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Countries promised to save 30% of land and sea for nature - but as their deadline approaches, only 24 have followed through with a plan

More than 80% of countries have failed to submit plans to meet a UN agreement to halt the destruction of Earth’s ecosystems, new analysis has found.

Nearly two years ago, the world struck a once-in-a-decade deal in Montreal, Canada, that included targets to protect 30% of land and sea for nature, reform billions of dollars on environmentally harmful subsidies and slash pesticide usage. Countries committed to submit their plans for meeting the agreement before the biodiversity Cop16 in Cali, Colombia, which begins this month – but only 25 countries have done so.

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Nearly half of waste is now burned for energy, but BBC analysis finds it is as dirty as coal.

Nearly half of waste is now burned for energy, but BBC analysis finds it is as dirty as coal.

Queensland Premier Steven Miles has floated the idea of holding a plebiscite on nuclear power the day of the next federal election Anne Twomey, Professor Emerita in Constitutional Law, University of Sydney Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

China is still supporting the expansion of coal power overseas, with captive units remaining a loophole in the country's overseas coal ban, a report has found.

Inquiry told the emerging green hydrogen sector is "frustrated" by delays to the introduction of a mechanism to track and verify emissions associated with hydrogen, renewable electricity and other resources.

The post Green hydrogen guarantee of origin scheme urgently needed, inquiry told appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Queenslanders will be asked to vote in a plebiscite on nuclear energy at the next federal election if Labor Premier Steven Miles is re-elected. 

The post Premier vows to hold vote on Coalition nuclear power plan ahead of federal election appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Plans to build more than a gigawatt of solar on sugar cane farming land in north Queensland have been cleared for construction by the local council.

The post Solar proposal gets green light to build “de facto renewable energy precinct” in north Queensland appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Sweden's OX2 follows up its 2023 purchase of a large solar portfolio in Australia with the acquisition of a gigawatt scale wind and battery project.

The post Sweden’s OX2 makes first move into wind power in Australia with purchase of gigawatt scale project appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Australia’s GreenCollar will hand its NaturePlus biodiversity crediting scheme to Accounting for Nature, in early 2025, for independent administration in a bid to enhance credibility and lay the foundations for market growth.

Energy crisis panel warns country is ‘dangerously unprepared’ and must shift away from gas quickly

Britain is at risk of experiencing a repeat of the sharp increase in energy costs which has fuelled the continuing cost of living crisis because it relies too heavily on gas, according to an expert panel of industry leaders.

The Energy Crisis Commission has warned that the UK is still “dangerously underprepared” for another crisis because it continues to rely on gas for its power plants and home heating.

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The week ending Oct. 13, which saw the UN Supervisory Body (SBM) for Article 6.4 circumvent negotiators to help operationalise Paris carbon markets, also welcomed key Article 6 statements out of Chile, ranging from new projects to potential use cases for Paris Agreement credits.

A US study estimates the total climate pollution from LNG was 33% greater than that from coal over a 20-year period. This should have major ramifications for emissions policy

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The claim that Australian gas exports are “clean” and needed to drive the transition to net zero greenhouse gas emissions has become an article of faith for significant parts of the country’s industry, media and political classes – often repeated, only occasionally challenged.

It has buttressed a massive expansion of the liquified natural gas (LNG) industry in the north of the continent over the past decade, with major new developments in Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory.

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A US-registered impact timberland and farmland fund manager has raised $80 million from a single investor in the first close of latest forest conservation fund.

Data compiled by EEA shows quality of water bodies falls far short of target first set for 2015 and since extended to 2027

Only about one-third of Europe’s surface water is in good health or better, a report has found, despite an EU target first set for 2015 to bring all bodies of water up to good quality.

About 37% of Europe’s surface waters qualified as having at least a good ecological status and 29% a good chemical status in 2021, according to data from 19 member countries compiled by the European Environment Agency (EEA). The original deadline for the EU target has been extended to 2027 but data suggests this is on track to be missed by a wide margin.

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Last year saw a dramatic weakening of the global land carbon sink, the system that absorbs CO2 from the atmosphere, as the planet experienced record-breaking heat and severe droughts, a new study warns.

The EU is holding strong on its position that more countries need to contribute to the next global climate finance goal, with a plan to push for more money while ensuring that the bloc isn't spread too thin, according to the general negotiating mandate for COP29 adopted by climate and environment ministers late on Monday. 

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) denied Republican states' allegations that its latest power plant emissions rules will impact grid reliability, the agency told a US federal appeals court in a filing on Friday.

Regulators in up-and-coming Latin American voluntary carbon markets (VCM) are working with the private sector to scale up operations, while market observers point to increasingly hands-on measures curbing the market in ‘old school’ VCM players like Colombia and Brazil.

There is growing interest in the use of First Peoples’ words to name plant and animal species. But we must proceed with both caution and respect. Stephen Garnett, Professor of Conservation and Sustainable Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University Sophie Gilbey, Indigenous Knowledge Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.