Feed aggregator

Handling and storing nuclear waste could add significant costs to Australia's future energy bills, an inquiry has heard.

The post Nuclear waste management could add billions to electricity supply costs appeared first on RenewEconomy.

The Brazilian National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES) has approved R$500 million ($88 mln) in financing for a new biofuels-producing ethanol plant, which it said will support Brazil’s goals to decarbonise the transport sector.

While the second Trump presidency will likely hamper the US’ reputation for climate action on the global stage, top former governmental officials said Thursday that the incoming administration’s ability to stall the US – and the world’s – momentum towards a clean energy economy will be limited.

Canadian cleantech tax credits and a favourable regulatory environment could lure US entrepreneurs to move north, but cohesive climate policy is under attack from Conservative opposition in the country, panellists said Thursday.

Absolute greenhouse gas emissions in Canadian oil sands grew less than 1% for the third year in a row, according to analysis published on Thursday.

Newfoundland Memorial Univeristy team find white masses are likely material used to clean pipes in oil industry

When the chemist Chris Kozak finally got his hands on a sample of the mysterious blobs that recently washed up on the shores of Newfoundland’s beaches, Project Unknown Glob officially began.

At his disposal, Kozak and a team of graduate students had the “gorgeous” new science building and “world-class facilities” of Newfoundland’s Memorial University to run a battery of tests on the white, doughy blob.

Continue reading...

The rapid growth of our capital cities is creating all sorts of problems. Dispersing growth across regional city networks could ease these growth pains and make our cities more sustainable. Peter Newton, Emeritus Professor in Sustainable Urbanism, Centre for Urban Transitions, Swinburne University of Technology James Whitten, Research Fellow, Department of Architecture, Monash University Magnus Moglia, Associate Professor in Sustainability Science, Swinburne University of Technology Stephen Glackin, Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Urban Transitions, Swinburne University of Technology Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Demand for carbon removal credits is on pace to increase by 50% this year, while retirements of durable CDR units is set to more than double, according to a new report.

More than 200 people have died in floods that the Spanish prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, has described as the worst natural disaster in the country's recent history. Thousands of troops and police officers were drafted to help with clean-up and searches. Anger rose among residents who felt abandoned by the government and King Felipe and Queen Letizia were heckled when they visited one of the worst-affected areas

• ‘It can lead to chaos’: false claims and hoaxes surge as Spain’s floods recede

• At least 89 people remain missing after floods in eastern Spain

• ‘There’s so much confrontation’: Valencians sick of political bickering after Spain’s floods

Continue reading...

The next round of climate pledges from the world's highest-emitting economies will ultimately determine the chances of limiting global warming to 1.5C, depending in particular on how far they go in pushing a transition away from fossil fuels, the UN's special adviser on climate action said on Thursday.

Australia’s ratification of a key amendment to the London Protocol went into effect Thursday allowing the shipping transport of CO2 between nations, meaning its plans to become a regional hub for an emerging carbon capture and storage (CCS) industry is one step closer, but more is needed to provide the kind of policy certainty that secures investment and carbon markets are seen unlikely to play a material role in financially de-risking projects.

Pollution is affecting the climate, biodiversity, ecosystems, ocean acidification and human health, according to analysis

Plastic pollution is changing the processes of the entire Earth system, exacerbating climate change, biodiversity loss, ocean acidification, and the use of freshwater and land, according to scientific analysis.

Plastic must not be treated as a waste problem alone, the authors said, but as a product that poses harm to ecosystems and human health.

Continue reading...

New Zealand can achieve substantial emissions cuts domestically for its 2031-35 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), reducing its reliance on international credits, but must start work already this decade, according to the independent Climate Change Commission (CCC).

Traders and asset managers appreciate the commercial risks attached to the EU’s new emissions trading scheme for road transport and heating fuels (ETS2) and are increasingly taking measures to mitigate its future impact, say industry sources.

Nature-based solutions (NbS) projects must better consider the impacts of climate change on biodiversity, as temperature shifts in the long term are set to increasingly affect species conservation efforts worldwide, according to a recent paper.

Wopke Hoestra will remain the EU's climate chief for the next five years, after committing to push for a 90% emissions reduction target for 2040 while emphasising the need to reconcile climate action and industrial competitiveness, in his confirmation hearing with the European Parliament on Thursday.

Annual FrogID week aims to collect thousands of recordings of country’s 250 frog species using downloadable smartphone app

• Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast

They moan, hum, whistle and click, and can be found almost everywhere, from the neighbourhood pond to the most remote outback dunny.

From 8 to 17 November, people across the country are encouraged to participate in FrogID week, Australia’s biggest frog count. The annual event, now in its seventh year, aims to collect thousands of recordings via an app, with the data providing a snapshot of how frogs are faring across the country.

Continue reading...

A pan-European afforestation carbon project has become the first of its kind to be registered by Verra, it was announced Thursday.

Over 50 companies have called on the European Parliament not to weaken the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) through amendments, warning that the recently proposed delay could leave the law vulnerable to changes that would undermine its impact on deforestation.

Discussions around clean cooking methodologies are still ongoing at the Integrity Council for the Voluntary Carbon Market (ICVCM), Carbon Pulse has learned, likely pushing to next month the decision that will determine which credits in the sector will be eligible for the Core Carbon Principles (CCPs) high-integrity badge.