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US states should revise their industrial decarbonisation strategies, according to a new report, which recommended steps they can take to reduce their reliance on federal funding that faces an uncertain future and tailor their financial, technical, and policy approaches.

Voluntary carbon market (VCM) credits on average are yielding a 40% price premium for each step up in their rankings, a ratings agency expert told conference attendees on Tuesday.

UN-backed research has found emissions of the potent greenhouse gas methane coming from Glencore's Hail Creek coalmine are probably between three and eight times higher than officially reported. Two aircraft with different types of monitoring equipment and flying at different altitudes looked for plumes of methane coming from the coalmine in Queensland's Bowen Basin – a site highlighted in a previous study as a major emitter. Glencore has challenged the results, saying in a statement it had 'significant doubts' about the research, claiming it used 'out of date' data

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• Methane emissions from Queensland mine may be gross underestimates, UN research finds

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Savvy investors are watching the RGGI market very closely as offsets are becoming more feasible, while investment opportunities continue to grow globally, analytics company cCarbon said at the North American Carbon World (NACW) conference on Tuesday.

After shelving plans to reform Australia’s nature laws, the prime minister wants to walk back existing protections with new legislation introduced this week. Phillipa C. McCormack, Future Making Fellow, Environment Institute, University of Adelaide Justine Bell-James, Professor, TC Beirne School of Law, The University of Queensland Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Politicians claim we need to dig up more gas to run a clean power grid. It ain't true.

The post Election Watch: The grid doesn’t need more gas to go clean; beer drinkers to pay more tax than gas appeared first on RenewEconomy.

A federal judge has denied a request from the US Forest Service to partially dismiss a lawsuit alleging it failed to assess the effects of its logging projects on carbon storage and emissions.

Canada should overhaul its federal environmental strategy in response to recent US climate policy reversals, said a report, which recommended weakening emissions targets, reforming multilateral climate institutions, and legal protections against climate litigation.

Humans, AI and robots will compete for the same energy resources and now is the time to rethink energy allocation itself. We need a tiered system to protect the humans.

The post Can we power both humanity and machines with cheap renewables? appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Exchange operator ICE announced last week it had agreed to a $100,000 penalty with a US investment firm for the alleged execution of a prohibited wash trade in California Carbon Allowances (CCAs).

California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) credit prices may still approach $100 this year, but this likelihood hinges upon when programme changes take effect, a conference heard on Tuesday.

Several new wind projects have had their turbine sizes scaled back after community feedback. But why do they have to be so big in the first place?

The post Explainer: Why are wind turbines so big – and could smaller be better? appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Data collected by two planes suggests large open-cut coalmine in Bowen Basin is releasing methane at higher rates than official estimates

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Emissions of the potent greenhouse gas methane at a Queensland coalmine were likely between three and eight times higher than officially reported, according to UN-backed research that flew aircraft over the site.

Queensland’s open-cut coalmines are known to be a major source of methane and experts are worried that official figures could be a gross underestimation of actual emissions.

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Former UK-based staff of an international proprietary trading firm have joined forces with a US-based energy markets veteran to launch a new trading and risk management company.

New laws currently under debate in the legislature could cause uncertainty in ownership rights to carbon in Mexican wetlands voluntary carbon (VCM) projects, a legal expert told conference attendees on Tuesday.

New powers mean regulator can ban payouts under criteria of Ofwat’s choosing

Bonuses for water bosses in England could be banned this year for companies that spill sewage, break the law or mismanage their finances, Ofwat has announced.

The regulator has launched a consultation into draft criteria under which it would ban bonuses being paid to chief executives. Sources at Ofwat told the Guardian they are near-certain to ban some water CEO bonuses this year.

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Duonychus is one of the few species of theropod dinosaur that evolved two-fingered hands.

Global heating could exceed previous estimates as carbon cycle feedback loops intensify, according to a study published over the weekend.

Strengthening NDCs under the Paris Agreement could add 0.23% to global GDP by 2040 when compared to current policies, with even greater long-term benefits from avoided climate damages, according to unpublished research seen by Carbon Pulse.

A large carbon removal (CDR) buyers club has inked a deal worth $33 million to remove 78,707 tonnes of CO₂ between 2027 and 2030, it announced Tuesday.