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July was the hottest month on record – and took us past 1.5 degrees. But one month isn’t the same as failing to meet our Paris Agreement goals Ailie Gallant, Senior Lecturer, School of Earth, Atmosphere and Environment, Monash University Kimberley Reid, Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Atmospheric Sciences, Monash University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Germany's Notus Energy signs declaration of intent to develop an up to 1,000MW wind farm in the exclusion zone around Ukraine's failed Chernobyl power plant.

The post Ukraine plans up to 1GW wind farm in Chernobyl nuclear disaster zone appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Price of battery cells plunges in August, taking it close to the "tipping point" where the cost of building battery-powered EVs can match that of internal combustion engine cars.

The post Battery cell prices plunge in August, close to tipping point for the end of ICE vehicles appeared first on RenewEconomy.

New modelling shows NSW's more than 54,000 social and affordable housing properties could host up to 650MW of rooftop solar and slash occupants' bills.

The post NSW social housing could host 650MW of rooftop solar, save occupants $129m a year appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Tesla has applied for new licences with market operator and regulator in a landmark move for the grid, and for efforts to "orchestrate" consumer energy resources as coal plants close.

The post Tesla gets ready to take on Australia energy utilities in landmark move for the grid appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Clean Air Task Force calls for overhaul of action plans with many countries, including Germany and France, missing drafts deadline

European countries must bridge the vast “planning gap” between their climate targets and action plans, according to a report.

The national energy and climate plans (NECPs) that EU member states made in 2019 are outdated, lack key details and do not line up with long-term strategies, according to analysis from the environmental nonprofit organisation Clean Air Task Force. Only half of the states have submitted a fresh proposal two months after an EU deadline for draft plans passed in June.

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Species such as mackerel and North Sea cod have been overfished or have reached critically low populations

Half of Britain’s 10 largest fish populations are in a “deeply troubling state”, having been either overfished or depleted to a critically low size, according to a new report. The situation is being driven by the UK government setting catch limits at levels that exceed scientific advice, said Oceana, a Washington DC-based NGO.

The UK’s fishing industry relies heavily on 10 key stocks. Five are either being overfished, including mackerel, which accounted for the largest volume of landings in the UK in 2021, or have reached critically low populations, such as North Sea cod. Many cod species are in crisis, pushing the popular fish close to population collapse.

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New modelling shows China will this year pass the 500GW mark for total installed solar capacity – and then double that milestone by the end of 2026.

The post China solar juggernaut hurtles towards 1,000GW of installed capacity by 2026 appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Campaigners say Britain becoming ‘toxic poster child of Europe’ and accuse ministers of breaking Brexit promise on standards

The UK has failed to ban 36 pesticides that are not allowed for use in the EU, as campaigners say it is becoming the “toxic poster child of Europe”.

Though ministers promised the UK would not water down EU-derived environmental standards after Brexit, there have been multiple instances of divergence since the country left the bloc.

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Australia Post’s release of new bird stamps reflects the country’s changing urban landscapes and highlights little-known habitat loss

• This year’s Guardian/BirdLife Australia bird of the year poll runs from 25 September to 6 October. Nominate your favourite for the shortlist
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Australia Post has released a series of stamps to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Aussie Bird Count and the birds they have chosen may surprise you.

Unless of course, you are one of the more than 100,000 Australians who have taken part in what has become the country’s biggest citizen science project. You would know that when BirdLife Australia release the results of all the surveys that they participated in, the species that feature – rainbow lorikeet, noisy miner and Australian magpie – have been the three most common birds in every year of the Aussie Bird Count so far.

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The federal government has been challenged to provide $100 billion over the next ten years to boost the renewables sector. But will policymakers respond to the challenge? Elizabeth Thurbon, Professor in International Relations / International Political Economy, UNSW Sydney Alexander M. Hynd, PhD candidate, UNSW Sydney Hao Tan, Associate Professor, Newcastle Business School, University of Newcastle Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

The Washington state and Canadian governments are working to soon publish data regarding credit prices and generation data for their low-carbon fuel standard (LCFS) programmes, a conference heard Tuesday.

Researchers have uncovered vital data that underlines the crucial role of soil moisture conditions in determining the size and distribution of carbon stocks within boreal forests, which are home to a third of the world’s terrestrial carbon pool.

A study shows 60 environmental activists were killed in Colombia in 2022 out of 177 murdered worldwide.

Colombia was the deadliest country and a fifth of the 177 recorded killings took place in the Amazon rainforest, says Global Witness

At least 177 people were killed last year for defending the environment, according to new figures, with a fifth of killings taking place in the Amazon rainforest.

Murdered by organised crime groups and land invaders, environmental defenders were killed at a rate of one every other day in 2022, figures from the NGO Global Witness show. Colombia was the most deadly country, recording 60 murders.

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An official from California regulator ARB alluded on Tuesday to more stringent carbon intensity (CI) targets in its upcoming proposal for the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) rulemaking package and forecasted the role of biomethane and credit pricing amidst the agency’s timeline for decision making.

Brazilian senators over the past week proposed eight amendments to Brazil's emissions trading system legislation to integrate the voluntary carbon market (VCM) and set offset usage limits, give credits to firms for transitioning to renewable energy sources, and narrow down the list of regulated sectors.

Party announces it will vote against Conservative bid to scrap river nutrient neutrality rules for housebuilders

Labour is set to oppose plans to rip up EU laws prohibiting housebuilders from polluting England’s most sensitive rivers.

Angela Rayner and Steve Reed, the new shadow levelling up and environment secretaries, have vowed that Labour will try to protect the EU-derived environmental legislation.

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Health professionals want NSW to follow lead of ACT and Victoria and ban new gas connections, citing multiple dangers from pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide and benzene.

The post Seven reasons why using gas appliances in homes is unhealthy appeared first on RenewEconomy.