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It’s not ‘the whole truth and nothing but the truth’ if campaigners cannot explain their motivations to a jury

To tell “the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth”: this is the oath defendants in an English court must take. But when David Nixon sought to do so, he was sent to jail.

Nixon, who had taken part in an Insulate Britain protest blocking a junction in the City of London, was on trial for causing a public nuisance, a charge that carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. He sought to explain his motivation to the jury. But the judge, Silas Reid, had instructed the defendants not to mention their reasons for taking action: namely climate breakdown, fuel poverty and the need for better insulation. When Nixon disregarded this instruction, Reid handed him an eight-week jail sentence for contempt of court.

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Only a third of low-carbon heating scheme’s annual budget has been used since launch in May 2022

A scheme to encourage UK households to upgrade their gas boilers to heat pumps and other low-carbon alternatives is failing to deliver after suffering a “disappointingly low” take-up, a parliamentary report has said.

Members of the House of Lords environment and climate change committee have written to ministers urging them to boost the profile of the £450m boiler upgrade scheme, after discovering just a third of its annual budget had been used since its launch last May.

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Are blackouts really looming by the middle of this decade? An AEMO report warns they might be – but there are plenty of projects on the drawing board that will help ease the squeeze on the grid. Dylan McConnell, Senior Research Associate, Renewable Energy & Energy Systems Analyst, UNSW Sydney Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

NSW Ports is planning a futuristic port that can support offshore wind and hydrogen.

The post NSW Ports prepares to turns Port Kembla into an offshore wind energy hub appeared first on RenewEconomy.

South Korean industrial giant throws its weight behind Infinite Green Energy plans to develop and build Australia’s first commercial-scale green hydrogen project.

The post Korean giant backs plans for Australia’s first commercial solar hydrogen project appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Australia already produces five times as much methane as our population should warrant – but what if some of the biggest emitters are fudging their numbers?

The post Australia’s methane pollution problem is outsized – and probably underestimated appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Solar export tariffs are set to hit parts of the grid next year. We look at the sometimes baffling network proposals to see what's on the table.

The post “Sun tax” gets closer, but not much clearer, as networks outline solar export tariff plans appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Engie's proposed Hazelwood lake will be scrutinised by the federal government's more muscular environment department for its huge water use.

The post Can an old coal pit be turned into a lake? Hazelwood plans set off “water trigger” appeared first on RenewEconomy.

A 200MW/400MWh energy storage system in the UK claims to be a world-first, and will help UK take another step towards a zero carbon grid.

The post Huge 400MWh battery takes UK one step closer to 100 per cent renewables appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Landmark study looks into Australia's energy future to see how consumers will use electricity, how they won't, and how to avoid a potentially bumpy transition.

The post Solar exports and siestas: The energy future where consumers have the power, and can share it too appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Cities are starting to restore natural systems such as waterways, wetlands and bushland. But restoration on the scale these systems need to function properly calls for a rethink of urban planning. Louise Wright, Practice Professor of Architecture, Monash University Catherine Murphy, Senior Lecturer in Urban Planning and Design, Monash University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

The EU has avoided €12 billion in gas costs due to its rapid growth in wind and solar power generation in the year since Russia invaded Ukraine, according to a report published by an environmental think-tank on Wednesday.  

Government unlikely to meet its green heating targets as take-up of the grant scheme is so low.

Issuance of Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) increased this week, a regulatory update showed, while the Greens party voiced its outrage over the government’s approval of a new gas development in Queensland.

Blackstone still keen on using Origin as platform for $20 billion wind, solar and storage push after board supports a slightly trimmed offer.

The post Blackstone still hungry for massive green energy play as Origin board backs trimmed offer appeared first on RenewEconomy.

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The Canadian government should offer a carbon contract for differences (CCfD) programme to help level the playing field with the numerous clean energy tax credits provided in the US Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), according to a working paper published Tuesday.

The devastation of Cyclone Gabrielle has left a significant scar on the land in Northland, the Coromandel and Hawkes Bay. But instead of replanting pine, we should return the land to native bush. David Norton, Emeritus professor, University of Canterbury Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

The Washington Department of Ecology (ECY) asked a federal court to throw out a lawsuit against the state’s WCI-modelled cap-and-trade programme, arguing a gas-fired power producer’s claims of discrimination under the regulation are fatally flawed.

Longest running dispute over solar farm contract finally resolved after more than two years.

The post Longest running solar farm contract dispute finally settled after more than two years appeared first on RenewEconomy.