Feed aggregator

Several non-profits have signed a jurisdictional REDD+ technical assistance partnership (JTAP) at COP28 to try and scale emissions reductions agreements between forest-rich governments and carbon credit buyers, actively looking to bring countries on board.

Genex lands 15-year contract for Kidston wind, paving the way for the completion of a unique trifecta of wind, solar and pumped hydro storage at the Queensland hub.

The post Genex bags another big customer to complete trifecta for unique Kidston wind, solar and storage hub appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Suppliers of building heating oil, propane, natural gas, and electricity in Massachusetts will be subject to a proposed Clean Heat Standard (CHS) as of 2026, the state's Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) outlined at a technical briefing on Thursday.

The pilot project opening in Sydney will use the best available evidence to keep vulnerable people cool on the hottest of days. Jane Currie, Professor of Nursing, Queensland University of Technology Jo River, Associate Professor, Mental Health Drug and Alcohol, UTS & Northern Sydney LHD, University of Technology Sydney Timothy English, Lecturer, School of Health Sciences, University of Sydney Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Albanese government contributes a foundational $100m to the Pacific Resilience Facility and rejoins Green Climate Fund with a $50m offering.

The post Australia mends Pacific ties with climate fund millions, but keeps coal alive appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Anna Mani, one of India's first women scientists, broke barriers to blaze a trail in meteorology.

The Dendrobium orchid is sacred to Taiwan's Tsou tribe, but it is getting harder and harder to find.

A director of emissions trading with a US-based hedging management firm has parted ways with the company, Carbon Pulse has learned.

California Carbon Allowance (CCA) prices ticked upward while Washington Carbon Allowance (WCA) values continued their descent, although both markets saw an increase in volumes throughout the week.

Azerbaijan has re-emerged as a frontrunner to host next year’s COP29 UN climate talks after Armenia on Thursday endorsed its neighbour's bid, thereby removing a key obstacle.

Justin Trudeau’s government plans to limit emissions through a national cap-and-trade system, a policy first proposed in 2021

Canada will require its fossil fuel industry to cut its emissions between 35% to 38% below 2019 levels starting in 2030, it was announced on Thursday.

The prime minister Justin Trudeau’s government plans to limit emissions from the oil and gas sector through a national cap-and-trade system which he first proposed in his 2021 election campaign, according to the policy announcement.

Continue reading...

Hydrostor signs "first of its kind" deal for its compressed air storage technology to be used as an emergency backstop to keep the lights on in Broken Hill.

The post Air storage pioneer inks first of its kind deal to keep lights on in Australia’s Silver City appeared first on RenewEconomy.

A removals buyers club has sealed its biggest-yet offtake contract, agreeing to pay $57.1 million for the supply of credits over 2024-28 from a developer of enhanced weathering solutions.

New Zealand’s new government has vowed to explore ‘blue carbon’ options for removing atmospheric CO₂ to meet net zero goals. But first we need a national strategy for this developing field of science. Rebecca J McLeod, Senior Research Fellow in Marine Ecology, University of Otago Cliff Law, Principal Scientist, National Institute for Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA), University of Otago Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Until now, planning and housing regulations have stood in the way of using tiny houses as permanent homes. That’s starting to change as councils look for solutions to the housing crisis. Hing-Wah Chau, Course Chair in Building Design & Senior Lecturer in Built Environment, Victoria University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

2023 is first year of potential pair of El Niño years and since 1997, every instance of these pairs has led to mass coral mortality

Record-breaking land and sea temperatures, driven by climate breakdown, will probably cause “unprecedented mass coral bleaching and mortality” throughout 2024, according to a pioneering coral scientist.

The impact of climate change on coral reefs has reached “uncharted territory”, said Prof Ove Hoegh-Guldberg, from the University of Queensland, Australia, leading to concerns that we could be at a “tipping point”.

Continue reading...

Effective governance of Britain’s nuclear industry is critical to saving a hazardous industry from itself

There will be many reasons why Britain’s energy secretary, Claire Coutinho, went public with her unease about “serious and concerning” allegations raised by the Guardian this week over cybersecurity, site safety and a “toxic” workplace culture in Sellafield. There was the “longstanding nature” of the matters in question, raising questions over the site’s management. Neighbouring governments have had serious concerns. The plant holds enough plutonium to potentially make thousands of atomic bombs of the size that obliterated Japan’s Nagasaki in 1945. By asking for assurances from its state-controlled owner and its regulator, Ms Coutinho emphasises that effective governance of Britain’s nuclear industry is a critical issue.

This is a sensible response to these scandals. The cabinet minister is right to publicise her concerns about a hazardous industry that can inflict catastrophic environmental damage and deaths. She has sent a helpful signal about valuing public safety over secrecy. Sellafield in Cumbria, and about 20 smaller sites, need to be monitored and protected, as the waste stored can remain radioactive for tens of thousands of years. Yet the nuclear establishment is at best opaque. Britain’s postwar development of nuclear weapons grew alongside the construction of nuclear energy reactors. The industry’s military connections have influenced its approaches to corporate governance for the worse.

Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here.

Continue reading...

A twice-weekly summary of our biodiversity news plus bite-sized updates from around the world. All articles in this edition are free to read (no subscription required).

Canada unveiled plans on Thursday for a cap-and-trade system for its oil and gas sector, with the government aiming to introduce reporting requirements from 2026 and setting out a 2030 emissions cap but giving no clear indication on when the market would launch.

A pact has been launched at COP28 to address biodiversity, climate and pollution with the goal of slowing down ship speeds globally by 25% by 2030.