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The PM continues to play politics with the climate emergency. The dismal consequences will long outlast his time in office

On Tuesday, the head of the International Energy Agency (IEA) pleaded with governments to up the pace in reducing the world’s dependence on oil and gas. A “strong signal to energy markets” was needed, said Fatih Birol – one which indicated that governments are taking the climate seriously. Wealthy countries, he added, having disproportionately contributed to historical carbon emissions, bear a special responsibility as the climate begins to change at “frightening speed”.

On Wednesday Britain certainly sent out a signal. But it was hardly the one the IEA would have hoped for. Instead, the green light was given for the exploitation of the United Kingdom’s largest untapped oilfield. The Rosebank project in the North Sea has the potential to deliver 500m barrels of oil, which, when burned, would emit the same amount of carbon dioxide as the running of 56 coal-fired power stations for a year. Tax incentives offered to the Norwegian energy company Equinor will effectively subsidise a development certain to undermine the country’s credibility in future climate negotiations.

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Zimbabwe has backed down on forcing project developers to hand over a quarter of their share of proceeds from credit sales to local communities, the government announced Wednesday, following a backlash from investors and market participants.

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The EU risks losing a sizeable chunk of the truck manufacturing market to competitors such as the US and China by 2035 if it does not adopt high CO2 standards for heavy-duty vehicles, according to NGO-commissioned analysis published on Wednesday.

Amidst sentiments of distrust in nature-based solutions and a stuttering voluntary carbon market (VCM), a once-billion-dollar-valued agtech company remains confident in its plan to scale up soil carbon offset generation, while others in the sector forecast more conservative economics.

The 21 members of a UK-France government-initiated panel aiming to galvanise international biodiversity credit markets have been announced.

A group of environmental finance organisations have set out a vision for high-integrity marine natural capital markets for the UK in a new consultative report, which they hope will help close an estimated funding gap close to £50 billion for marine ecosystems.

The elusive substance holds the key to discovering how the Universe was formed.

Labor heavyweight also warns of the danger of environment movement fading as he throws support behind new alliance

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The former New South Wales premier Bob Carr has backed an alliance of conservation groups calling for tougher environmental protections and an overhaul of the state’s land-clearing laws.

A report from the new alliance – called the Stand Up for Nature alliance – calls for forests and native vegetation to be protected by “ending habitat destruction, run away land clearing and industrial native forest logging”.

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These globe-trotting shorebirds travel nonstop from the Arctic but urbanisation is leading to their dramatic decline

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From GJ Walter Park, just north of Toondah Harbour on the shores of Moreton Bay, Judith Hoyle gazes across the dappled water towards Cassim Island, a resilient stand of mangroves emerging from the mudflats several hundred metres offshore. Ferries from Minjerribah (North Stradbroke Island) cruise past, barely causing a ripple.

From a spit of mud on the island’s southern end, a group of 100 or so bar-tailed godwits appear undisturbed. But the rising tide is rapidly consuming their roost. As roosts disappear beneath the waves, the godwits reluctantly move to higher ground, deeper into the mangroves. By high tide, they’ll be forced further inshore, where dogs are allowed off-leash.

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UK technology companies could spend less than the cost of a pint of beer on every employee per week to become one of the top 100 companies in the country for emissions mitigation, according to a survey published on Wednesday.

European carbon prices were slightly weaker on Wednesday morning as traders absorbed Commitment of Traders data that showed a small decrease in the net short position of investment funds, but several participants questioned whether this would be sufficient to trigger another short squeeze.

An emerging Republic of Ireland peatland standard aims to address biodiversity credits before the end of 2025, a sustainable finance non-profit has said.

Reliance on oil won’t slash our bills: this is a climate crime that will leave our economy more vulnerable

“This is just the start,” said Rishi Sunak last week in his climate-wrecking speech from Downing Street. It certainly was just the start, because today, the government has sanctioned drilling in Rosebank, the biggest undeveloped oilfield in the North Sea.

This just 14 months after the UK’s hottest day, in July 2022. In that same month, the high court ruled the government’s net zero strategy unlawful, and ministers were ordered to redo their homework.

Caroline Lucas is the Green MP for Brighton Pavilion

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Market actors have expressed major concerns about the UK's nature market direction, as biodiversity rules for the planning and development sector have been delayed by the UK government with no fixed date for its implementation.

Global shipping needs swift action and collaboration to decarbonise in order to tackle growing emissions and regulatory uncertainty and ensure a just and equitable transition, according to a UN report released Wednesday.

Iceland has agreed to buy 3.4 million sovereign carbon units from Slovakia in order to fulfil its legally-binding obligations under the Kyoto Protocol’s second commitment period (2013-20).

A report published Wednesday has set out 12 guidelines for policymakers to ensure that the scramble to scale carbon removals technologies such as direct air capture does not slow down much-needed emissions reductions.

A group of five companies and organisations has launched an accelerator to attract investment in high-quality biodiversity projects across Africa, with a first call for proposals open until late next month.

One of China's leading tech firms has agreed to buy salt marsh-based carbon credits under a regional scheme, the first of its kind in the country, amid rising interest among domestic developers in the emerging blue carbon market.