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

New data shows Victoria closed out 2020 with records for solar battery rebate uptake and installation, as fortnightly allocations of discounted home batteries get "snapped up."

The post Home battery uptake sets record highs in Victoria appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Renewable energy growth has exceeded all expectations in Europe and delivered a range of tangible benefits since 2005, a new report has found. But what comes next?

The post Renewables growth blows past expectations in EU, but future must me managed appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Australian-designed software aimed at improving farm productivity and cutting emissions through soil carbon has secured $5m from the Clean Energy Finance Corporation.

The post Software to slash farming emissions secures $30m investment appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Environmental justice (EJ) organisations on Tuesday argued Washington lawmakers’ plans to implement a WCI-modelled carbon market will not address frontline communities’ concerns about exacerbating local pollution and giving a pass to emitters, while the House Democratic caucus proposed a rising carbon fee as part of a multi-billion transportation funding package.

EUAs leapt back above €33 on Tuesday, snapping a four-day decline as colder weather prospects prompted a gas-led reversal in the energy complex.

The newly elected leader of Germany's powerful CDU party may need to forge a more ambitious climate stance ahead of this September's federal election, when environmental issues are likely to feature strongly.

Trade bill vote rejects Lords amendment giving MPs greater scrutiny of trade deals

Ministers will be able to approve the import of animal and agricultural products of a lower standard than currently permitted in the UK, after attempts to amend the trade bill failed.

The government has repeatedly vowed not to allow the import of chlorinated chicken and hormone-treated beef, but has refused to sign those pledges into law.

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China is changing, and it's time Australia's coal exporters faced up to this reality. Hao Tan, Associate professor, University of Newcastle Elizabeth Thurbon, Scientia Associate Professor in International Relations / International Political Economy, UNSW John Mathews, Professor Emeritus, Macquarie Business School, Macquarie University Sung-Young Kim, Senior Lecturer in International Relations, Discipline of Politics & International Relations, Macquarie School of Social Sciences, Macquarie University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Conservationists are strongly critical of the system used to prevent shark attacks off the beaches of KwaZulu-Natal, an area where sharks can be viewed by divers without cages

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Met Office issues an amber weather warning as South Yorkshire also declares a major incident

Greater Manchester has become the latest area to declare a major incident as swaths of central and northern England brace for the arrival of Storm Christoph.

South Yorkshire has also declared a major incident in preparation for potential flooding. The Met Office issued an amber weather warning for rain between Tuesday and Thursday for an area covering Manchester, Leeds and Sheffield and stretching down to Peterborough.

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Sales of electric cars rose by 43% while overall car sales slumped by a fifth last year

Global sales of electric cars accelerated fast in 2020, rising by 43% to more than 3m, despite overall car sales slumping by a fifth during the coronavirus pandemic.

Tesla was the brand selling the most electric cars, delivering almost 500,000, followed by Volkswagen. Sales of electric cars more than doubled in Europe, pushing the region past China as the world’s biggest market for them, according to data published on Tuesday by EV-volumes.com, a Sweden-based consultancy.

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A federal court on Tuesday vacated an industry-friendly rule to lower US power sector emissions, saying the EPA did not act lawfully when adopting the policy to replace the Obama-era Clean Power Plan.

The UK's push to secure a deal over fossil fuels is being undercut by a decision to allow a new coal mine, MPs warn.

Global annual investment in low carbon technologies surpassed $US500 billion ($A650 billion) for the first time in 2020, overcoming a year complicated by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The post Electric vehicles help drive green investment to new global high in 2020 appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Taiwan’s Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) is consulting with other government agencies on the details of a carbon pricing proposal, saying such a mechanism is inescapable.

Exclusive: first factory production means recharging could soon be as fast as filling up petrol or diesel vehicles

Batteries capable of fully charging in five minutes have been produced in a factory for the first time, marking a significant step towards electric cars becoming as fast to charge as filling up petrol or diesel vehicles.

Electric vehicles are a vital part of action to tackle the climate crisis but running out of charge during a journey is a worry for drivers. The new lithium-ion batteries were developed by the Israeli company StoreDot and manufactured by Eve Energy in China on standard production lines.

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The 1GW Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park in the United Arab Emirates has reportedly begun powering the production of aluminium, a world first.

The post Dubai solar park says it has started powering aluminium production appeared first on RenewEconomy.

First Volvo FL Electric truck lands on Australian shores, destined for trials and evaluation with Australian logistics and supply chain company Linfox.

The post First Volvo FL electric truck reaches Australian shores appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Tesla has quietly unveiled its a new standalone solar inverter, based on the technology used in the Powerwall 2, completing its fully-integrated household energy system.

The post Tesla unveils standalone inverter, “completing” home solar product line-up appeared first on RenewEconomy.