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Ghana will press ahead with its own calculation for crediting emissions reductions from cookstoves projects by the end of the second quarter, the African country revealed this week, in a move that could clash with UN plans to create a global carbon standard for the thorny issue.

The Global Biodiversity Framework Fund (GBFF) Council has set out the rules for allocating resources to nature conservation projects, taking a major step forward in enabling the fund to run in full swing.

Some voluntary carbon programmes are "very close" to being approved by the UN's aviation body ICAO for the first phase of its CORSIA international offsetting scheme, the chair of a technical body said on Friday.

Scientist wins award against conservative writers who said his work was ‘fraudulent’ and that he ‘molested and tortured’ data

The high-profile climate scientist Michael Mann has been awarded $1m by a jury in a defamation lawsuit against two conservative writers who compared his depictions of global heating to the work of a convicted child molester.

The case stretches back 12 years. In a statement posted on Mann’s X account, one of his lawyers said: “Today’s verdict vindicates Mike Mann’s good name and reputation. It also is a big victory for truth and scientists everywhere who dedicate their lives answering vital scientific questions impacting human health and the planet.”

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A new venture looking to quantify social impact using a similar model to the voluntary carbon market says that placing an economic value on positive social outcomes would help companies identify the best projects and accurately report their environmental impact.

The IUCN Red List of Ecosystems can play a critical role in monitoring the progress of biodiversity conservation and restoration as it addresses 16 of the 23 Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) targets, a new study has shown.

European carbon allowances broke below a key psychological barrier on Friday morning, setting a new 23-month low as sellers grew in confidence in the face of minimal price support, while a growing number of participants highlighted the price from March 2022 as the next major target to the downside.

Experts say boarded-up communal space illustrates crisis in social housing funding and need to protect play areas

Families in south London say their children have stopped playing outside after communal spaces and playgrounds were ripped out to make room for new homes and then left boarded up when Southwark council ran out of money.

The council began tearing down large parts of the Bells Gardens and Lindley estates in Peckham last August but abandoned the build in January due to a funding crisis driven by rising interest rates. All that remains of the previous play area is a small pitch surrounded by hoardings and out of sight of the flats.

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Dramatic changes in energy industry and EVs reducing fossil fuel use, but shipping, aviation and industry a long way from net zero

Humanity has made some uneven progress in reducing our addiction to fossil fuels – but there remain three areas of our lives in which we are notably not on track to kick the habit over the next 30 years, according to a new analysis.

Record levels of investment in clean energy (solar has been called the cheapest source of electricity in history by the International Energy Agency) and a decline in coal-powered generation means less and less of the world’s power will come from fossil fuels between now and 2050, the analysis from Rhodium shows.

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Sustainable food and agriculture investment firm Cibus Capital is preparing to launch a natural capital strategy to restore degraded land led by an ex-Blackrock Alternatives executive.

A steelmaking venture is working to reduce its CO2 emissions via a novel carbon capture and utilisation tech, and plans a huge ramp-up in scale of its pilot after receiving fresh government funding.

A large French advertising firm has pledged to spend €20 million for the delivery of voluntary carbon credits over fifteen years to offset its "unavoidable" emissions, in annual results this week.

The best of this week’s wildlife photographs from around the world

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First study to tally asthma exacerbations with air pollution during pandemic finds numbers admitted to A&E fell 41% in 2020

A new study in Oxford has found that emergency hospital admissions for asthma dropped by 41% in 2020 as air pollution from traffic fell due to Covid restrictions.

Dr Suzanne Bartington from the University of Birmingham, who led the Oxford study, said: “The Covid-19 pandemic led to a unique opportunity where we could study the impacts of rapid changes in human activities on air quality.”

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A climate consultancy has warned the New Zealand government is falling behind its neighbours on developing a plan to purchase internationally transferred mitigation outcomes (ITMOs) to meet its 2030 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC). 

Energy Security Board final report calls for coordinated leadership and action – particularly from DNSPs – on the integration of consumer energy resources.

The post Network companies called out for “lack of accountability” on rooftop solar integration, in final report from ESB appeared first on RenewEconomy.

A wind turbine has been destroyed at the Clements Gap wind farm after it caught on fire on Wednesday.

The post Fire destroys wind turbine at Pacific Blue’s Clements Gap appeared first on RenewEconomy.

AER is suing the operator of Callide C, one of the youngest coal plants on the NEM, over a 2021 incident that left huge parts of Queensland without power.

The post Coal generator to face court over blackouts caused by “catastrophic” explosion appeared first on RenewEconomy.

BHP, Rio Tinto and BlueScope are scoping locations in Australia for a pilot plant to make low-carbon steel using cleaner technology.

The post Iron ore giants join forces on electric smelter for green steel appeared first on RenewEconomy.