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Carbon Pulse rounds up May’s developments in Latin American and Caribbean carbon markets, seeing South American countries push forward under Article 6 implementation agreements, compliance carbon pricing systems broaden their base of certification schemes, and new announcements of large-scale nature-based projects.  

Developed countries finally surpassed the target of providing $100 billion annually in climate finance for developing countries in 2022, two years after the original deadline, according to a new climate finance assessment from the OECD.

Extra funding for flood defences and a network of climate action hubs are among the Scottish government’s response to the urgent need for adaptation to warming temperatures, with the country experiencing hotter summers and more coastal erosion, said a government representative on a webinar.

Exclusive: Five facilities named in documents tabled in NSW parliament defend practices, as independent experts question whether testing system is failing consumers

• Recycling fill sold in Sydney stores tests positive for asbestos
• Big waste companies broke rules on testing for contamination
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Facilities belonging to some of the leading commercial laboratory companies in Australia were among those that retested samples of landscaping products at the request of their waste company clients, after initial tests found contamination not compliant with NSW laws.

Guardian Australia revealed earlier this year the testing regime meant to limit toxic chemicals in landscaping material known as “recovered fines” had been compromised by the practice of waste companies asking private laboratories to retest samples until they passed.

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New study published in Cell Reports Sustainability finds emission reductions provided $249bn of climate and health benefits

By increasing its use of renewable energy, the US has not only slashed its planet-warming emissions but also improved its air quality, yielding hundreds of billions of dollars of benefits, a new report has found.

The study, published in Cell Reports Sustainability on Wednesday and based on publicly available data, focuses on uptick of renewable energy in the US from 2019 to 2022.

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Europe can remove around 300 million tonnes of CO2 a year by simply protecting, restoring, and encouraging growth in its old forests, a new study has found.

Experts at the UNFCCC assessing a REDD+ submission from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), found that the country's emissions reporting was "partially transparent and partially consistent" with expected standards, identifying areas for capacity-building and future technical improvement.

Australia-headquartered asset manager New Forests is preparing to potentially generate biodiversity credits by gathering nature metrics across 37,800 hectares in three African countries, Carbon Pulse has learned.

Germany approved a draft bill Wednesday allowing carbon capture and storage (CCS) for emissions-intensive industries that cannot be electrified, excluding coal-fired power plants, and also plans to create a legal framework to develop carbon pipeline infrastructure.

Anglo-Dutch oil major Shell has dominated the voluntary carbon market (VCM) over the past six months, retiring 14% - or one seventh - of all credits retired between Nov. 2023 and April 2024, Carbon Pulse analysis has shown.

European carbon prices were little changed on Wednesday morning as the market digested the latest Commitment of Traders data that showed investment funds had cut their net short position to the lowest in seven months, while compliance companies slashed their short positions.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) issued a new paper on Tuesday arguing that climate action delivers “sizable energy security benefits” for Europe while highlighting risks related to carbon pricing policies in coal-reliant Eastern EU countries.

Hundreds of Indian farmers who have been camping for more than 100 days between the Punjab and Haryana states to demand better prices for their crops have been enduring a savage heat wave sweeping swathes of northern India.

Temperatures in Delhi, not far from the protest, have hit a record high of 49.9C (121.8F), as authorities warned of water shortages in the capital

• Delhi temperature hits 49.9C as India’s capital records hottest day

• Record breaking heat hits Delhi – in pictures

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Conservation efforts have largely failed to protect seafloor invertebrate animals, including worms, clams, and shrimps, which play a critical role in mediating the health of the ocean, a paper has said.

The Philippine government and a French land-based carbon project developer signed an agreement Wednesday to restore 90,000 hectares of degraded forest in the northwest of Samar Island’s natural park, in partnership with a local bamboo firm.

China has launched the Kunming Biodiversity Fund, with the signing of the new venture witnessed by Chinese environmental officials and UN agencies this week after first establishing the framework over two years ago.

Officials are now incentivizing testing, but experts say workers need protective equipment and paid sick leave to prevent further spread

On a US dairy farm, working in the milking parlor can mean seven-day weeks, 12-hour shifts and intimate contact with cows and everything they expel.

“When you disconnect the machine from the udder, it can shoot milk in your face,” said José Martínez, a former dairy worker and United Farm Workers advocate based in Washington state. “And there’s no time or place to eat. So we ate our tacos in spare moments with cow shit on our hands.”

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eLumina is using advantage of being in a later wave of battery and charging hopefuls, using the knowledge of collapsed Tritium and Freewire.

The post New Aussie battery company aims at community storage and EV charging appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Another Queensland open pit gold mine could soon be converted into a mammoth pumped hydro storage project after its developers this week submitted the environmental impact statement to state authorities. The Mount Rawdon pumped hydro project is being developed by a subsidiary of Evolution Mining, the owners and operators of the Mount Rawdon gold mine, […]

The post Another Queensland gold mine could be converted into pumped hydro project appeared first on RenewEconomy.

The federal government on Wednesday introduced legislation to establish national environmental watchdog and information gathering bodies, but the move has been criticised by business and environmental groups alike, highlighting deep divisions in Australia's nature reform space.