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China’s thermal power generation in October was up by 3.2% from a year ago, outpacing a 1.3% gain in overall power output, government data showed Tuesday, though the country's power demand grew at a slower pace amid gradual economic recovery.

New Zealand carbon allowances have traded at an all-time high over the past two days amid persisting expectations that the government will agree to ETS recommendations made by the independent Climate Change Commission (CCC).

Data shows E coli and intestinal enterococci at levels unsafe for swimming at Wolvercote Mill Stream, near Oxford

The only official bathing water area on the River Thames has failed tests for bacteria associated with sewage pollution, data shows.

A section of Wolvercote Mill Stream, at Port Meadow, two miles outside Oxford, was designated as an official bathing area in April after a campaign by local people.

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Exclusive: Raw sewage releases exploit ‘monopoly’ of suppliers, argue corporate wrongdoing specialists

Water companies could be forced to pay their customers hundreds of millions in fines due to sewage pollution, a leading firm specialising in corporate wrongdoing has said.

Fideres LLP, which has conducted investigations into issues ranging from Covid test prices to cryptocurrency scams, is now setting its sights on England’s water companies.

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Almost all global coal consumption is now in countries that have committed to a net zero target, but use of the fuel has been stable at near record highs for a decade and immediate policy action is required to mobilise the financing necessary to kickstart a transition to clean energy alternatives worldwide, the International Energy Agency (IEA) urged on Tuesday.

Victoria Coalition leader Matthew Guy's campaign promise to "turbocharge" gas production can only be described as a hoax.

The post Victoria needs a plan to get off gas, not an impossible promise to burn more appeared first on RenewEconomy.

England’s tally of 80 confirmed incidents is second-highest figure since records began

There were 108 confirmed incidents of illegal persecution of birds of prey across Britain in 2021, according to the RSPB’s annual bird crime report.

England’s tally of 80 confirmed persecution incidents was the second-highest figure since records began in 1990, after an unprecedented surge in wildlife crime during the pandemic year of 2020. That year, a record 137 known incidents of bird of prey persecution were logged by the RSPB, with lockdowns seemingly creating an increased opportunity to kill raptors without detection.

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The Guardian and dozens of international media titles publish a joint editorial calling for radical thinking on how to fund climate action in poorer countries

• The Guardian view on Cop27: this is no time for apathy or complacency

Dozens of media organisations from around the world have published a joint editorial article calling for a windfall tax on the biggest fossil fuel companies.

The funds raised should be redistributed to poorer, vulnerable countries, the editorial says, as they are suffering the worst impacts of the climate crisis despite having done the least to cause it.

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This editorial calling for action from world leaders on the climate crisis is published today by more than 30 media organisations in more than 20 countries

• Impose climate tax on fossil fuel giants, media groups urge

Climate change is a global problem that requires cooperation between all nations. That’s why today more than 30 newspapers and media organisations in more than 20 countries have taken a common view about what needs to be done. Time is running out. Rather than getting out of fossil fuels and into clean energy, many wealthy nations are reinvesting in oil and gas, failing to cut emissions fast enough and haggling over the aid they are prepared to send to poor countries. All this while the planet hurtles towards the point of no return – where climate chaos becomes irreversible.

Since the Cop26 UN climate summit in Glasgow 12 months ago, countries have only promised to do one-fiftieth of what is needed to stay on track to keep temperatures within 1.5C of pre-industrial levels. No continent has avoided extreme weather disasters this year – from floods in Pakistan to heatwaves in Europe, and from forest fires in Australia to hurricanes in the US. Given that these came about from elevated temperatures of about 1.1C, the world can expect far worse to come.

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The case for rapid transition to renewables is stronger, but some developments are making it harder

On a breezy day in May, the Met Office issued a pithy forecast which would prove telling: “Quite windy.” In fact, on 25 May the UK set a record for wind power generation, 19.9 gigawatts – enough to cover more than half of Britain’s electricity needs, or boil 3.5m kettles. So plentiful was the wind power that National Grid was forced to ask some turbines in the west of Scotland to shut down, as the network was unable to store such a large amount of electricity.

The episode represents a landmark which underlines both the progress of Britain’s renewables industry and the potholes in the road to replacing fossil fuels. Just six months earlier, global leaders met in Glasgow with renewable energy high on the agenda.

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For many environmentalists, overpopulation is a real concern. But the planet will benefit more from tackling overconsumption by rich countries. Matthew Selinske, Postdoctoral research associate conservation science, RMIT University Leejiah Dorward, Postdoctoral research associate, Bangor University Paul Barnes, Visiting researcher, UCL Stephanie Brittain, Conservation scientist, University of Oxford Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

AGL now has four new directors who support a rapid green transition, but the company chair is still convinced the lights will go out if we keep to the Paris target.

The post Cannon-Brookes wins board battle, but AGL chair still convinced lights will go out in 1.5° scenario appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Port city releases landmark report that provides plan to transition away from fossil fuel-based industries and into the 'new economy'.

The post “Once in a generation:” Gladstone plans pivot from fossil fuels to renewables in Australia first appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Labor pledges $6m to support the expansion of a state-of-the-art education centre to train workers in skills essential to the renewables transition.

The post Victoria Labor pledges $6m to expand wind energy training facility appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Sun Cable strikes deal with Indonesia government to pursue more than $150 billion of green industry opportunities in the archipelago.

The post Sun Cable signs up to help unlock $150 billion of green growth in Indonesia appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Rooftop solar to be switched off in South Australia every day until link to NEM re-established, with some crunch days looming at the end of the week.

The post Rooftop solar switched off for third day, but Thursday looms as crunch in South Australia appeared first on RenewEconomy.

FRV secures new finance deal for the country's first solar farm to use single axis tracking technology.

The post FRV secures new finance for Australia’s first solar farm to use tracking technology appeared first on RenewEconomy.

High voltages cost Australian consumers close to $2 billion a year in excess consumption, reduced solar output and long-term damage to electrical equipment.

The post There’s a smarter way of solving the problem of dumb, legacy solar inverters appeared first on RenewEconomy.

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

Countries that belong to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) are set to close three-quarters of their coal power plants by 2030, but research shows that fossil fuel companies mostly based in such nations have begun to ramp up new investment in Africa instead.