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Film-maker urges UK ministers to make it mandatory for schemes to align portfolios with climate target

Pension funds should face legal obligations to bring their investments in line with the net zero greenhouse gas emissions goal, the film-maker Richard Curtis has said.

Curtis, a co-founder of the Make My Money Matter campaigning group, urged ministers to follow up the UK’s legal commitment to reach net zero emissions by 2050 by making it mandatory for pension schemes to align their portfolios with the target.

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German MEP Peter Liese said on Thursday that he plans to make a "careful" amendment to the EU ETS mechanism meant to prevent price spikes that wouldn't "exaggerate the issue".

Firm sets out plan to seal two shale gas wells in Lancashire two years after government shutdown order

The owner of shale fracking firm Cuadrilla will permanently plug and abandon its two shale wells in Lancashire, drawing a line on Britain’s failed fracking industry.

Cuadrilla set out plans to permanently seal the two shale gas wells drilled at the Preston New Road (PNR) Lancashire shale exploration site a little over two years after the government brought an end to fracking in England.

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China will rely heavily on carbon sink projects to meet its climate commitments, but one study has found that foresters need a bump from current domestic offset prices for projects to become viable.

A crypto startup has partnered with a European carbon brokerage to bring on-chain voluntary offsets and aims to become a branch of Klima DAO, increasing competition in the space and raising questions about the fate of a new nature-based token that launches on Thursday.

Landfill gas operators LGI and LMS secured the largest batches of newly minted Australian carbon offsets, while the spot price in the secondary market has continued to soften throughout this week but holds well above A$50/t for now.

National Australia Bank is looking for a global head of carbon trading.

First legally binding climate act faces race against the clock before Stormont’s dissolution next month

Northern Ireland’s first legally binding climate act faces a race against time to get passed before the devolved institutions at Stormont are dissolved in the coming weeks.

The second of two climate change bills – introduced by the agriculture minister, Edwin Poots – has moved through consideration stage, with a batch of new amendments prompting more than 25 hours of assembly debate.

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The Swiss artist spent two years studying the Engadine valley, using scientific data and historical research to produce these captivating, experimental images

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Campaigners say the sector leads to overexploitation of stocks while pushing up prices and aggravating local unemployment

The UN’s food agency has warned that the “overexploitation” of fish in west Africa by the growing global fishmeal and fish oil industry is having a “considerably negative impact” on food security, undermining the ability of local communities to feed themselves.

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) report said that in Senegal, where three more huge fishmeal factories opened between 2015 and 2019, the industry was “likely increasing the risk” of overexploitation of sardinella and bonga, two pelagic fish on which communities depend.

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Satellite data shows rainforest cleared for cattle and maize on farms growing soya, undermining claims crop is deforestation-free

More than 400 sq miles (1,000 sq km) of Amazon rainforest has been felled to expand farms growing soya in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso in a 10-year period, despite an agreement to protect it, according to a new investigation.

In 2006, the landmark Amazon soy moratorium was introduced banning the sale of soya grown on land deforested after 2008. From 2004 to 2012, the clearing of trees in the Amazon fell by 84%.

But in recent years deforestation has climbed steeply, reaching a 15-year high last year – encouraged, campaigners say, by President Jair Bolsonaro’s anti-conservationist rhetoric and policies.

With the moratorium applying only to soya, farmers have been able to sell the crop as deforestation-free, while still clearing land for cattle, maize or other commodities.

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AGL, Australia’s largest owner of power generation assets, will bring forward the closure dates of two coal power plants and commit to net zero emissions by 2040 for its new low carbon business, it said Thursday.

A regional journalism summit this week made no specific references to climate change and was sponsored by AGL Energy and gas pipeline company APA.

The post Independent regional journalism, brought to you by fossil fuels appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Tim Wilson suggests Australia is keeping pace with the rest of the world on EV uptake, but the data suggests he's wrong.

The post “We’re not behind:” Tim Wilson’s optimism on Australian EV uptake defies the evidence appeared first on RenewEconomy.

The High Court refuses to hear appeal to Bylong coal mine rejection, effectively killing off the controversial project.

The post High Court blocks appeal for Bylong coal mine in likely fatal blow to project appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Charles Sturt University lands off take agreement with NSW wind farm in a deal that takes it to a 100% renewable energy supply.

The post Charles Sturt University goes 100 pct renewable with NSW wind power deal appeared first on RenewEconomy.

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As a cooler summer provides Australia a reprieve from the extremes of recent hot summers, experts say bushfire threat still exceeds 'worst case' scenarios.

The post Australia’s bushfire threat already beyond worst-case scenarios, thanks to climate change appeared first on RenewEconomy.

AGL to create a new fund to help finance its planned wind project and battery and pumped hydro storage projects.

The post AGL to create fund to support investment in 2.7GW of wind and storage projects appeared first on RenewEconomy.

A US company is speeding up the path to practical fusion energy using Google's vast computing power.