Feed aggregator

Surging electricity demand from new data centres could undermine Europe’s emissions reduction efforts, with power consumption projected to rise by up to 160% by 2030, according to a new report released Monday.

Birds observed going to lengths to flavour food, with particular penchant for blueberry-flavoured soy yoghurt dip

Whether you savour Ottolenghi’s recipes or prefer a feast from Nigella’s cookery books, humans enjoy mixing flavours and textures when preparing food. Now research suggests some cockatoos do too.

Researchers have previously discovered that some of the birds dunk dry rusks in water before eating them, just as some people enjoy dunking a biscuit in tea, apparently reflecting a penchant for a soggy texture.

Continue reading...

Compliance markets will be key to bolstering carbon pricing in the region, Carbon Pulse heard last week, but Colombia’s way forward on long-delayed ETS plans is unclear following the sudden resignation of Environment Minister Susana Muhamad.

Mixed reaction from campaigners as ministers impose reduced subsidies and stringent conditions on Yorkshire wood-burning plant

• UK halves subsidies for Drax and says it must use 100% sustainable wood

Burning wood is a terrible way of producing electricity. Chopping down trees destroys habitats for wildlife, and growing new trees cannot replace the biodiversity of old-growth forests. There is also a decades-long time lag between the carbon dioxide released from the burning, which fuels the climate crisis now, and the uptake of equivalent carbon from the air by replacement trees.

So when the government announced on Monday that it would continue billpayer subsidies for biomass burning at the Drax power station, beyond 2027 when the current payments end, the news appeared a blow to green campaigners.

Continue reading...

A British climate impact investment manager has launched a €50 million regenerative agriculture platform in Spain, aimed at converting existing farming practices from intensive cereal production to high-value pistachio and cherry tree crops, alongside livestock

The influential centre-right European People's Party (EPP) is pushing the European Commission to introduce short-term measures to help automakers meet their emissions targets for cars. 

Secondhand market thrived as sales of new EVs also reached highest levels to date, SMMT trade body says

• Business live – latest updates

A record number of used electric vehicles (EVs) were sold in the UK last year, as prices eased and the choice of cars widened, according to industry data.

Total sales of used cars rose by 5.5% in 2024, as 7.6m vehicles changed hands, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). Sales rose in every month last year, as they did in 2023.

Continue reading...

Standardised CORSIA Phase 1 contracts slipped last week amid ongoing uncertainty around US participation in the scheme, even as liquidity on futures jumped, while credit retirements remained below the 2024 weekly average despite analysts forecasting a record year for the market on the demand side.

A Paris-headquartered carbon standard last week opened consultations seeking stakeholder feedback on phasing out its unit system and refining a forest methodology.

The UK has halved subsidies for Drax’s biomass power station from 2027, and is putting under review future government support for bioenergy with carbon capture and storage - the technology Drax is counting on to decarbonise its electricity generation.

Singapore and Marshall Islands on Monday announced their 2035 Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement in time for original deadline - now pushed back to September as only a handful of nations made the early February goal.

The EU is at risk of missing its 2030 climate goal of cutting net emissions 55% below 1990 levels, the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) warned in a report that was quietly posted online just over a week ago.

A French asset manager announced last week a coalition of investors and partners to support its €350 million natured-based solutions (NbS) fund focused on sustainable agriculture.

Some small development sites in England have achieved biodiversity net gain (BNG) at least 10 times greater than the legal requirements, according to a report released Monday.

The rate of grid registrations for wind, solar and battery projects has surged in the last six months, with the capacity of projects given the go-ahead to connect to the grid double that of the previous 12 months. New data released by the Australian Energy Market Operator shows that with 1.7 gigawatts (GW`) of new […]

The post AEMO reports surge in grid registrations for wind, solar and battery projects appeared first on RenewEconomy.

An activist shareholder group has run the ruler over the exposure to fossil fuels for Australian and international banks and found the numbers significant, but said ‘ordinary’ people may not realise the full extent of their banks’ lending activities.

A total of 144 companies and trade associations globally have urged the leadership behind the GHG Protocol to clarify the role of market instruments for renewable gases in the organisation's Scope 1 inventory, saying a rapid deployment of biomethane is needed to meet climate goals.

EU carbon jumped on Monday morning, amid sharply higher energy prices after the latest forecasts showed colder weather across the region, boosting the call on thermal power generation, while UKAs rose to a new eight-month high.

A tropical low known as 18U will bring strong winds, heavy rain and storm surges to the north of the country

The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a tropical cyclone alert for the north coast of Western Australia. This alert concerns a tropical low known as 18U, which has been spotted near the coast of Kimberley, situated in the north-west of the state. Strong winds, heavy rain and storm surges will affect northern Australia starting on Sunday night, with a flood warning also being issued. Under current forecasts, 18U will continue to push south-westwards along the warm water off Western Australia into the new week and is expected to strengthen to a tropical cyclone, which will be named Zelia. By the end of the week, the cyclone is expected to make landfall around the Pilbara region, bringing about 150mm-250mm (5.9in-9.8in) of rain locally, alongside wind gusts of about 100mph.

Meanwhile, Canada has once again been experiencing a severe cold spell after polar air moved in from the north, allowing temperatures to fall 5C-10C (41C-50F) below the seasonal average. Western Canada is particularly badly affected, with the cities of Calgary, Edmonton and Saskatoon potentially experiencing maximum daytime temperatures of between -10C and -15C this week, while overnight temperatures will often reach -20C to -30C. Temperatures as low as -35C are possible, which is around 10-15C below the seasonal average. For more context, the town of Saskatoon lies at the same latitude as Cambridge in the UK, which has a record low temperature of -13C.

Continue reading...

A Germany-based nature tech company has raised €5 million in seed funding to advance its platform aimed at enabling companies to assess and manage their environmental impacts.