Feed aggregator

Swiss-based MSC Cruises aims to achieve carbon neutrality in its marine fleet operations by Jan. 2020 through offsetting, and plans to increasingly rely on blue carbon projects to maintain the goal, it announced Friday.

Nepal will ink its GHG reduction agreement with the World Bank’s Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) in December, local media reported Friday, a move that would make it the first Asian nation to forge the REDD deal seen as a possible base for international emissions trade.

Andrew Wheeler’s top agency lawyer argues political staffers have leeway to decide what information to provide to investigation

Top political appointees at Donald Trump’s environment agency are hindering an investigation into the agency’s chief of staff, who pressured a prominent scientist to alter her congressional testimony to make it more favorable for the agency, according to an ethics watchdog.

In the latest development of the fight, the inspector general of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has forced the agency’s head, Andrew Wheeler to explain his position in a letter to Congress. Wheeler’s top agency lawyer is arguing that political staffers have leeway to decide what information to provide to the watchdog, while investigators are warning that agency leaders are trying to subvert their legally mandated independence.

Continue reading...

Red squirrels, a laughing kookaburra and a dehydrated koala

Continue reading...

German utility EnBW advanced its hedging rates over Q3 2019, it said on Friday, leaving the company more heavily hedged than in recent years to provide a somewhat bearish signal for carbon.

Operator faces choice of weakening 14km barrier or potentially devastating a biodiversity hotspot

The biggest hydroelectric project in the Amazon rainforest has a design flaw that poses a “very serious” threat to human life and globally important ecosystems, according to documents and expert testimony received by the Guardian.

The new studies suggest engineers failed to anticipate the impact of water shortages on the Pimental dam at Belo Monte, which is forcing the operators to choose between a structural weakening of the 14km-wide compacted-earth barrier and an reallocation of water in the reservoir or on the Xingu river, which is home to indigenous communities, fishing villages and some of the world’s most endangered species.

Continue reading...

The British supercar cuts short its latest run because of temperature concerns but still clocks 481mph.

Labour criticises tender as firm running £400m investment fund awards millions to company it part-owns

The private equity firm appointed by the government to manage as much as £400m in investment in electric car charging points has awarded millions of pounds to a company in which it holds a controlling financial interest.

Zouk Capital is the largest shareholder in charge point builder Instavolt, having made an £18m investment in the company. Now Zouk has chosen Instavolt as the charge point fund’s first beneficiary, a decision criticised by the Labour party.

Continue reading...

EUAs fell to a two-week low early on Friday, but then clawed back to €25 after an improved auction.

Closing prices, ranges and volumes for China's regional pilot carbon markets this week.

The state government in South Australia has launched a strategy to develop and pilot blue carbon projects that it intends to eventually generate offsets under the federal government’s Carbon Farming Initiative.

Met Office says 117 flood warnings in place after downpours continued through the night

• Floods force Sheffield shoppers to spend night in Meadowhall
• Have you been affected? Share your stories, pictures and videos

10.25am GMT

Villagers in South Yorkshire have described how they suffered “almost biblical” amounts of rainfall overnight.

Kathleen Overton, a Post Office worker in Toll Bar, a village near Doncaster, told PA news agency: “It must have started at around 9am yesterday when I was taking my grandson to school, and then it just didn’t stop.

10.06am GMT

In Derbyshire, locals are bucketing water out of their cars this morning. The BBC’s Heidi Booth reports from Darley Dale:

Residents are bucketing water out of their cars in Daley Dale this morning. Properties and businesses are also affected. More on @BBCDerby throughout the morning. #flooding #Derbyshire pic.twitter.com/KslJiZFtyt

Live in Darley Dale this morning, the A6 here is inpassable and it seems like the water is rising. #floods #Derbyshire @BBCDerby pic.twitter.com/AKz3XGNETA

The carpark at @premierinn in Darley Dale is completely submerged as well. @BBCDerby pic.twitter.com/iMbrdUVVeE

Continue reading...

Australian secondary market offset prices have risen to a six-month high amid a dearth of available supply, while new issuances and delivery to the government’s Emissions Reduction Fund were modest this week.

NGOs report fourfold increases in investments in carbon-reducing projects in developing countries

Growing concern about the climate crisis and the “Greta Thunberg effect” are driving huge increases in individuals and businesses choosing to offset their emissions by investing in carbon-reducing projects in developing countries.

NGOs and organisations involved in carbon offsetting have seen as much as a fourfold increase in investment from people who want to try to mitigate their carbon footprints.

Continue reading...

Scientists say the decline of Arctic sea ice is connected to the spread of disease among marine mammals.

Help us build a picture of how people are affected in the north of England and the Midlands by sharing stories, pictures or video

• UK flooding - live updates

Torrential rain has caused flooding in Yorkshire and the Midlands. On Thursday hundreds of shoppers were trapped in shopping centres in both Sheffield and Rotherham.

Many homes have been forced to evacuate and 116 flood warnings remain in place, the majority of them in Yorkshire. The Met Office predicts flooding rains will clear, moving south-east by lunchtime. But, as the clean-up operation begins, flood warnings are expected to remain in place for several days.

Continue reading...

Sheffield shopping centre cut off by rising waters as torrential rain deluges large areas and Met Office warns of more to come

Dozens of people have been trapped in Sheffield’s Meadowhall shopping centre overnight after torrential rain caused flooding throughout the city and transport chaos across large parts of northern England.

Heavy rain across the region on Thursday made roads impassable and forced the cancellation of train services, while 35 homes were evacuated in Mansfield after a mudlside.

Continue reading...

New era begins for Volkswagen as first all-electric ID.3 hatchback rolls off factory floor at Zwickau on same day as Germany hikes electric vehicle subsidies, and the carmaker looks to make EVs in the China and the US.

The post VW rolls first electric ID.3 off new production line, looks to global domination appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Shell set to enter Australian electricity market as ERM Power shareholders overwhelmingly approve $617M takeover offer.

The post Shell to enter Australian electricity market as ERM shareholders agree to sell appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Where will the Netherlands accommodate a forecast 27GW of solar by 2030? The completion of its largest floating solar project offers a clue.

The post Netherlands floats its solar boat as it aims for 27GW by 2030 appeared first on RenewEconomy.