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One of the biggest challenges facing the voluntary carbon market (VCM) is presenting a united front in the face of criticism, speakers at the North American Carbon World said Wednesday, noting this should include backing a learning-by-doing model that emphasises progress and impact.

Washington state should have the ability to alter its WCI-modelled cap-and-trade programme and more closely align with California as the jurisdictions pursue linkage, though it is difficult to say whether full fungibility between the two carbon markets as currently structured could take place, a conference heard Wednesday.

The 11 RGGI member states will look into ratcheting down yearly allowance caps to zero by 2040 as one possible scenario in the power sector carbon market’s third programme review, according to a document posted Wednesday.

The Australian state of New South Wales has implemented tough new Treasury guidelines that one expert says applies a carbon price through regulation, would make new fossil fuel projects untenable, and could be easily applied to other state and federal jurisdictions.

Defying a global energy crisis and supply chain issues, new data shows global renewable generation capacity soared in 2022 to record highs.

The post Solar and wind power through energy crisis to chart record renewables growth appeared first on RenewEconomy.

The Canadian federal offset system has only received one project application since its publication in June because its first protocol is already covered by the provinces, according to the government agency tasked with running the programme.

Climate Impact X (CIX) is set to launch its nature-based standardised contract on its upcoming spot trading platform, addressing market concerns over project delivery risk, market-representative pricing, and fragmented liquidity in the voluntary carbon market (VCM), it announced on Thursday.

Netherlands government selects a site for what it hopes will be the world’s largest offshore wind-to-hydrogen production project.

The post Netherlands plans world’s largest offshore wind-to-hydrogen project appeared first on RenewEconomy.

As important as the Safeguard Mechanism is, the reality is Labor's bill doesn’t yet properly deliver on its climate commitments. Here's how to fix that.

The post Four steps to resolve the Labor‐Greens safeguard standoff and close loopholes appeared first on RenewEconomy.

California offset issuance over a two-week period dropped by more than 50% week-over-week for the second time in a row, with year-to-date levels cratering compared to the same period in 2022, data from state regulator ARB published Wednesday showed.

The research group that first exposed the scandal say ‘it’s not over’ and that governments must act

Thirteen million diesel cars producing “extreme” levels of toxic air pollution are still on the roads in Europe and the UK, according to a report, seven years after the Dieselgate scandal first exploded.

The non-profit research group, the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT), revealed in 2015 that many diesel cars were highly polluting, emitting far more nitrogen oxides on the road than in official testing. The scandal led to a more rigorous test being introduced in the EU in 2019.

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Fear and Wonder is a new climate podcast, brought to you by The Conversation, and sponsored by the Climate Council. In episode one, we discuss how scientists know the climate is changing. Michael Green, Host + Producer, The Conversation Joelle Gergis, Senior Lecturer in Climate Science, Australian National University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

The first comprehensive audit of marine life around Australia, deploying an army of volunteer research divers alongside scientists, has revealed southern reefs are suffering the most. Graham Edgar, Senior Marine Ecologist, Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

The full costs – and risks – of hydrogen blending should be understood, and a strong case for its benefits proven, before consumers are asked to fund it.

The post Why blending hydrogen into the gas supply is still just a pipe dream appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Members of the European Parliament expressed concerns on Wednesday about the risks of greenwashing linked to carbon farming, during a public hearing with experts.

Global tech giants are continuing to support the nascent voluntary carbon removals market, with Microsoft and Google on Wednesday both announcing investment and initiatives.

EUA prices are likely to rise in the coming two years as utilities catch up on forward hedging following last year's energy crisis, magnifying the impact of a supply shortfall as the market begins to anticipate the impact of cuts in free allocation, according to executives at a European investment firm.

EU proposals to tackle greenwashing launched on Wednesday would force companies active in the bloc to disclose where they acquire their carbon credits and whether the units are backed by recognised methodologies, seeking to open up the little-regulated voluntary carbon market (VCM).

Almost all sampled cookstove projects have been given low scores by a carbon credit rating agency, echoing an academic report that claimed rife over-crediting even as proponents said the work mischaracterised current practices and downplayed other benefits.

Increasing ocean temperatures present ‘existential threat’ with knock-on effects for ecosystems and commercial fisheries, researchers say

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More than 500 common species of fish, seaweed, coral and invertebrates that live on reefs around Australia have declined in the past decade, a study has found, as experts warn “not all is well in the ocean”.

Global heating was likely the main driver of the falls, with marine heatwaves and a rise in ocean temperatures hitting species that live on rocky and coral reefs.

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