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Verra's review of the Southern Cardamom REDD+ (SCRP) project that led to its suspension being lifted relied heavily on the findings and claims made by its proponent, raising questions about its independence and presenting structural issues in the standard's environmental and social requirements, according to the human rights group that investigated the activity.

Australian companies are likely to ensure their climate-related reporting is as rigorous as possible as a way to stand out from their competitors, with the new requirements to act as a tailwind for carbon and renewable energy certificate markets, an executive at a market infrastructure provider told Carbon Pulse.

Perth-based Altech Batteries switches on prototype sodium-chloride solid state battery in Germany.

The post Perth company successfully switches on solid state battery using table salt appeared first on RenewEconomy.

California regulator ARB slipped a second 15-day package late into the night Tuesday with updates to its Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) that included an additional feedstock under the contentious crop-based cap, sustainability attestation, and stretched crediting periods for some avoided biomethane projects, among other changes.

One of South Korea's biggest refiners is seeking to commercialise a new membrane technology, as it seeks to tap into the international carbon capture, utilisation, and storage (CCUS) market.

The Austrian capital has been spared the worst of recent flooding. Its experience could be a lesson in how to tackle the climate crisis

Floods are seemingly unavoidable these days. Florida, North Carolina, Nigeria, Tunisia, Mexico, India, Nepal, Vietnam, Poland and Austria are among the places that have experienced flooding in the last month. Those floods should no longer come as much of a surprise. Climate change leads to more frequent and intense rain almost everywhere on the planet, and most infrastructure, from roads and bridges to canals and hydroelectric dams, is simply not built to withstand such extremes.

That’s where Vienna stands out. The floods that have deluged central Europe over the past two weeks caused plenty of disruptions in Lower Austria, including to a newly built train station meant to connect the burgeoning suburbs to the city. But aside from some disruption to Vienna’s otherwise well-functioning subway system, Viennese homes were largely spared. Why? It’s not because Vienna sits on higher ground than the surrounding areas (by and large it does not). The reason the city escaped the worst of the floods is because of human engineering and political foresight dating back to the 1960s, which emerged in response to earlier floods that devastated parts of the city.

Gernot Wagner is a climate economist at Columbia Business School. He is a member of the scientific advisory board of the Wiener Klimarat, Vienna’s climate council

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A UK and EU ETS tie-up, as well as enhanced collaboration on carbon capture and storage (CCS), are among a number of policies that a think tank has recommended for discussion when UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen meet on Wednesday.

A new report warns current investment policy towards China is blocking access to a "green capital tsunami" vital to Australia's plans for solar and battery manufacturing.

The post Australia can ride the waves of China’s “green capital tsunami” – but a change in attitude is needed appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Early campaign moves suggest energy will be a key policy battleground in the Queensland election – and that Labor and the Coalition will divide the state down party lines over climate and renewables.

The post Coal extension and public power retailer set battle lines for Queensland’s energy election appeared first on RenewEconomy.

A wind and battery project is going straight into the EPBC process for federal approval.

The post Do not pass go: South-west NSW wind project sent to get federal green tick appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Eighteen investors managing $22 billion have co-signed a letter asking the US financial regulator to stop Brazilian meat giant JBS from listing in the US following concerns around transparency, human rights, and deforestation.

Analysts at a roundtable during Climate Week NYC said that the regulatory picture was dominating market movements across North American compliance programmes, with policy uncertainty through 2024 weighing on allowance prices in the secondary market.

California's power sector reversed course in August from the previous two months with emissions dropping year-on-year (YoY), as the share of renewables increased and the role of natural gas decreased.

Renewable propane, an often overlooked fuel in the energy transition push, has the potential to be a small but key component in helping to scale up renewable fuel supplies while decarbonising an array of end-uses, and one company says it's working to prove that point.

The Alberta Technology Innovation and Emission Reduction (TIER) programme recorded its lowest spot prices in the past two years, attributed to policy uncertainty, according to a report published Tuesday, while worries of forthcoming credit oversupply also shroud the outlook, market observers said.

Imagine using tailored soundscapes to restore ecosystems, simply by amplifying recordings of sonic cues that attract wildlife, stimulate plant growth and rebuild relationships between species. Jake M Robinson, Ecologist and Researcher, Flinders University Martin Breed, Associate Professor in Biology, Flinders University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Aspiring renewables and storage company to be chaired by former WA premier says it "shocked and surprised" to miss out on a lucrative state capacity contract, but intends to have another go with federal scheme.

The post Battery hopeful licks its wounds after missing out on capacity credits as grid shortfall erased appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Excessive heat warnings bring elevated wildfire risk, potential for power outages and rising death toll

San Francisco recorded its hottest day of the year on Tuesday, and Phoenix set a record for the hottest 1 October on record, as the National Weather Service predicted record-high fall temperatures across the south-western US.

With temperatures hitting 100F (38C) or higher in many places, officials and local media outlets issued warnings that the heat posed “a significant threat to property or life”. Excessive heat warnings were in place across the region, bringing with it warnings about elevated wildfire risk, the potential for sweeping power outages in California and a rising toll of heat-related deaths, a particularly deadly risk for unhoused people and the elderly.

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Germany can achieve annual savings of up to €4.3 billion ($A6.4 billion) by establishing offshore hydrogen production on two energy islands, a report says.

The post Offshore hydrogen “energy islands” could save Germany €4 billion per year – report appeared first on RenewEconomy.

A Denmark-based company announced on Tuesday a field test at a US farm to remove methane from dairy barn exhaust using a non-invasive technology.