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China ramps up Paris commitments and says it will reach "climate neutrality" by 2060, which will probably beat Australia with its current policies.

The post China aims for “climate neutrality” before 2060 in landmark pledge appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Tesla big battery at Hornsdale delivers windfall profits after stepping in to stabilise the grid this year, meaning total profits now nearly equal Neoen's construction costs.

The post Tesla big battery in South Australia delivers stunning windfall profits appeared first on RenewEconomy.

At least 380 whales are dead in one of the largest mass strandings on record globally and the biggest in Australia’s history

Whale rescuers at one of the world’s largest stranding events on Tasmania’s west coast have now released 70 of the 470 marine mammals into the ocean, with only 20 of those remaining now well enough to be rescued.

Vets at the scene in Macquarie Harbour have recommended four of the long-finned pilot whales be euthanised. The task was being carried out on Thursday morning.

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The rich benefit most from a de facto subsidy for home heating, a report says.

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

Supreme Court oral arguments against the Canadian government’s ‘backstop’ carbon pricing system entered the second and final day on Wednesday, as Quebec contended the federal system threatens its ability to implement its WCI-linked ETS, while New Brunswick offered Ottawa’s response to the coronavirus pandemic as a better model of cooperative federalism.

KitKats and Babybel are among other big brands that did badly in the Which? recycling test.

Boris Johnson will urge leaders to "look ahead to how we will rebuild" after the global pandemic.

California Carbon Offset (CCO) issuances hit a five-month high this week, boosted by two large forestry projects receiving more than 8 million credits, as the total number of credits distributed by state regulator to date ARB topped 200 mln.

UK to host online event marking fifth anniversary of Paris climate agreement this December

The world cannot allow the climate emergency to be overshadowed by the coronavirus pandemic, the UK prime minister Boris Johnson will warn, but must “build back better” after the crisis by cutting greenhouse gas emissions as a matter of urgency.

Johnson will announce that the UK will host an online event to mark the fifth anniversary of the Paris climate agreement this December, with a call to all countries to strengthen their commitments on cutting carbon.

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Scientists have developed a ‘tiny wind turbine’ that can take energy from a gentle breeze, such as that made as you walk.

The device comprises two plastic strips in a tube that flutter or clap together in the presence of airflow. That energy, powered by the contact and separation of two materials, can be bottled up and stored for use, according to researchers.

Scientists in China hope the device can generate sustainable power in a low-cost, efficient manner while ‘overcoming the issues that the traditional wind turbines can’t solve’

• Full story: ‘Tiny wind turbine’ can collect energy from a walker’s swinging arm

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Voluntary carbon credit prices flatlined in 2019 amid increased transactions, as new buyers rushed to buy cheap renewables-sourced units ahead of this year’s cut-off for registering many clean energy projects.

Ontario’s GHG emissions rose year-on-year in 2018 from specified sources as Premier Doug Ford yanked the province out of the WCI-linked ETS midway through the year, according to recent government data. 

It's encouraging that the federal government recognises its role in industry policy. But its choice to support some technologies is disappointing. Llewelyn Hughes, Associate Professor of Public Policy, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Jorrit Gosens, Research Fellow, Australian National University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

An Oregon-based forestry project registered under California’s compliance offset programme appears to have been affected by devastating wildfires in the American West, potentially triggering the WCI-linked cap-and-trade scheme’s credit buffer pool.

California will require all new vehicles sold to be zero-emissions by 2035, a move that will slash the state’s GHG emissions by an estimated 35% over this period, according to an executive order signed by Governor Gavin Newsom (D) on Wednesday.

Campaigners welcome turnaround after pressure from investors but say 2025 deadline too long to resolve problems

Brazilian meat giant JBS said on Wednesday that it will monitor its entire supply chain by 2025, including problematic “indirect supplier” Amazon farms it currently has no control over, some of which have been linked to illegal deforestation.

“As a company we are assuming our responsibility to be a transformation agent for society, to be a catalyst. To build together with everyone a better world, a more sustainable Amazon and a better Brazil,” said JBS global CEO Gilberto Tomazoni in a virtual launch of the JBS Green Platform.

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Study says potential for natural regrowth to absorb carbon has been substantially underestimated

The costly and difficult work of replanting forests that have been cut down may not be the only way to restore the Earth’s carbon-absorbing capacities, research has found, as allowing trees to grow back naturally without intervention could offer a cheaper alternative.

Keeping forests standing is still a better way to reduce the impact of the climate crisis, but in large areas of the world, forest and scrubland has already been cleared or degraded in some way, through deforestation, failed agriculture or some other exploitation. Often, the loggers, prospectors and ranchers quickly move on, leaving devastation in their wake.

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The European Commission is laying down the groundwork to propose a “robust” certification scheme incentivising farmers and foresters to cut GHG emissions, EU officials said on Wednesday.

Research says melting will continue even if temperature rises are limited to 2C

Melting of the Antarctic ice sheet will cause sea level rises of about two and a half metres around the world, even if the goals of the Paris agreement are met, research has shown.

The melting is likely to take place over a long period, beyond the end of this century, but is almost certain to be irreversible, because of the way in which the ice cap is likely to melt, the new model reveals.

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