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The Guardian asks five climate experts to explain the key differences between 1.5C and 2C

The world’s most ambitious climate target is under threat, both from physics and politics. But what would it mean for the planet and its inhabitants if humanity were to abandon the goal to limit global heating to 1.5C above preindustrial levels?

The inclusion of 1.5C (2.7F) was hailed as one of the great triumphs of the Paris climate agreement of 2015. Until then, international ambition had been limited to 2C (3.6F), much to the frustration of small island states and others on the frontline of climate disruption.

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Exclusive: plant from South America, also known as Gunnera, found to spread rapidly and choke native flora

With its dramatic leaves and sprawling structure, the giant rhubarb has long been a popular garden plant, gracing the grounds of stately homes and multiple National Trust properties.

But the UK government is now to enact a ban – similar to that on Japanese knotweed – on the plant, also known as Gunnera, meaning it cannot be sold or cultivated, and those who have it in their gardens must ensure it does not spread.

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The government of President Xiomara Castro in Honduras has unveiled an initiative renewing and strengthening its commitments to protect the biosphere of Platano River and the Moskitia forest at COP28 in Dubai.

As Canada faces pressure from civil society to swiftly implement regulations, questions remain regarding how its new oil and gas emissions cap policy will reduce emissions while also achieving its stated purpose of enabling enhanced production of the fossil fuels.

A renewable energy subsidiary of an Abu Dhabi-based asset management firm has launched a project in Brazil to produce large volumes of biofuel from a native plant species in the country, which will have substantial potential for generating carbon credits, reforesting the country, and job creation.

Vietnam seeks to learn from international experiences to construct the legal framework for a domestic carbon exchange, as the country is set to launch the marketplace in the second half of this decade.

A science vessel currently docked in Dubai is being called upon by governments around the world to help better understand the carbon and biodiversity stores of their coastal waters.

Delegates return after rest day with children, education and food on the agenda

Canada has been asked by the Cop28 president, Sultan Al Jaber, to help develop language on the potential phase down or phase out of fossil fuels, its environment minister told reporters on Friday morning.

Steven Guilbeault, a former activist who is environment minister for the fourth largest oil and gas producer in the world, announced that Canada would require its fossil fuel industry to cut its emissions between 35% to 38% below 2019 levels starting in 2030 on Thursday.

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In a statement released Friday at COP28 in Dubai, Bolivia called for the ceasing of all market functions under the market-based Article 6.4 mechanism, which it sees as crowding out progress on non-market option Article 6.8.

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

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Voluntary carbon standard Verra will announce on Saturday a partnership with a high-level advisory body to produce research on how best to develop its approach, and share the information with stakeholders as early as the second quarter of next year.

A global institute plans to launch a $500-million fund for buying up Paris Agreement units next year, its head told a side event at COP28 in Dubai, as well as making millions available through 2027 for technical capacity building.

It is Day 9 of the COP28 climate conference, and weary (or wary) negotiators are returning from Thursday's rest day. Carbon Pulse correspondents are back on the scene at Expo City, having celebrated the break in negotiations by returning to our regularly scheduled programming: uploading non-COP news. With rumours of the Russian President in town, and the mood in negotiation rooms being described as "toxic", the UAE hosts have a big job on their hands. In our daily running blog, Carbon Pulse will report relevant or useful updates throughout the day. Timestamps are in local time (Gulf Standard Time, GMT+4).

Researchers warn of one of ‘largest ecological disasters of modern times’ if the highly contagious disease reaches penguin colonies

Bird flu is spreading in the Antarctic, with hundreds of elephant seals found dead, and fears it could bring “one of the largest ecological disasters of modern times” if the highly contagious virus reaches the remote penguin populations.

The virus was first reported among brown skua on Bird Island, off South Georgia. Since then, researchers and observers have reported mass deaths of elephant seals, as well as increased deaths of fur seals, kelp gulls and brown skua at several other sites. Cases have been confirmed 900 miles (1,500km) west of South Georgia, among southern fulmar on the Falkland Islands.

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RWE is proposing to install 145 turbines on around 14,000 hectares of farmland at Campbells Bridge in the Northern Grampians and Yarriambiack shires.

The post German energy giant RWE seeks social license for 1GW wind project in western Victoria appeared first on RenewEconomy.

UN climate chief calls for ‘highest ambition’ as nations wrangle over draft agreement

Negotiations on how the world can slash greenhouse gas emissions and stave off the worst impacts of the climate crisis will reach a fresh intensity over the next few days, with nations wrangling over whether to phase out or phase down fossil fuels.

For the remaining five negotiating days of the Cop28 UN climate summit in Dubai ministers will hold a series of meetings to try to break the impasse and present a text that sets out a roadmap for staying within a rise of 1.5C of global heating above preindustrial levels.

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COP28 host inaugurates world's largest concentrated solar power project, featuring the world’s tallest solar tower, at the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park.

The post World’s biggest CSP plant, with tallest solar power tower, inaugurated in Dubai appeared first on RenewEconomy.

A daily summary of our news plus bite-sized updates from around the world.

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality's (DEQ) policy board appointed a new deputy director and approved an amendment to its recent climate rulemaking to clarify the language for covered fuel suppliers at a special meeting on Thursday.

Amid all the doom and gloom on climate change, there are some good reasons for cautious optimism.