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The EU is open for global trade, but it also needs to remain vigilant of protecting its own interests against cheaper and less sustainable rivals, the European commissioner-designate for trade and economic security, interinstitutional relations, and transparency said during the first day of European Parliament hearings on Monday.

The US presidential elections on Nov. 5 will open a new chapter for climate diplomacy in the European Union, whoever the winner is, with fresh challenges ahead, experts told Carbon Pulse.

Gas-fired power plants can keep energy reliable and affordable. But they should be used only when absolutely necessary. Roger Dargaville, Director Monash Energy Institute, Monash University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Four more carbon registries were granted eligibility for Phase 1 of the CORSIA international aviation offsetting scheme last week, although the kick-start in demand is likely to be more of a slow burner, sources said, with interest in voluntary credits still lacklustre.

In the US Heartland CO2 pipeline controversy has brought glimmers of environmental policy to the region otherwise dominated by Republican trifectas, none of which are expected to shift at the upcoming November elections.

US Northeast and Mid-Atlantic RGGI member states that are Democrat strongholds are mostly expected to retain their trifecta status at the upcoming elections, presumably allowing for continued design and passage of carbon market programmes in 2025.

Union says Defra figures show far more farmers will be hit by budget proposal and warns of ‘militant protest’ to come

The government argument that just one-third of farmers will be affected by the new inheritance tax rules is in direct conflict with data produced by the its own environment department, according to the head of the farmer’s union, as the row over inheritance tax for farmers continued.

The announcement in Rachel Reeves’s budget last week of plans to remove the Agricultural Property Relief inheritance tax exemption from farms worth more than £1m has been met with a storm of fury from across the farming industry and suggestions of “militant protest”.

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Southern US Republican lawmakers are expected to retain a grip on state legislatures in the region after the November elections, while continuing to avail of clean technology investments spurred by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), and promoting carbon capture and storage (CCS) in the region.

UK power company Drax is disputing research suggesting that its bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) system, using wood pellets sourced from Drax’s southern US mills, would lead to a rise in CO2 levels until around 2053, compared to a scenario without the technology.

Client mapping of the Big Six PR and advertising agency holdings indicates significant potential “conflicts of climate interest”, where clients of the same company advocate for opposing climate policies, according to a recent report.

Carbon markets are fulfilling just a tiny fraction of their potential to shore up much-needed climate finance in the world's 45 least developed countries, with credits issued from both the voluntary and UN-run schemes concentrated in just a few countries, according to a report published on Monday.

California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) cumulative credit surplus surged to a new record over 3.1 million in Q2, clocking historic highs in renewable diesel (RD) and renewable natural gas (RNG) net credits ahead of the regulator’s board voting to increase programme stringency later this week, according to state data.

Deputy environment minister calls for urgent action as Riyadh prepares for global summit on issue next month

The degradation of the world’s soils and landscapes is threatening human life, and must be addressed as a matter of urgency, the government of Saudi Arabia has said.

Neglect of the land is wiping trillions of dollars from global economies, hampering agricultural production, disrupting water supplies, threatening children with poor nutrition, and destroying vital ecosystems, according to the country’s deputy environment minister.

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Populist groups capitalising on costly environmental policies that affect farmers by offering them support

• What are farmers in the EU required to do to protect the environment?

The painful impacts of the climate crisis and globalisation have left farmers in Europe marginalised and vulnerable to populist politicians, warn anti-racism campaigners and academics.

They argue that if the transition to a low-carbon economy is not properly funded, planned and equitable, it risks fuelling a resurgence of the far right across the continent.

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An international insurance broker has launched a new facility to help organisations manage fraud risk associated with carbon credits, it said Monday.

Tyre Extinguishers group stencils ‘These cars kill Valencians’ on 4x4s in city to highlight SUVs’ role in climate crisis

Climate activists in Scotland have carried out a series of actions against SUV cars, saying they are acting in solidarity with the victims of the Valencia floods.

The Tyre Extinguishers have called on their supporters to take actions against SUV cars in their areas, after members of the group in Edinburgh stencilled the sides of targeted vehicles on Sunday night with the words: “These cars kill Valencians.”

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An exchange has completed the first two block trades of its physically-settled carbon futures, including volume for credits eligible for the current phase of the CORSIA international aviation offsetting scheme.

One sucker is precariously attached to some flimsy reality – a wet leaf, a slippery rock – the other one pointed at the future

Imagine if your Wikipedia page described you as a “segmented or parasitic worm” with “two head segments” and “suckers at both ends”. You might turn to the Bible, instead – here is the Book of Proverbs on leeches: “The horseleech hath two daughters, crying, Give, give. There are three things that are never satisfied, yea, four things say not, It is enough: The grave; and the barren womb; the earth that is not filled with water; and the fire that saith not, It is enough.”

The daughters are the leech’s words (though some interpret the daughters as the suckers): “Give, give.” Within this damp, humid, leech-infested jungle is the surprisingly sweet idea of the words you say as daughters you have given birth to.

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European carbon prices rose strongly on Monday morning amid healthy increases in gas and power as traders pointed to weather forecasts supporting thermal generation, with markets also preparing themselves ahead of Tuesday's US presidential election.