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More frequent heatwaves mean bees are unable to thermoregulate their hives – further endangering a species already in decline

Bumblebee nests may be overheating, killing off broods and placing one of the Earth’s critical pollinators in decline as temperatures rise, new research has found.

Around the world, many species of Bombus, or bumblebee, have suffered population declines due to global heating, the research said. Bumblebee colonies are known for their ability to thermoregulate: in hot conditions, worker bees gather to beat their wings and fan the hive, cooling it down. But as the climate crisis pushes average temperatures up and generates heatwaves, bumblebees will struggle to keep their homes habitable.

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Even products marketed as ‘organic’ may be toxic, say campaigners, with risks for the wider ecosystem

Gardeners are inadvertently killing scores of earthworms with soil conditioners marketed as “organic”, experts fear, as they call for tighter regulation on products that poison the invertebrates.

Earthworms may appear humble, but Charles Darwin thought their work in improving soil structure and fertility was so important he devoted his final book to them and said: “It may be doubted if there are any other animals which have played such an important part in the history of the world as these lowly organised creatures.”

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There is a significant gap in the CO2 removal efforts needed to meet the temperature goals of the Paris Agreement, according to researchers.

Policy developments seen emerging in the coming months will lift California Carbon Allowance (CCA) prices to a new record high above $45, analysts predicted this week, while they considered RGGI Allowances (RGA) overvalued at current levels.

A New Jersey legislator introduced a bill this week that would direct the state’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to implement a cap-and-trade programme to cover most greenhouse gas emissions not regulated under RGGI.

Brazil's national development bank on Friday signed a deal on concessions for restoration and sustainable forestry projects on almost 73,000 hectares of deforested land, while also agreeing to support two states in their efforts to scale their own carbon markets.

A US non-profit research group has outlined criteria to avoid reputational risks in drafting regulations regarding offset projects on state lands, in comments submitted to the Alaska Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

Two legislators in Parana this week introduced a bill that would establish a regulated carbon market in the southern Brazil state.

Compliance entities slashed RGGI Allowance (RGA) holdings and net length in California Carbon Allowances (CCA), while managed money built positions across longer-dated North American carbon market vintages, data from the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) on Friday showed.

Credit retirements from the four main standard bodies in the voluntary carbon market remain on track for a record year despite a wave of bad press around issuing projects, data from Carbon Pulse's VCM portal shows. 

Science Advances report also finds people of color and low-income residents in US disproportionately affected

Using a gas stove increases nitrogen dioxide exposure to levels that exceed public health recommendations, a new study shows. The report, published Friday in Science Advances, found that people of color and low-income residents in the US were disproportionately affected.

Indoor gas and propane appliances raise average concentrations of the harmful pollutant, also known as NO2, to 75% of the World Health Organization’s standard for indoor and outdoor exposure.

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It’s the first time a medieval animal has been identified as a host for the disease.

Two former UN leaders highlighted the world risks losing sight of the urgency to tackle climate change over this packed election year, with conflicts and short-termism taking political priority, during an event in London today.

A reforestation project in Sierra Leone has come under fire for allegedly abusing landowner rights before the project was registered with Verra, although the developers say correct procedures were followed.

European hard coal output dropped by 9% in 2023, while lignite production plunged 24% year-on-year as demand for fossil-fired energy tumbled, according to an annual report from Euracoal, the bloc’s coal association.

The annual reduction in EU carbon allowances for 2024-25 through the Market Stability Reserve will be the smallest yet, reflecting a slight decrease in the market's overall supply in 2023, according to a poll of analysts.

A US-headquartered consultancy launched this week to bolster and expedite funding towards nature-based solutions (NbS) and blue carbon, planning to engage in the nascent biodiversity credit market.

The carbon offset controversy at Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) has detrimental consequences for the nascent voluntary biodiversity credit markets, which are paralysed by confusion, a legal expert has said.

The UK government has lost a second case brought by environmental campaigners for not doing enough to meet its targets for cutting greenhouse gas emissions.

Corporates are keen to support customised waste collection and recycling programmes that equate to their waste production footprint and potentially tie back to their own supply chain, with the plastic credit model not suited to all circumstances, say market stakeholders.