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A leaked report has found WaterNSW did not adequately assess how the project could affect iconic species such as the platypus and echidna

The New South Wales government has been ordered to redo world heritage assessments for its proposed raising of the Warragamba Dam wall after a federal analysis found it had failed to consider the impact on iconic species including the platypus.

A leaked report by federal environment bureaucrats found government agency WaterNSW did not adequately assess how its plan to raise the dam wall by 17m could affect the world heritage values of the Blue Mountains.

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We also faced the gross insult to our intelligence, told it was not man-made climate change that was to blame for the fires

Dear America,

We too have seen the orange afternoon sky, and felt the soft, strange sensation of soot falling like rain, and watched the edges of the curtains glow in an amber haze long after nightfall.

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It is beyond regrettable when scientific evidence is ignored or diminished because it doesn’t fit apparently predetermined views

We were recently invited to attend a Senate inquiry into the impact of water quality on the Great Barrier Reef (GBR).

The inquiry was established in September 2019 to report in October 2020, and was tasked with inquiring into regulation of farming practices that impact on water quality outcomes in the GBR. It follows moves by the Queensland state government to clamp down on the amount of nutrient, sediment and pesticide runoff flowing into the reef.

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World’s largest asset manager reveals votes against directors on environment issues

BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, has disclosed that in the past year it has voted 55 times against directors at 49 companies for failing to make progress on tackling the climate crisis.

The firm announced its sustainability focus in January, when it said it would be getting tough on companies that did not meet its expectations on dealing with climate risk, and would vote against them at annual shareholder meetings.

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European carbon prices retreated by more than 5% on Thursday on what traders said was a 'buy the rumour, sell the fact' response to the European Commission publishing its plan to raise the EU's 2030 emissions reduction target.

About 40% of the Tiehm’s buckwheat population destroyed, amid fierce dispute over proposed lithium and boron mine nearby

Nestled among the slopes of Nevada’s Silver Peak Range are six patches of Tiehm’s buckwheat, a rare flowering plant found nowhere else in the world. Only an estimated 42,000 plants remain on 10 acres. But over the weekend, conservationists discovered that 40% of the total population had been destroyed.

Related: Chinese fishing armada plundered waters around Galápagos, data shows

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Quebec does not intend to complete its cap-and-trade forestry protocol this year after delaying the timeline earlier this summer due to the coronavirus pandemic, a government spokesperson told Carbon Pulse.

Scientists say wildfires in Siberia, Russia, have been releasing record amounts of greenhouse gases, contributing to global warming.

Hundreds of vessels caught logging 73,000 hours of fishing in just one month in new analysis

A vast fishing armada of Chinese vessels just off the Galápagos Islands logged an astounding 73,000 hours of fishing during just one month as it pulled up thousands of tonnes of squid and fish, a new report based on data analysis has found.

The discovery of the giant flotilla off the archipelago that inspired Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution stirred controversy and outrage in Ecuador and abroad.

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The European Commission is considering a one-off emissions cap reduction and a tighter annual linear reduction factor in the EU ETS from 2026 as part of plans to raise the bloc’s 2030 emissions reduction target to “at least 55%”, it said in documents released on Thursday.

Data reveals just 14% of good ecological standard and none of good chemical standard

All rivers in England have failed to meet quality tests for pollution amid concerns over the scale of sewage discharge and agricultural chemicals entering the water system.

Data published on Thursday reveals just 14% of English rivers are of “good” ecological standard. There has been no improvements in river quality since 2016 when the last data was published, despite government promises that by 2027, 75% of English rivers would be rated good.

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South Korean companies will only be allowed to use half the previously expected amount of offsets to help meet their compliance requirements in the emissions trading scheme during the 2021-25 period, according to a proposal by the environment ministry.

I have criticised this government’s climate policy in the past for being big on promise but short on concrete policies. But this financial disclosure policy has some real teeth. Ivan Diaz-Rainey, Associate Professor of Finance & Director, Climate and Energy Finance Group, University of Otago Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Number of fires in world’s biggest tropical wetlands more than doubled in first half of 2020 compared with last year

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Tyre attachment designed by four students aims to reduce road transport pollution

A device that captures microplastic particles from tyres as they are emitted – and could help reduce the devastating pollution they cause – has won its designers a James Dyson award.

The Tyre Collective, a group of masters students from Imperial College London and the Royal College of Art, scooped the UK prize of the international competition with their solution for the growing environmental scourge of tyre wear caused by road transport.

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Australia on track to increase its total share of renewable electricity generation to 30% by the end of 2020.

The post Regulator says corporate demand to push Australia renewables to 30% by year end appeared first on RenewEconomy.

As Tesla's Battery Day approaches, BNEF looks at which countries best placed for lithium-ion supply chains. Australia, despite its abundance of raw materials, does not rank well.

The post As Battery Day approaches, which country has best lithium-ion supply chains? appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Tesla virtual power plant in South Australia registers for FCAS markets, meaning that batteries in more than 2,000 homes will be providing crucial grid services.

The post Tesla virtual power plant in South Australia given green light to serve FCAS markets appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Former Treasury economist says BZE Million Jobs Plan would deliver a stronger economic recovery, with lower unemployment, higher living standards, and less debt.

The post Stronger, cheaper, smarter: Can Coalition ignore benefits of a renewables-led recovery plan? appeared first on RenewEconomy.

RES Australia secures construction and asset management contract for Hana Financial's 162MW Columboola solar farm in Queensland Western Downs region.

The post RES lands Columboola solar farm contract, construction to begin “immediately” appeared first on RenewEconomy.