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Offset developer and consultancy South Pole is targeting rapid expansion this year after an impact fund owned by the Liechtenstein royal family acquired a 10% stake in the business.

If a bill before the US Congress succeeds, it would further suppress global demand for kangaroo products and lead to more animal suffering, not less. George Wilson, Honorary Professor, Australian National University John Read, Associate Lecturer, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, University of Adelaide Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

President will also call on major economies to join him in bold action at virtual summit of 40 world leaders

• So what has the rest of the world promised to do about climate change?

Joe Biden faces a key test of his commitment to climate action this week, when he sets out his core plans for tackling the climate crisis and calls on all of the world’s major economies to join him in bold action to slash greenhouse gas emissions in the next ten years.

The US president has made the climate emergency one of his administration’s top priorities, and stated that clean growth must be the route for the US to rebound from the coronavirus crisis.

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Australia's tokenistic climate policy looks increasingly isolated after US and China jointly declare they are "firmly committed" to tackling climate change.

The post US, China promise more climate action, leaving Australia further isolated appeared first on RenewEconomy.

AGL-backed consortium ups Tilt Renewables takeover offer to A$2.83 billion, after a rival bid emerges from a Canadian pension fund.

The post AGL led consortium ups offer for Tilt in bid to fend off Canadian rival appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Japan accounts for about one third of Australia's thermal coal and LNG exports, so if it goes green then Australia better have a plan.

The post Japan’s pivot to renewables will kick Australian exports right in the thermals appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Study finds returns must repay four times the payoff from clean energy investment to justify escalating risk

Coal financing costs have surged over the last decade as investors demand returns four times as high as the payoff required from renewable energy projects to justify the risk of investing in fossil fuels, as the world moves towards cleaner energy sources.

A University of Oxford study found that over the same period the cost of investing in renewable energy sources, such as windfarms and solar arrays, has tumbled as the clean energy technologies prove they can be cost-effective and lucrative investments.

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Delta cancelled coal plant upgrades after being short-changed by Morrison government, and flagged an early closure of Vales Point, documents obtained under FOI show.

The post Delta flagged early closure of Vales Point coal plant when it rejected federal grant appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Understanding these tiny organisms could be crucial to tackling threats such as coronavirus, but new research shows how little we know

A new study has highlighted how little is known about microbes – the hidden majority of life on Earth.

Life on the planet relies on an enormous quantity of bacteria, fungi and other tiny organisms. They generate oxygen, keep soils healthy and regulate the climate. Microbes play a crucial role in food production, such as cheese, beer, yoghurt and bread.

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As the state by-election for Upper Hunter focuses on coal, seven local councils and Hunter Water join forces for huge renewable energy order.

The post NSW coal region councils join forces for huge renewable energy mandate appeared first on RenewEconomy.

The $4 billion merger of Orocobre and Galaxy merger would create the fifth largest pure-play lithium chemicals company in the world.

The post Australian miners in $4 billion lithium play to create world’s 5th biggest supplier appeared first on RenewEconomy.

AGL Energy will progress early works on a plan to convert an upper Hunter coal mine to pumped hydro energy storage, after promising preliminary studies.

The post AGL advances plan to convert Hunter Valley coal mine into huge pumped hydro facility appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Morrison's latest energy deal will deliver gas that South AUstralia doesn't need any more, but could hasten shift to renewables in that state.

The post Morrison’s $1 bln energy deal with South Australia points to futility of gas recovery appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Meet the teams who track down and destroy hidden sources of greenhouse gases.

Invasive species have been invading foreign territories for centuries. By quantifying the mammoth economic impacts, we hope political leaders will start to take notice. Corey J. A. Bradshaw, Matthew Flinders Professor of Global Ecology and Models Theme Leader for the ARC Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, Flinders University Boris Leroy, Maître de conférences en écologie et biogéographie, Muséum national d’histoire naturelle (MNHN) Camille Bernery, Doctorante en écologie des invasions, Université Paris-Saclay Christophe Diagne, Chercheur post-doctorant en écologie des invasions, Université Paris-Saclay Franck Courchamp, Directeur de recherche CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

The US space agency is ready to attempt the first powered, controlled flight on another planet.

New mines won’t boost world demand for Australian coal — but they will cannibalise jobs from existing coalmines

The New South Wales government is simultaneously committed to a net-zero emissions target for 2050 at the same time as new coalmines in the Hunter Valley with the capacity to produce 10 times more coal than Adani’s Carmichael mine are being proposed by the industry. Welcome to the topsy turvy world of Australian climate policy.

Australia is the third-largest exporter of fossil fuels, behind only Saudi Arabia and Russia. But because of the way that international accounting rules for greenhouse gas emissions work, the emissions from burning the enormous amounts of coal and gas we export do not “count” towards Australia’s emissions. When Australia exports iron ore and coal to be turned into steel, cars and fridges that are sent back to Australia, it’s China that gets blamed for the emissions, not Australia. Cool, huh?

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UK’s ‘bag for a week’ habit is no green alternative – rather, it has created more problems for the environment

Green campaigners have urged higher prices for so-called bags for life after dramatic sales increases at some retailers since the ending of sales of single-use plastic carrier bags.

Marks & Spencer sold six times as many bags for life in 2019 as the year before, up from 13.4m to 82.6m, according to figures from Greenpeace and the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA). Iceland tripled its sales, to 107.3m from 34m the previous year.

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The US and China announced actions to tackle climate change following meetings in Shanghai last week.

An exhibition at London’s Science Museum shows how far carbon capture research has come

Tackling climate change may bring unexpected benefits, London’s Science Museum will reveal next month. A special exhibition on carbon capture, the fledgling technology of extracting greenhouse gases from the atmosphere and emissions from factories, will display bottles of vodka, tubes of toothpaste, pens and yoga mats made from carbon drawn out of thin air.

In addition, the exhibition – Our Future Planet – will showcase prototypes of the gas-harvesting machines that can provide this carbon. They include the Lackner artificial tree which mirrors the actions of living plants by breathing in carbon dioxide and exhaling oxygen. This Heath Robinson-like device – made up of dangling panels of carbon-absorbing material – was built by Klaus Lackner at Arizona State University and will be the first to be displayed in Britain.

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