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Action on the climate crisis must come with a social contract to protect the poor and vulnerable

As a climate policy researcher, I am often asked: what is the biggest obstacle to decarbonisation? My answer has changed profoundly over the last couple of years. I used to point to the lack of affordable green technologies and an absence of political will. Today, I point to something else. Something less tangible, but possibly more challenging: the absence of a green social contract.

The green revolution is already unfolding, driven by a stunning reduction in the cost of green technologies and by a global momentum for climate neutrality by the mid-century. So, if cheaper green technology and an unprecedented political green ambition are rapidly converging, what could go wrong? Unfortunately, the situation is not as simple as it seems. Decarbonisation will reshape our economies and our lifestyles. Nothing will be left untouched in the process: the green world will be profoundly different from the one we know today.

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The climate campaigner is concerned about the impact of Covid on attendance at the Glasgow summit.

Swedish activist says uneven Covid vaccine rollout means countries would not participate on even terms

The Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg has said she will not attend the Cop26 climate summit in Glasgow in November, saying the uneven distribution of Covid-19 vaccines would mean countries could not participate on even terms.

The 18-year-old activist said that by November richer countries would be vaccinating young healthy people “very often at the expense of people in at-risk groups in other parts of the world”.

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The EU ETS' allowance surplus increased 14.2% to 1.392 billion as emissions fell sharply last year, according to environmental campaigners at Sandbag, who are urging the bloc to tighten the market’s cap and MSR settings to counter the supply glut.

Loggers say blockades threaten their livelihoods as activists build fortifications and vow to remain

Hundreds of activists are digging in at logging road blockades across a swath of southern Vancouver Island, vowing to stay as long as it takes to pressure the provincial government to immediately halt cutting of what they say is the last 3% of giant old growth trees left in the province.

The situation echoes the 1993 “war in the woods” in nearby Clayoquot Sound, which saw nearly 1,000 people arrested at similar logging blockades in the largest act of civil disobedience in Canadian history.

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Climate change is out of control! We’ll all be belly up soon

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Marine scientists set out to study the 'year of the quiet ocean' following the pandemic.

The thinking behind the idea of a dump near Whyalla goes back 60 years. Katherine Aigner, PhD candidate Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy, Australian National University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Hydrogen is often touted in the scientific and general media as a silver bullet for reaching net zero emissions. But there are many "buts".

The post Why hydrogen energy has seduced a generation of politicians appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Research warns that large proportions of endemic marine and mountain species face extinction

Unique island species including lemurs and the Galapagos giant tortoise could be at high risk of extinction if the planet warms by more than 3C above pre-industrial levels, new research warns.

Analysis of 270 biodiversity hotspots suggests almost half of endemic marine species and 84% of endemic mountain species will face extinction if the planet warms by more than 3C, which if current trends continue could happen in 2100.

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If we must have a solar tax, let’s make sure it allows for flexibility in connection and tariff options for solar system owners as well as the networks.

The post The “solar tax”: Why should households be charged to generate power? appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Taylor stacks Climate Change Authority with fossil fuel allies, including former Origin CEO Grant King, and the self-styled head of the "greenhouse mafia".

The post Taylor names gas industry advocates to Climate Change Authority board appeared first on RenewEconomy.

*PREMIUM LISTING (viewable by non-subscribers until May 10) – Gold Standard Foundation seeks a highly motivated individual to join our team, reporting to the Head of Climate & Development Finance. This is a full-time position responsible for working with SCF-Global to design, implement and handover a monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) system in line with Gold Standard requirements. This role will be separated from the team working on standard setting and oversight of assurance providers to ensure no conflict of interest.  

EFM is seeking to hire an individual with forest inventory modeling experience (using FVS), a sound understanding of forest silviculture and biometrics, carbon modeling and a quantitative background in statistics, GIS analysis or similar fields.

Are the activities of the fishing industry destroying the world's oceans as a new film suggests?

RSPB’s 2021 Big Garden Birdwatch finds sparrow still most common species, while starlings, greenfinch and chaffinch struggle

The house sparrow remains the most frequently spotted garden bird, but 16 of the top 20 species have declined in number since last year, according to the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch.

More than a million people took part in this year’s national bird survey on the last weekend in January – double the figure for the previous year.

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The REDD.plus trading platform has executed the first-ever purchase by a private sector buyer of jurisdictional-scale deforestation reduction credits,  serving as a key test for national-level carbon offsets generated under the UN climate agency. 

Biden might be on the verge of a historic climate ambition update. If it's true, Morrison is will face unprecedented pressure.

The post If Biden doubles climate ambition, where will that leave Angus Taylor? appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Texas hits an incredible new wind record in March, as the fallout from the major February blackout continues.

The post Texas hits major new wind record as regulator criticised for blackout report appeared first on RenewEconomy.

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