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Plastic bottle deposit return scheme finally looks set to start in England
Campaigners say long delay is adding to pollution and government would be betraying manifesto promise if glass is not included
The launch of a long awaited deposit return scheme for plastic bottles is expected to be announced by the government.
Five years after Michael Gove first promised the scheme, it is understood ministers will on Friday give the go-ahead for a deposit return scheme (DRS) which will not include glass, according to a report in the Grocer magazine.
Continue reading...Two major airlines eye multi-year carbon credit agreements
Australian cassowary credit scheme highlights the long road to a biodiversity market
Investor piles more cash into billion-dollar removals startup
Indonesia, WEF partner to scale up blue carbon
Shell to spend $450m on carbon offsetting as fears grow that credits may be worthless
British multinational to spend huge sums on schemes that do not bring genuine carbon reductions, analysis shows
- More than 90% of rainforest carbon offsets by biggest provider are ‘worthless’
- Greenwashing or a net zero necessity? Scientists on carbon offsetting
- Carbon offsets flawed but we are in a climate emergency
The fossil fuel firm Shell has set aside more than $450m (£367m) to invest in carbon offsetting projects, and plans to buy the equivalent of half the current market for nature offsets every year, the Guardian can reveal.
But a joint investigation by the Guardian, Die Zeit and Source Material into Verra, the world’s leading carbon standard for the rapidly growing $2bn voluntary offsets market, has found, based on analysis of a significant percentage of the projects, that more than 90% of their rainforest offset credits – among the most commonly used by companies – are likely to be “phantom credits” and do not represent genuine carbon reductions.
Continue reading...‘All-natural’ Simply Orange Juice has high toxic PFAS levels, lawsuit alleges
Coca-Cola claimed juice was healthy despite toxic ‘forever chemicals’ levels ‘hundreds of times’ above federal limits, suit says
A new class-action lawsuit in the US alleges Coca-Cola and Simply Orange Juice deceived customers with claims of an all-natural, healthy product when the juice has been found to be contaminated with toxic PFAS at levels “hundreds of times” above federal advisory limits for drinking water.
PFAS are a class of about 12,000 chemicals typically used to make thousands of consumer products resist water, stains and heat. They are called “forever chemicals” because they do not naturally break down, and they are linked to cancer, fetal complications, liver disease, kidney disease, autoimmune disorders and other serious health issues.
Continue reading...SBTN opens for initial screening of corporate nature-based targets
Indian carbon market group forms alliance with state-level renewables agency body
Hong Kong should work with Beijing to explore VCM potential, top banker suggests
‘Feeble’ curbs will ban bottom trawling in only three marine parks in England
UK government’s piecemeal response to harmful practice attacked as too slow to stop ‘industrial fishing frenzy’
The UK government has proposed “feeble” new restrictions on harmful bottom trawling within 13 marine parks in England that would only actually ban it in three, campaigners say.
Under the proposals put forward by Thérèse Coffey, the environment secretary, three out of the 13 marine protected areas (MPAs) would introduce whole-site bans on the environmentally destructive practice of bottom trawling. The other 10 would introduce partial bans in certain areas, mostly reefs and rocks where trawling is unlikely to occur anyway. England has 40 offshore marine protected areas in total.
Continue reading...Spoof billboard ads take aim at BMW and Toyota over ‘going green’ claims
‘Subvertisers’ hijack 400 posters in Belgium, France, Germany and the UK to satirise what they claim are misleading ads by carmakers
Guerrilla “subvertisers” have taken aim at BMW and Toyota with a campaign of spoof adverts that they say reveals the truth behind the carmakers’ claims to be going green.
As the European Motor Show opened its doors in Brussels for its 100th anniversary over the weekend, climate activists hijacked more than 400 advertising billboards and bus stops in Belgium, France, Germany and England, calling out the companies.
Continue reading...Tories accused by own watchdog of failing to keep environment promises
No progress found on 23 targets from 25-year green plan for England as wildlife declines at ‘eye-watering’ rate
The UK government is failing to keep its promises to improve England’s environment as wildlife declines at an “eye-watering” rate, according to its own watchdog.
In 2018 ministers pledged a 25-year plan to protect the UK’s natural environment and leave it in a better state than when the government found it. They set out a range of priorities, including the abundance of wildlife species and habitats, air and water quality, access to the natural world, the treatment of waste, managing resource use and cutting pollution.
Species abundance is in “inexorable” decline, despite a pledge to halt the decline of wildlife by 2030.
Of 23 environmental targets examined, the government was demonstrably on track on none of them.
On 14 of the targets,it was judged to be clearly off-track.
The government is failing even to collect data on many key areas.
Only 38% of sites of special scientific interest are in “favourable condition”, with “negligible” progress on this over the past decade.
Farming policy has failed to focus on the environment.
No joined-up approach across government.
Only limited progress in improving air quality, and moves to reduce emissions, partly in response to the Covid-19 lockdowns.
Concerns over plans to scrap EU laws that could reduce environmental protections.
Continue reading...Landholders get new guidelines on how to host wind and solar farms, and big batteries
Landholders get new advice on how to negotiate deals with renewable energy and storage developers, including the thorny issue of "blade trespass."
The post Landholders get new guidelines on how to host wind and solar farms, and big batteries appeared first on RenewEconomy.
NSW imposes domestic coal reserve as miners bask in super profits from exports
NSW to force thermal coal mines to reserve output for coal generators as BHP reveals its recent coal price is four times that of new price cap.
The post NSW imposes domestic coal reserve as miners bask in super profits from exports appeared first on RenewEconomy.
Big Oil snaps up lead role in another massive 25GW green hydrogen project
Singapore-based Intercontinental Energy brings in another Big Oil major to take lead on one of its mega green hydrogen projects.
The post Big Oil snaps up lead role in another massive 25GW green hydrogen project appeared first on RenewEconomy.
Going 100 pct renewables would save the UK £120 billion, report says
Report suggests dropping fossil fuels and nuclear and going 100 pct renewables and storage would save the UK £120 billion by 2050.
The post Going 100 pct renewables would save the UK £120 billion, report says appeared first on RenewEconomy.