Feed aggregator

£2.2bn-worth of oil processed in China, India and Turkey – to whom Russia supplies crude – was imported in 2023, data shows

The UK has been accused of “helping Russia pay for its war on Ukraine” by continuing to import record amounts of refined oil from countries processing Kremlin fossil fuels.

Government data analysed by the environmental news site Desmog shows that imports of refined oil from India, China and Turkey amounted to £2.2bn in 2023, the same record value as the previous year, up from £434.2m in 2021.

Continue reading...

The production of energy-intensive green steel, chemicals, and hydrogen is likely to migrate from countries with limited renewables resources to those with abundant supply over the next two decades — but that does not have to result in a deindustrialisation for those that lose the operations, according to a study published on Wednesday. 

The Australian state of Victoria is committing A$3.8 million ($2.5 mln) to develop tools and guidelines for renewable energy project developers to avoid harming local biodiversity, it announced Wednesday.

Australia's Woodside Energy saw its climate action plan rejected by shareholders at its annual general meeting in Perth on Wednesday with nearly 60% of investors voting against it, while the chairman suffered one of the largest shareholder revolts recorded for an ASX50 company in recent years.

A Thai state-owned bank has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a Bangkok-based climate consultancy to support domestic businesses and farmers in meeting their decarbonisation goals through trading of carbon credits and renewable energy certificates (RECs), it said in a statement.

A carbon dioxide removal (CDR) venture has made an advanced purchase of CDRs from mineralised CO2 in demolished concrete from multiple projects across Europe, it announced Tuesday.

A dawn chorus of flutes, whistles and chirps once flowed through my Cambridge window, but there has been a shocking collapse in birdlife. What can be done?

Every year from February through to June, the early morning chorus of birdsong is one of the most evocative manifestations of spring. During late winter I open the bedroom window before going to sleep, to hear that incredible mix of flutes, whistles and chirps that begin before first light, when I wake. I listen for the layers of song that simultaneously come from close by and far away.

This year though, the dawn chorus that once was the soundtrack for spring in central Cambridge has collapsed. It was noticeably quieter in 2023, and this year strikingly so. Blackbirds are depleted and song thrushes no longer heard at all. The dunnocks – once one of the most common garden songsters – have disappeared, as have the chaffinches, whose early February song was among the first audible confirmations of lengthening days. The cheery chatter of house sparrows is absent and the once familiar sound of coal tits has fallen silent. Long-tailed tits are now rare, and so far this year I’ve heard no blackcaps. Great and blue tits, robins and goldfinches, are still present, but down in number.

Continue reading...

Many in the wider community still see sugar gums as risky trees that drop dangerous branches. But there is much to appreciate and admire about Eucalyptus cladocalyx. Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Japan has opened the door to the use of international credits from carbon dioxide removal (CDR) projects in its domestic carbon market, though market response might be tepid due to the entry threshold and the limited scope of eligible projects.

All the evidence – colonial accounts and records, First Peoples’ testimony and scientific data – points to the existence of widespread tall, dense forests 250 years ago. David Lindenmayer, Professor, Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University Chris Taylor, Research Fellow, Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University Elle Bowd, Research Fellow, Fenner School of Environment & Society, Australian National University Philip Zylstra, Research Associate, University of New South Wales, and Adjunct Associate Professor, Curtin University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

New study finds that if one-third of commercial buildings shifted consumption from late afternoon to middle of day it would free peak capacity in the energy market of almost 12GW.

The post Buildings as batteries: How basic demand response could shift 12GW of peak demand, save billions appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Melbourne-based Allume Energy shares in US government’s $7bn Solar for All program, as part of Florida coalition awarded $US156 million to put solar on apartments.

The post Australian shared solar pioneer scores big from Biden billions appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Applications open for a spot on the grid in the Central West Orana REZ, while bids to open soon in second zone in south-west.

The post NSW to open bids for access to first two renewable zones, in race to plug in new wind, solar and batteries appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Fortescue boss says China's roll out of wind and solar "blew his mind", and the company is still confident it can reach its ambitious hydrogen goals.

The post Fortescue says green hydrogen target still on track, but Australia projects stalled by power prices appeared first on RenewEconomy.

WCI traders’ expectations for more clarifications on cap adjustment details, cost containment changes, and allowance allocation considerations from ARB at Tuesday’s workshop failed to materialise, resulting in volatile price action in the secondary market.

New Japanese renewables outfit signs on to plan to power Portland Aluminium Smelter with a 1GW-plus offshore wind farm in the Southern Ocean.

The post Alinta lands powerful new partner for offshore wind project – and identifies a site near smelter appeared first on RenewEconomy.

When diners were asked why they don’t order plant-based meat dishes, it turns out they have many different reasons. David Fechner, Research Fellow, Social Marketing, Griffith University Bettina Grün, Associate Professor, Institute for Statistics and Mathematics, Vienna University of Economics and Business Sara Dolnicar, Research Professor in Tourism, School of Business, The University of Queensland Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Rabobank and Plan Vivo have pushed back against reporting by investigative journalism outlet Follow the Money (FTM), which revealed that Cote d’Ivoire had asked the Dutch bank to suspend its carbon credit origination activities in the country’s Nawa region over double counting fears.

Canada’s British Columbia has updated its offset regulation and published its second forest carbon offset protocol (FCOP 2.0), which mandates First Nations’ engagement across all projects and stipulates measures that could see fewer credits awarded to project developers in the event of a reversal.

The Australian government has provided A$330 mln ($214 mln) in grant funding to heavy industrial facilities across the country to reduce their CO2 emissions by 830,000 tonnes per year, it announced Wednesday.