this team used IVF to make hundreds of coral babies for restoration projects in New South Wales. So far the IVF babies are doing well in the wild. Meryl Larkin, PhD Candidate, Southern Cross University David Harasti, Adjunct assistant professor, Southern Cross University Kirsten Benkendorff, Professor, Southern Cross University Stephen D. A. Smith, Professor of Marine Science, National Marine Science Centre, Southern Cross University Tom R Davis, Research Scientist - Marine Climate Change, Hunter New England Local Health District Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Members of parliament and former politicians have reacted with scorn to Rishi Sunak's overhaul of the UK's net zero targets, which involved dropping several key policies and watering down others. Criticism came from across the political spectrum, with Tory MP Simon Clarke describing it as wrong and Green party co-leader Carla Denyer calling it a 'dangerous and desperate U-turn'

• UK net zero policies: what has Sunak scrapped and what do changes mean?

• Sunak’s big green gamble: the story behind the PM’s decision to U-turn

• UK politics – live updates

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Despite its importance, water management has been largely absent from the election campaign. But using trading markets to improve freshwater quality in smaller catchments deserves wider debate. Julia Talbot-Jones, Senior lecturer in Environmental Economy, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington Yigit Saglam, Senior Lecturer in Economics, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

The Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering says ministers must ‘make up for lost time’ with more ambitious policy

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Australian engineers and technology scientists have urged the Albanese government to “make up for lost time” and set itself a “monumental challenge” by setting a target to wipe out the country’s climate footprint by 2035 – 15 years earlier than currently proposed.

The Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering, representing nearly 900 leading engineers and scientists, called on the government to set a goal of reaching net zero emissions in just 12 years, arguing it could be achieved with existing mature, low-carbon technology.

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The prime minister has rolled back some net zero policies, but says he's still committed to targets.

There’s nothing long term about the prime minister diluting green policies in the hope of clinging on to power

You could sense the panic when news was leaked of Rishi Sunak’s plans to water down some of his climate change targets. Instead of a controlled speech later in the week – probably somewhere with green connections: Rish! never knowingly undersells the irony – we got a hastily arranged press conference. In the very same Downing Street media centre where No 10 staff had joked about having illegal parties during the pandemic. Call it karma. Stay calm and carry on taking the piss out of the country.

And breathe. Sunak strode into the room and stood in front of a lectern with a sign reading “long-term decisions for a brighter future” on the front. Gaslighting the country again. It’s getting to be a habit. He then opened his mouth. RishGPT can’t really help the entitled, nasal whine. But this time it came soaked in contempt. This wasn’t just patronising, it was the most cynical speech from a prime minister in years. Deep down Sunak must know that he has sold his soul for the chance of remaining in office a while longer. There was a comedy to Liz Truss. At least she believed the mad things she was saying. Plus when all’s said and done she only destroyed the economy. But Rish! doesn’t believe any of this. He can’t be that stupid and deluded. And he’s hellbent on taking down the whole planet. The dishonesty was breathtaking. He lied and he lied and he lied.

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