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EU ETS trading volume rose year-on-year by 13% in 2021 to an all-time record as auction participation remained stable and volatility further increased from 2020, according to a report published on Tuesday.

EUA prices consolidated early gains on Tuesday morning amid a weaker energy complex, despite a leading MEP raising the possibility that speculative trading in the EU ETS may be limited under reforms being worked out by the European Parliament's environment committee.

Huge Lincoln Gap wind farm in South Australia reaches full commercial operation, although the battery connection still to be finalised.

The post Huge Lincoln Gap wind farm now full operational, but not the battery appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Australia's Quinbrook lands financing deal for massive solar and battery project in Nevada, the first of many similar projects it plans.

The post Quinbrook lands multi-billion-dollar finance for massive solar and battery project appeared first on RenewEconomy.

NFU and Green Alliance at loggerheads over timing of post-Brexit Environmental Land Management schemes

There will be a “substantial gap” in UK agriculture’s efforts to reach net zero if post-Brexit environment-friendly subsidies are delayed by another two years, according to new analysis.

The National Farmer’s Union (NFU) is urging the government to delay Environmental Land Management schemes (Elms) until 2025 and keep the EU’s Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) in the interim period, which pays farmers for the amount of land they own, regardless of its impact on the environment.

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MPs with Australian Coalition government partner the Nationals Party are undercutting the country’s net-zero emissions by 2050 commitment made last year, while confusion remains about how Labor’s expanded Safeguard Mechanism would work.

South Korea on Tuesday announced a $8-billion plan to cut carbon at one of the facilities in its emissions trading scheme, as it is quadrupling its annual spending in support of ETS entities.

India plans to set up a uniform carbon market framework within a year to help finance its energy transition and emissions reduction goals, local media reported on Tuesday.

Calls for international standard on extraction and better monitoring of most-exploited resource after water

Humans extract 50bn tonnes of sand and gravel every year, according to UN research, enough to build a wall 27 metres high by 27 metres wide around the planet.

Sand is the most-exploited resource after water. But unlike water, it is not recognised as a key strategic resource by governments and industry, something, the UN says, that must change and fast.

The UN report makes the case for greater monitoring of extraction and supply chains, measures to compensate for the associated loss of animal and plant species as well as the uneven social and economic impacts of sand mining.

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With Australia’s lived experience of global heating, you would think we’d have moved past grown men staging hyperbolic encounters with invisible things

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If you’ve been paying attention over the past decade or so, you may have noticed that opponents of climate action in Australia spend a lot of time talking about things that don’t exist. Tony Abbott pioneered this technique by winning an election promising to repeal a carbon tax that never actually existed.

Abbott’s former chief of staff, Peta Credlin, is leading the authority on this point. Over to you, Peta. “It wasn’t a carbon tax, as you know. It was many other things in nomenclature terms but we made it a carbon tax,” Credlin said in February 2017.

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The UN’s annual report on mitigating calamities shows that a radical rethink is needed to protect those who suffer most

If the world seems beset by constant disasters, from the pandemic to drought, we only have ourselves to blame.

Over the past two decades, we have experienced up to 500 disasters a year as a result of human activity. By 2030, this could rise to 560 a year – or 107 a week.

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How can we, personally, prepare for a future with not only more frequent natural disasters, but one that will also profoundly change the environment, communities and the economy? Stefan Kaufman, Senior Research Fellow, Monash University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Number of new plants planned fell last year, but coal-generated electricity rose by 9% to record high

The number of coal-fired power plants under development around the world fell last year, but far too much coal is still being burned and too many new coal-fired power plants are planned for the world to stay within safe temperature limits.

Coal use appeared to be in long-term decline before the Covid-19 pandemic, but lockdowns around the world and economic upheaval drove an increase in new coal projects in 2020, particularly in China.

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Labor pledges to repair Australia's climate leadership in Pacific, Morrison backs more gas, and Barnaby seeks "wriggle room" on net zero target.

The post Election Diary: Labor pledges Pacific climate leadership, Morrison backs more gas appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Environmental impact statements lodged for the Australia-Asia Power Link project reveal mind-boggling scale of solar and battery project.

The post Sun Cable unveils staggering scale of world’s biggest solar and battery project appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Australians amongst the least likely to change behaviours to reduce climate impact.

The post Australians reluctant to go electric or change behaviour for climate change appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Climate-impacted communities could be allowed to sue fossil fuel companies for compensation, under a Greens policy proposal.

The post Fossil fuel companies to be sued for climate damage under Greens proposal appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Team of European researchers develop and test a hydrogen fuel cell that uses iron instead of rare and costly platinum.

The post Researchers iron out key cost barrier to hydrogen fuel cells appeared first on RenewEconomy.

New York utility says it may be able to replace all its gas-fired peaking plants with four battery storage units by 2030.

The post New York calls tender to replace gas peakers with four hour battery storage appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Brookfield-backed smart meter business acquires Melbourne specialist to unlock gigawatts of behind the meter technology.

The post Intellihub targets gigawatts of behind the meter capacity with GreenSync buy appeared first on RenewEconomy.