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Consultancy firm PwC has walked back findings from a report it wrote last year claiming a biodiversity market in Australia could unlock A$137 billion ($91 bln) in finance by 2050.

UK urged to use trade deals as bargaining tool to protect marine mammals

Dolphins and other marine mammals are being failed by the UK government, MPs have said, as they call for ministers not to sign trade deals without considering cetacean welfare.

The UK has poorer protections for dolphins, whales and seals than other countries, a report by the environment, food and rural affairs (Efra) committee has found.

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Yes, Finland has nature and saunas in abundance. But more important is an attitude I’ve found lacking in the UK

When I was invited to take part in a masterclass in happiness on the shores of Finnish Lakeland, a few of my friends expressed their surprise. But, Lucy, said one, you’re one of the happiest people I know. What are you hoping to learn from the Finns? I suppose she had a point. I’ve always been one of those annoying, glass-half-full people – not the most obvious choice for a four-day trip designed to teach me why Finnish people are consistently rated the happiest in the world. But, ever the optimist, I gladly accepted.

We Britons have about 60 words for happiness: blissfulness, ecstasy, pleasure, delight … The list is as varied as it is surprising, given that we only just scraped into the top 20 happiest countries in the world this year. Finns, who have been named the happiest nation for the sixth year running, are either onnellinen or iloinen. The latter roughly translates as joyful or glad: you might be iloinen that you’re heading off on holiday. Onnellinen, on the other hand, speaks to the notion of being content with your life, rather than describing a fleeting feeling.

Lucy Pearson is a freelance writer, book blogger and host of The Bondi Literary salon

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An Australian investment manager has successfully completed a funding round on a new equity fund focussing on natural capital and abatement, electrification and the circular economy, thanks to a contribution from the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC).

Japanese shipping giant Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) has completed concept designs and acquired approval in principle (AiP) for a liquefied CO2 (LCO2) project from two major maritime classification societies, it announced on Wednesday.

"The left hand of the government does not know what the right hand is doing.” Why Australia needs an over-arching strategy for a 1.5°C target.

The post Contradictory maze of government policies threatens 1.5°C end goal appeared first on RenewEconomy.

A very sunny May, delivering record monthly solar power input, helps set a new record for German renewables. And June promises to take it higher again.

The post Renewables supply more than half German electricity demand in first half of 2023 appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Yates takes up role as chair of GMR Energy, an aspiring energy storage developer whose Australian plans so far include six big batteries across three states.

The post Ex-CEFC chief Oliver Yates joins GMR, in new boost to bold big battery plans appeared first on RenewEconomy.

China Three Gorges says it has completed preparation work for construction of a 16MW wind turbine at an offshore project in the Fujian province.

The post World’s largest offshore wind turbine ready to go up in South China sea appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Four batteries to be installed across the northern suburbs of Melbourne by network company Jemena, with the help of federal government grant funding.

The post Four community batteries to store solar, boost the grid in Melbourne’s north appeared first on RenewEconomy.

A community battery has been commissioned in the Perth suburb of Harrisdale to play an integral role in the state’s massive virtual power plant pilot.

The post Community battery adds new note to Project Symphony virtual power plant appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Updated: Origin buys stake in Australia redox flow battery technology company, and intends to trial its long duration storage at its Eraring coal plant.

The post Origin to trial long duration redox flow battery at Eraring, buys stake in developer appeared first on RenewEconomy.

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

Genex says its first big battery is now energised, and will be up and running in time for the summer peak.

The post Genex switches on its first big battery project on time and on budget appeared first on RenewEconomy.

The cross-stakeholder Voluntary Carbon Markets Integrity initiative (VCMI) on Wednesday published its guidelines to help buyers ensure integrity when purchasing carbon credits for voluntary climate pledges, a partial release coming a year on from its initial draft that leaves further details for later in the year.

The UK's statutory climate body criticises the government for backing new oil and gas projects.

Report by RSPB, ELF and Friends of the Earth say even cases with good prospects of success are being abandoned

Prohibitively high costs are pricing individuals and community groups out of bringing legal challenges to protect the environment, major NGOs say.

A joint report by the RSPB, the Environmental Law Foundation (ELF) and Friends of the Earth England, Wales and Northern Ireland, says cases raising concerns about loss of green space, wildlife habitat and the climate crisis have been abandoned because of fears about costs, even when they have good prospects of success. It suggests the number of environmental judicial review applications may have halved in a decade.

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Two US senators have introduced a bipartisan clean cookstoves bill aimed at mitigating health, environmental, and economic issues caused by exposure to smoke from traditional stoves and open fires.

The UK government will consult later this year on how it can develop as a global carbon crediting hub, an official said on Tuesday, while ruling out prospects that the country could buy Article 6 credits in the near term.

The Washington Department of Ecology on Tuesday published the schedule for distributing no-cost allowances to natural gas utilities under the state’s cap-and-invest regulation with one company receiving the majority.