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UK carbon prices have fallen to an “unexpected” discount to EU Allowances as utilities have held back from swapping EUAs for UKAs and investors have mostly stayed on the sidelines, according to a panel of experts.

Severe flooding has caused devastation in Germany and Belgium, where the death toll has risen to more than 120 as emergency services continued their search for many hundreds more still missing. No loss of life has been reported in Switzerland, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, but flash floods swept through the Swiss villages of Schleitheim and Beggingen, several towns in the Grand Duchy were evacuated and thousands were told to leave their homes in the southern Dutch city of Maastricht

• More than 100 dead as flood ‘catastrophe’ hits Germany and Belgium
• Climate scientists shocked by scale of floods in Germany
  
• Flash floods cause havoc across Europe – in pictures

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Campaigners criticise European Commission strategy that allows continued burning of trees for fuel

The EU executive has been accused of “sacrificing forests” after it published proposals that would allow trees to continue to be burned for fuel.

The charges of “accelerating climate breakdown” through wood-burning were made on Friday as the European Commission unveiled its forest strategy, which includes a goal to plant 3bn trees across the EU by 2030.

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The National Food Strategy has rightly declared war on junk food, but bypasses the crucial issue of how our diet harms the climate

I’ve spent a long time waiting for the UK to produce a proper and detailed plan to reform its dysfunctional relationship with food. The problems are numerous: we don’t properly count the cost of our poor diets, both to our own health and to our environment, and we have dietary guidelines that basically no one follows. Lots of our eating habits – particularly a preference for huge chunks of meat and lots of sugar – were formed in a time when food was less plentiful and more expensive. We now consume these foods on a massive scale while falling short on the fruit and vegetables that would help us avoid diseases in later life.

For the first time, the plan released by the National Food Strategy combines all the sectors involved in our food system – from farming to government procurement, education to industry and trade. No single solution will fix our food system alone, so this kind of comprehensive approach is really welcome. As is the government’s recent announcement of a ban on junk food advertising before 9pm. This new independent report continues the war on junk food by proposing the world’s first tax on sugar and salt for use in processed foods, catering businesses and restaurants. The tax – with some of resulting revenue ringfenced for providing fruit and veg to low-income families – should have big health benefits, building on those of the sugary drinks levy introduced a few years ago.

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Judge says demonstration was ‘peaceful’ but impacted Murdoch, Mail, Telegraph and Standard titles

Six Extinction Rebellion protesters on trial for blockading the printing press of some of the UK’s major newspapers have been found guilty.

The activists appeared at St Albans magistrates court on Friday accused of obstructing the highway outside Newsprinters printing works in Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, on 4 September 2020.

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At least 110 people have died in devastating floods across parts of western Germany and Belgium. Search and rescue operations are continuing with hundreds still unaccounted for

• More than 100 dead as flood ‘catastrophe’ hits Germany and Belgium

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EUAs remained firmly entrenched in a range either side of €53.00 as the week neared its end, while UKAs continued to recover from their record low.

Scientists want a super-computer powerful enough to accurately project the most damaging extremes.

Modifying the supply-managing Market Stability Reserve (MSR) of the EU ETS to maintain its current ambition level will be a separate, "quicker" process to the legislation of the European Commission’s larger ‘Fit for 55’ climate package, a senior EU official said Friday.

The best of this week’s wildlife pictures, including endangered vultures, a baby beaver and a spectacular wingnut tree

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Hong Kong will explore opportunities in establishing itself as a carbon trading centre for mandatory carbon markets both in mainland China and internationally, with an initial focus on the Guangdong-HK-Macao greater Bay region.

Autonomous Energy has been placed into administration as part of the unfolding legal and financial drama centred around Sydney businessman Bill Papas.

The post “Brutal:” Solar pioneer Autonomous Energy caught up in Bill Papas web appeared first on RenewEconomy.

The Convention on Biological Diversity aims to achieve a world "living in harmony with nature". This won't happen if the plan goes ahead in its current form. Michelle Lim, Senior Lecturer, Macquarie Law School, Macquarie University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Britain has broken the promises Boris Johnson made before the G7 – a change of tack is necessary to make Cop26 a success

Covid and the climate crisis are the two defining global crises of our time and Britain has a crucial role to play in addressing them both. As the Cop26 host, it will be responsible for overseeing a successful outcome at the UN climate talks in Glasgow in November.

Only a few weeks ago, before the prime minister hosted the G7, Boris Johnson promised the group of wealthy nations would vaccinate the world by the end of the year.

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The first utility scale solar farms in the Northern Territory are sitting idle, unable to be switched off due to "onerous, unprecedented and indefensible" new rules.

The post “Scared of solar:” Why the Top End’s first big solar farms are not switched on appeared first on RenewEconomy.

New AEMO boss makes a splash, a huge new renewable hydrogen plan, and we talk to Monica Nagashima from Influence Map in Japan.

The post Energy Insiders Podcast: AEMO’s 100pct renewables plan, and the view from Japan appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Deluge raises fears human-caused disruption is making extreme weather even worse than predicted

The intensity and scale of the floods in Germany this week have shocked climate scientists, who did not expect records to be broken this much, over such a wide area or this soon.

After the deadly heatwave in the US and Canada, where temperatures rose above 49.6C two weeks ago, the deluge in central Europe has raised fears that human-caused climate disruption is making extreme weather even worse than predicted.

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Taylor says that energy system about "balance" - suggesting the safety of young people must be balanced against the interests of coal.

The post Taylor dismisses “duty of care” ruling, says coal mine decisions “about balance” appeared first on RenewEconomy.

"Buy now pay later” pioneer Brighte to administer first phase of ACT interest free loans for rooftop solar, batteries and electric vehicles.

The post Brighte to deliver first phase of ACT’s interest free loans for solar, storage and EVs appeared first on RenewEconomy.

The 13th Emissions Reduction Fund (ERF) auction will be held on Oct. 13-14, the Clean Energy Regulator announced Friday, as the offset price in the secondary market hit yet another record high.