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Fifteen finalists chosen for providing innovative solutions to environmental challenges facing the planet

The first finalists in the Duke of Cambridge’s ambitious £50m global Earthshot prize to help repair the planet over the next 10 years have been announced and include a schoolgirl, a city and a country.

The prestigious global environment prize is designed to encourage solutions on climate change. The 15 inaugural finalists – three in each of the prize’s five categories – were chosen by experts and the prize council members.

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The best of this week’s wildlife pictures, including an ambush bug, friendly frogs and a rescued orca

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Members of Oil and Gas Authority hold shares in fossil fuel firms, raising conflict of interest concerns

Campaigners have warned that close links uncovered between the oil and gas industry and the UK’s North Sea regulator, which is responsible for licensing new fields, risk overly “cosy” relationships that might affect the decision making process.

Three of the 13 members of the board of directors and senior management team of the Oil and Gas Authority hold sizeable shareholdings in oil companies, amounting to about £225,000, and eight of the 13 previously worked in the oil and gas industry, the news site the Ferret has found, in an investigation funded by the Uplift campaign against fossil fuels.

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Japanese oil and gas company Inpex signed a carbon neutral propane gas deal with major LPG player Astomos Energy this week, broadening the list of fossil fuel product trades that are controversially claiming carbon neutrality.

Chinese Carbon Emissions Allowances (CEAs) rose by 7% over the past week, though activity remains low as talk of further delays in allocating an outstanding 5 billion permits weighs on traders.

The first pictures have been released showing the Inspiration4 crew looking down on the planet.

The three astronauts spent 90 days at China's space station, some 380km above Earth.

The internet exploded after a musk duck was recorded saying “you bloody fool” , and a lyrebird cried like a human baby. So what’s the fuss all about? Anastasia Dalziell, Postdoctoral research fellow, University of Wollongong Justin A. Welbergen, President of the Australasian Bat Society | Associate Professor in Animal Ecology, Western Sydney University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Former Minerals Council chief, and advisor to the prime minister, appointed as Australia's new ambassador to the OECD.

The post Morrison’s coal lump supplier, former advisor, appointed Australian OECD ambassador appeared first on RenewEconomy.

The Coalition's attitude to batteries has been hostile and ignorant. There's no reason to believe its consideration of submarine propulsion technology has been any more adult.

The post Nuclear good, batteries bad: Morrison’s subs deal is thin edge of wedge appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Sean McGoldrick, the new head of Tasmania Networks, on the renewables, battery, and hydrogen possibilities for the island state.

The post Energy Insiders Podcast: Tasmania has big green plans, can it deliver? appeared first on RenewEconomy.

A discovery by Curtin University researchers has opened the door to a potentially cheaper and more efficient method of large-scale renewable hydrogen production.

The post WA researchers find path to cheaper, more efficient green hydrogen production appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Former boss of Territory Generation and electrical union settle defamation case arising from Alice Springs blackouts and simmering tension in NT grid.

The post Former energy boss and union settle defamation case over Alice Springs blackouts appeared first on RenewEconomy.

The Minister for the Environment, the Hon Sussan Ley MP, has determined the 2021 Finalised Priority Assessment List (FPAL) of items that will be assessed under threatened species and ecological communities listing provisions of the EPBC Act 1999 in the assessment period commencing on 1 October 2021.

Faroese have been killing whales since Viking times but many islanders now oppose annual slaughter

In a parked car overlooking the ocean sit two of the biggest whale killers in the Faroe Islands. They look exhausted, but not from hunting. Ólavur Sjúrðaberg, 75, and Hans J Hermansen, 73, have been on the phone constantly since a mass killing of 1,428 white-sided dolphins in the Faroe Islands on Sunday sparked international outrage and led the Faroes prime minister to announce on Thursday that the government would review the dolphin hunt.

Neither Sjúrðaberg nor Hermansen participated in the killing, but they are the current and former chairman of the Faroese Whalers Association, founded in 1992 to explain and defend the traditional killing of whales in the islands, known as the “grind”, and ensure it is as efficient and respectful as possible.

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Victoria joins NSW in rejecting a proposal to pay coal and gas generators to delay their closure, a plan being embraced by Angus Taylor.

The post Victoria joins NSW in saying no to “Coalkeeper”, wants focus on battery storage appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Victoria's rejection of the proposed capacity market suggests it might be time to wind up the ESB and let the states focus on new market mechanisms.

The post It may now be time for the Energy Security Board to be wound up appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Fire-resistant blankets are being wrapped around California's famous sequoia trees as a blaze closes in.

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Foresight Australian solar assets finally reach full capacity, but not-so-sunny conditions and network constraints restrict output in latest half year.

The post UK solar fund returns weighed down by Australian projects and network issues appeared first on RenewEconomy.