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The European Parliament is likely to back the entry of all shipping emissions into the EU ETS from 2024 in a vote next week, stakeholders said, with lawmakers replicating much of a preliminary Committee position but also crafting exemptions that would substantially weaken the carbon price signal for some.

Romania has published a draft emergency law outlining a schedule for the phaseout of all its remaining coal power capacity by end-2030, two years earlier than it set out just eight months ago as the country ramps up renewables investments.

Vegetated areas above treeline have increased by 77% since 1984, satellite data shows

The impact of global heating on the Alps is visible from space, with the snow-white mountains increasingly colonised by green plants, according to a study of high-resolution satellite data.

Vegetated areas above the treeline in the Alps have increased by 77% since 1984, the study says. While retreating glaciers have symbolised the speed of global heating in the Alpine region, researchers described the increases in plant biomass as an “absolutely massive” change.

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A former EU negotiator for carbon markets under the Paris Agreement has joined Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ vehicle to fight climate change and protect nature.

The carbon offset subsidiary of a Chinese forestry and paper company has secured a 200-million yuan ($30 mln) bank loan at a preferential interest rate to develop forest carbon projects across a number of domestic and international offset standards.

Environmentalists threaten legal action over UK permit for Shell to develop Jackdaw field

Environmentalists are threatening legal action in an attempt to halt the development of a new gas field in the North Sea that has been given the green light by the UK government.

Climate experts reacted with anger after the government announced it had given the Jackdaw field, to be developed by the oil multinational Shell, “final regulatory approval” on Wednesday.

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A group of key industrial players have joined SteelZero, adding momentum to the initiative as it has just published a set of policy guidelines to help speed up the transition towards the use of low carbon steel.

A handful of OTC block trades pushed volumes in China’s emissions market over the past week above 1 million, but the price remained unchanged and market outlook tempered by the overall policy situation.

An Australian researcher has called on the soil carbon methodology to be barred from generating carbon credits, arguing the practices used are not additional, have limited impact, and place an unnecessary cost burden on landowners.

Australian telecoms giant Telstra has retired almost 1.5 million CERs from three Indian wind power projects that will go towards its annual carbon neutral certification under the Climate Active programme.

Three former UN climate heads say gap between government promises and actions will change environment irreversibly

The policies currently in place to tackle the climate crisis around the world will lead to “catastrophic” climate breakdown, as governments have failed to take the actions needed to fulfil their promises, three former UN climate leaders have warned.

There is a stark gap between what governments have promised to do to protect the climate, and the measures and policies needed to achieve the targets. At the Cop26 summit last November, countries agreed to bring forward plans to limit global heating to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels – the limit of safety, according to scientists. They have so far submitted pledges that would limit temperatures to under 2C.

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Conflict and Covid make these troubling times, but national leaders must cooperate and take action now

At the end of February this year, the world’s governments signed on to a statement that was startling in its strength and clarity. “The cumulative scientific evidence is unequivocal: Climate change is a threat to human wellbeing and planetary health,” reads the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report. “Any further delay in concerted anticipatory global action on adaptation and mitigation will miss a brief and rapidly closing window of opportunity to secure a liveable and sustainable future for all.’”

You might think that political leaders could have no higher priority than securing a “liveable and sustainable future”. Is that not what all of us, in every country, need and want for ourselves and for future generations? It is true that other issues are causing grave concern in many societies: governments worldwide are tackling poverty and hunger, wars and civil conflicts, the rising cost of food and energy, health systems and economies crippled by Covid-19.

Christiana Figueres was executive secretary of UNFCCC from 2010 to 2016

Yvo de Boer was executive secretary of UNFCCC from 2006 to 2010

Michael Zammit Cutajar was executive secretary of UNFCCC from 1991 to 2002

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Our coal-fired generators are failing, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has made the gas that fires the generators that are replacing them expensive, and it’s suddenly got cold. Tony Wood, Program Director, Energy, Grattan Institute Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Australia exports most of its coal and gas, and prices have skyrocketed. We could be facing a winter of pain for gas users. Samantha Hepburn, Professor, Deakin Law School, Deakin University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

One ecologist counted 160 dead wild birds while walking round a Scottish loch, and figures from other countries are just as worrying

As he walked along the shoreline of a Highland loch on a fine May evening, ecologist and wildlife photographer Peter Stronach could hardly believe what he was seeing. The beach was littered with dead and dying birds: male eider ducks, several species of gulls, a gannet, a puffin and no fewer than 26 pink-footed geese, which should by now have been on the way back to their Icelandic breeding grounds.

In all, Stronach recorded 72 individual birds of 17 species at Loch Fleet national nature reserve on the east coast of Scotland on that one day, plus many more in the following days.

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Bowen's first press conference as climate and energy minister focuses on energy crisis, and the right mess left by the Coalition.

The post Bowen says Coalition left energy markets “ill-prepared,” as prices spin out of control appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Greg Mullins says Chris Bowen’s invitation to meet with experts is a ‘stark contrast’ to outgoing Coalition government

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The longest-serving former fire commissioner in Australia, Greg Mullins, has predicted the Albanese government will ramp up its 2030 emissions reduction target over the coming years, because Labor is prepared to take advice from experts.

Mullins made the prognostication after meeting the new climate change minister Chris Bowen in Canberra on Thursday.

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Acciona hails the "golden age of renewables" at the official ceremony to mark construction of Australia's biggest wind farm.

The post “Golden age of renewables” hailed at official launch of Australia’s biggest wind project appeared first on RenewEconomy.

An Australian project developer on Thursday announced plans to develop a blue carbon project in Papua New Guinea that it says can generate almost 10 million carbon credits over the scheme’s lifetime, the first concrete project plan to emerge under the Indo-Pacific Carbon Offset Scheme (IPCOS).

With the electricity market in crisis, one Australian jurisdiction could be shielded from higher prices thanks to buying 100 per cent renewables.

The post How going 100 pct renewables will shield one part of Australia from surging power prices appeared first on RenewEconomy.