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EUAs climbed above €53 on Tuesday, gaining steadily for a third straight day as energy prices moved higher and buyers were not put off by a weaker auction result.

Exclusive: Unesco’s Fanny Douvere denies any political interference, noting the reef’s outlook has gone from ‘poor to very poor’

A senior Unesco official has rejected the Australian government’s claims it bowed to political pressure when deciding to recommend the Great Barrier Reef be placed on the world heritage “in danger” list.

Dr Fanny Douvere, of Unesco’s World Heritage Centre in Paris, also rejected a suggestion from the Australian environment minister, Sussan Ley, that the UN body had told the government a week ago it would not be recommending the listing.

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Large-scale environmental destruction affects the future of all life on our planet. Criminalising it would finally hold decision-makers to account

An international team of lawyers co-chaired by Philippe Sands QC and Dior Fall Sow has presented the outcome of its work announced in November last year to develop a legal definition of ecocide. This is a crucial step towards adding ecocide to the list of other major offences recognised by the international criminal court (ICC), including crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide.

Making large-scale destruction of nature and its associated loss of biodiversity an international crime means that individuals, not legal entities, can be personally held accountable and prosecuted if found guilty. This implies that responsibility for damage cannot be dealt with by budgeting for potential fines. Corporations very rarely intend to cause mass damage and destruction; rather, it is a consequence of their activities. The proposed definition of ecocide describes the crime as one of recklessness; the perpetrator acted in the knowledge that there was “substantial likelihood” of serious harm arising from their conduct, but they acted anyway.

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A leaked version of the EU’s upcoming forest strategy risks failing to increase the bloc’s natural carbon sink amid a push to harvest wood products for construction and buildings, campaigners say.

US biofuel credit (RIN) prices pared back roughly half their losses sustained in recent days as market participants pointed to a higher soybean oil values and a reopened import window for gasoline.

A Finnish coal-fired power plant has been condemned to closure two years earlier than scheduled due to rising carbon prices.

Draft law is intended to prosecute offences against the environment

Legal experts from across the globe have drawn up a “historic” definition of ecocide, intended to be adopted by the international criminal court to prosecute the most egregious offences against the environment.

The draft law, unveiled on Tuesday, defines ecocide as “unlawful or wanton acts committed with knowledge that there is a substantial likelihood of severe and widespread or long-term damage to the environment being caused by those acts”.

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California imported more electricity from the Pacific Northwest and less from the Southwest last year, while the state relied more heavily on carbon-emitting sources amid declining power demand during the COVID-19 crisis, according to new data.

Scientists find evidence parts of Venus's rocky surface move around like bits of ocean pack ice.

California-headquartered Boomitra has raised $4 million from a variety of corporate backers and billionaires as it seeks to establish an international low-cost CO2 removal programme for both voluntary and compliance carbon markets.

Terraformation, the restoration company co-founded last year by former Reddit CEO Yishan Wong, made headlines this month for offering ‘reforestation in a box’, but the real news may be that more investors are willing to put money into sustainable land practices.

Japan Petroleum Exploration Co. (Japex) and major power company J-Power have signed separate agreements with Indonesia’s state-owned Pertamina to earn carbon credits under the Joint Crediting Mechanism from CCS projects.

Coloured graphics designed by a Reading academic represent changing temperatures over time

It is the first African country to get money for reducing carbon emissions through forest protection.

Australia’s Clean Energy Regulator has issued almost 665,000 new carbon credits, while the optimism that Australia will set a 2050 net zero target this year – which some analysts say has been instrumental in pushing ACCU prices to record high levels – might be in question after the junior Coalition partner this week ditched its leader for being too pliant on climate.

Senate issues major blow to Morrison government, rejecting Taylor's quest to open up ARENA funds for CCS and fossil hydrogen, blocking new regulations.

The post Senate delivers major blow to Taylor’s bid to redirect renewable energy funds to fossil fuel projects appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Canberra lashes out as the UN says the reef should join a list of World Heritage Sites "in danger".

Australia is considering allowing the use of offsets to carbon neutralise hydrogen made from fossil fuels, it said in a discussion paper on a domestic hydrogen Guarantee of Origin (GO) scheme.

How a series of mass coral bleaching events linked to rising sea temperatures prompted calls for action ahead of world heritage committee meeting

• Great Barrier Reef should be listed as ‘in danger’, Unesco recommends
• Comment: The Australian government wants to avoid the Great Barrier Reef being listed as ‘in danger’ at all costs

The Great Barrier Reef has been under pressure for decades due to rising greenhouse gas emissions and other human activity, notably agriculture along the Queensland coast.

There were mass coral bleaching events linked to rising sea temperatures in 1998 and 2002.

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Up to 40% of lead in airborne particles comes from the legacy of leaded petrol, researchers say.