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Danish CO2 reduction company Topsoe has partnered with Saudi oil giant Aramco to develop and commercialise low-carbon hydrogen technology, the two companies announced on Wednesday.

The second European Commission headed by Ursula von der Leyen received the green light from the European Parliament on Wednesday, opening a new five-year policy cycle in Brussels that is expected to refocus the EU’s climate agenda on strengthening Europe’s industrial competitiveness.

EU carbon prices dropped to their lowest in five days on Wednesday morning along with a decline in natural gas, as weekly position data showed investment funds building length for a third week in a row.

Heavy industries, led by steel and the oil and gas sector, are fast-eating into the power sector's share of emissions under the EU ETS, opening a new era made of greater uncertainty in the bloc's carbon market, say analysts.

Loyalists selected for important roles have offered staunch support to fossil fuels and downplayed climate crisis

Donald Trump’s cabinet picks have been eclectic and often controversial but a unifying theme is emerging, experts say, with the US president-elect’s nominees offering staunch support to fossil fuels and either downplaying or denying the climate crisis caused by the burning of these fuels.

Trump ran on promises to eviscerate “green new scam” climate policies and to “drill, baby, drill” for more oil and gas, and his choices to run the major organs of the US government echo such sentiments, particularly his picks relating to the environment, with Lee Zeldin chosen as the Environmental Protection Agency administrator, Chris Wright as energy secretary and Doug Burgum as interior secretary.

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A top refiner in Japan has secured another partnership to carry out emissions reduction projects in the country's livestock production industry, targeting the abatement potential in dairy and beef cattle farming for the carbon credit market.

A price floor should be established in the emerging plastic credit market to avoid a flood of low-integrity credits, including under national producer responsibility schemes, a standards body has told Carbon Pulse.

Environmental standard Verra plans to expand its plastic credit programme with an additional 40 projects expected to be onboarded within a year, the company told Carbon Pulse.

One of Australia’s “big four” banks has raised its price forecast for Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) thanks to increasing demand and smaller than expected issuance.

We’ve cared for our farm through war, pandemic and money worries. The inheritance tax row shows how little the government respects that

• Clare Wise is a farmer based in County Durham

If you are familiar with the pangs of parental guilt, then you can relate to owning a farm. Take that gut-wrenching, often irrational feeling, amplify it, and welcome to being a farmer. From the moment you’re born into a family farm, there’s a weight of expectation on you to look after it, to put it before yourself, to uphold your family’s pride. All farm kids know they don’t open presents on Christmas morning until the animals are fed, that parents miss special occasions because cows are calving, and that hopes of a foreign holiday are almost nil, at least on a livestock farm such as mine.

Owning a farm is like playing a game of pass the parcel with a valuable gift, but the one who unwraps the present is very much the loser of the bunch. From an early age, it’s drilled into you that the farm, the land and its legacy are things you carry and pass on to your children. We don’t see the farms we inhabit as truly ours: they’re generational assets that produce food for the masses. That is why farmers are putting up a huge fight against the government’s new inheritance tax changes. It’s hard not to feel as though this policy is a land grab by ministers who have no idea about how farming works.

Clare Wise is a farmer based in County Durham

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The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $500-million policy-based loan to help the Philippines implement its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) and more broadly mitigate the effects of climate change.

Chinese solar giant Jinko seeks planning approvals for a large solar and battery project near Goondiwindi in Queensland.

The post China solar giant Jinko seeks federal approval for massive PV and battery project in Queensland appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Australia will meet its 2030 climate targets to cut emissions 43% below 2005 levels by 2030, according to fresh analysis by the government, while efforts to pass a bill on the country’s nature reforms have been put on hold again.

Community forums for proposed wind farm in central Victoria cancelled by the developer over "safety concerns".

The post Community meetings for proposed Victoria wind farm cancelled due to “safety concerns” appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Updated: Australia's newest and biggest battery makes a surprise intervention on the grid as the market operator marshalled resources to keep the lights on in NSW.

The post Australia’s newest and biggest battery charged with surprise role in keeping lights on in NSW heatwave appeared first on RenewEconomy.

New research puts a dollar value on the health benefits of visits to national parks within reach of the city. It works out to almost $100 worth of savings to the health budget for every visit. Patrick O'Connor, Associate Professor in Natural Resource Economics, University of Adelaide Adam James Loch, Associate Professor of Economics, University of Adelaide John Maclean, Lecturer in Data Science, University of Adelaide Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Ed Miliband argues the UK should race towards becoming a ‘clean energy superpower’, but costs to the consumer shouldn’t be ignored

The government’s plan to decarbonise the UK’s electricity system by 2030 is a vast undertaking. Energy companies will throw £40bn-plus annually at the effort, backed by financing that ultimately affects consumers’ bills. So it is extraordinary that no official body seems able to answer this question: will it cost more to complete the job by 2030 rather than by the old 2035 timetable? Is it more expensive to go faster?

That is not to dispute the necessity of generating electricity from clean domestic sources, an ambition shared widely across the political spectrum for reasons of security of supply and climate emergency. But the pace of decarbonisation can clearly also affect the cost for consumers, a point Ed Miliband, the energy secretary, tends to skip over too breezily when he argues that security, sustainability and affordability are now perfectly aligned.

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Washington’s Department of Ecology (ECY) on Tuesday outlined its additional considerations for changes to the state’s Clean Fuel Standard (WCFS), which included book-and-claim as well as avoided methane crediting measures. 

NSW asks consumers to dial back electricity use in heatwave as major coal units go missing, including at the Eraring facility it has agreed to underwrite to stay open for longer.

The post NSW consumers asked to dial back electricity use as coal and gas plants go missing in heatwave appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Tamworth Regional Council to join legal proceedings to block the Hills of Gold wind farm.

The post Tamworth council backs Greens move to continue fight against contested wind project appeared first on RenewEconomy.