Findings, published in the journal Communications Earth & Environment, come as nations prepare to battle again over a treaty to address plastic pollution after the last round of negotiations failed to…Continue readingGlobal plastic recycling rates ‘stagnant’ at under 10%: Study
Tag: deceit
Nearly 2 million hectares of forests suitable for endangered koalas have been destroyed since the iconic species was declared a threatened species in 2011, according to analysis for Guardian Australia. The…Continue readingRevealed: nearly 2m hectares of koala habitat bulldozed since 2011 – despite political promises to protect species
Papua New Guinea will “immediately” lift a ban on forest carbon credit schemes, the Pacific nation’s climate minister told AFP on Thursday, opening up its vast wilderness to offset global emissions.…Continue readingPapua New Guinea lifts ban on forest carbon credits
Edelman, the world’s largest public relations agency, is in talks to work with the Cop30 team organising the UN climate summit in the Amazon later this year despite its prior connections…Continue readingCop30 in talks to hire PR firm that worked for lobby seeking weaker Amazon protections
A new four-lane highway cutting through tens of thousands of acres of protected Amazon rainforest is being built for the COP30 climate summit in the Brazilian city of Belém. The Amazon…Continue readingAmazon forest felled to build road for climate summit
South Australia’s Environment Protection Authority did not open a formal investigation into what may have killed dozens of birds in Port Pirie, despite tests showing some of the animals had been…Continue readingDead and dying Port Pirie birds and bats exposed to lead at 3,000 times acceptable levels
The world needs more planet-heating fossil fuel, not less, Donald Trump’s newly appointed energy secretary, Chris Wright, told oil and gas bigwigs on Monday. “The Trump administration will treat climate change…Continue readingWhat the world needs now is more fossil fuels, says Trump’s energy secretary
In a two-day hearing last month, the activists, who were jailed for taking part in various disruptive protests in 2022, argued that their trial judges had erred by failing to offer…Continue readingJust Stop Oil protesters’ jail sentences shortened after appeal
Drax’s former top lobbyist, Rowaa Ahmar, has accused it of “misleading the public, government and its regulator” over its sourcing of wood for biomass pellets, in a claim for unfair dismissal…Continue readingDrax ‘misled government’ over sourcing of wood for biomass, says ex-lobbyist
Global demand for liquefied natural gas is forecast to surge 60 per cent by 2040 due to faster economic growth in Asia and the race to decarbonise industry, Shell has said.…Continue readingLNG demand to jump 60% by 2040, Shell forecasts
HSBC had planned to hit net zero targets for its own operations – arguably a much easier goal than cutting the emissions of its loan portfolio and client base – by…Continue readingHSBC net zero goal delayed 20 years, as CEO offered 600% bonus
Airbus has delayed plans to fly a hydrogen-powered aircraft by 2035 in a setback for the aviation industry’s hopes to achieve net zero. The decision to abandon the deadline for the…Continue readingAirbus pushes back plans to fly hydrogen plane by 2035
The Norwegian state-backed energy group that dropped oil from its name as part of a push into renewables is pivoting back to fossil fuels in the hunt for shareholder returns. Equinor,…Continue readingEquinor scales back renewables push 7 years after ditching ‘oil’ from its name
On Thursday, the Trump administration ordered the US agriculture department to unpublish its websites documenting or referencing the climate crisis. By Friday, the landing pages on the United States Forest Service…Continue readingTrump orders USDA to take down websites referencing climate crisis
A sustained strategy was developed by the government and approved by the environment minister, Tanya Plibersek, in December 2023 after the committee had warned in September the reef would be considered…Continue readingAustralia tried to influence other countries and Unesco to keep Great Barrier Reef off in-danger list
Shell dominated the $1.4bn global market for carbon credits last year as oil and gas companies scaled back their spending on clean energy and relied more heavily on offsets to reach…Continue readingShell dominates carbon credit market as clean energy spending scaled back
Ministers have seen off a bill that would have made the UK’s climate and environment targets legally binding, after promising Labour backbenchers that they would have input into environmental legislation. The…Continue readingUK climate and nature bill dropped after deal with Labour backbenchers
I was one of a group of Just Stop Oil activists given the longest-ever UK sentences for peaceful protest after blocking a motorway. Six months into my incarceration, this is what…Continue readingWhat the UK government does to those who protest against fossil fuel production
President Donald Trump ordered the U.S. on Monday to withdraw once again from the 2015 Paris climate agreement — instantly isolating the country from the global campaign to stem catastrophic warming.…Continue readingWhat Trump’s exit from the climate deal really means
Microsoft will pay to restore parts of Brazil’s Amazon and Atlantic forests in exchange for hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of carbon credits. The US company told the Financial Times…Continue readingMicrosoft secures deal to restore Amazon rainforest and offset AI emissions
Indonesia opened its carbon exchange to international buyers on Monday, aiming to raise funds to help meet ambitious domestic climate goals. Indonesia is one of the world’s biggest polluters and is…Continue readingIndonesia launches international carbon exchange
The Indonesian government wants to turn 20 million hectares (49 million acres) of forest into areas for food and energy production and water reserves, Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni recently said…Continue readingActivists slam ‘destructive’ Indonesia forest conversion plan
Almost 26,000 hectares of threatened species habitat was greenlit for destruction in 2024 – more than double the previous year. A new Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) report has revealed a huge…Continue readingAlmost 26,000 hectares of Australian threatened species habitat approved for clearing under Labor in 2024
On the issue of oppressive laws, Australia has become something of a leader. Novel pieces of legislation that chip away and smother civil liberties is something of a speciality down under, encouraged…Continue readingTargeting Climate Change Protests
The multibillion-dollar chemicals company 3M told customers its firefighting foams were harmless and biodegradable when it knew they contained toxic substances so persistent they are now known as “forever chemicals” and…Continue reading3M knew firefighting foams containing PFAS were toxic, documents show
A climate activist who graffitied the word “liar” on the federal environment minister’s office has stood by his highly publicised actions, urging the public to stand up for their beliefs. The…Continue readingClimate activist who graffitied Tanya Plibersek’s office says he stands by his actions
The Albanese government has approved the expansion of four coalmines that climate campaigners estimate will release more than 850 megatonnes of CO2 over their lifetime – equivalent to almost double Australia’s…Continue readingAustralian government approves four coalmine expansions
Environmentalists have released what they say are the first maps of nearly 40,000 hectares of protected Tasmanian native forests that the state government plans to open to logging. They suggest significant…Continue readingMaps reveal parts of protected Tasmanian native forest that could be opened to logging
British police arrest environmental protesters at nearly three times the global average rate, research has found, revealing the country as a world leader in the legal crackdown on climate activism. Only…Continue readingBritain leads the world in cracking down on climate activism, study finds
Queensland’s environment minister has told parliament he stands by his comments more than a decade ago that he was “a bit sceptical” about human involvement in climate change. Griffith University emeritus…Continue readingAustralian Queensland environment minister stands by ‘scepticism’ about human-induced climate change
A $200bn wave of new gas projects could lead to a “climate bomb” equivalent to releasing the annual emissions of all the world’s operating coal power plants, according to a report.…Continue reading‘Climate bomb’ warning over $200bn wave of new gas projects
Consultancy firm McKinsey was paid $1.6m over 11 weeks to “inform” and “guide” Australian energy and climate policy, despite its work for the world’s biggest fossil fuel companies. The firm, whose…Continue readingMcKinsey paid $1.6m to ‘guide’ Australian climate policy despite working for fossil fuel companies
Some A$13 billion in taxpayer dollars and 30 years of policy reform have failed to arrest the devastating decline in the health of Australia’s most important river system, the Murray-Darling Basin,…Continue readingLandmark study reveals stark failure to halt Murray-Darling River decline
The world soccer governing body is under fire for agreeing to an enormous sponsorship deal that is in direct opposition to its and others’ climate action goals FIFA inked a four-year…Continue readingFIFA faces enormous backlash over decision to accept sponsorship deal: ‘Might as well pour oil on the pitch and set it alight’
Australia’s richest person has won community backing to open a coal mine in Canada following a bitter five-year battle punctuated by allegations that the fossil fuel lobby secretly backed citizens’ groups…Continue readingAustralia’s richest woman wins vote for controversial Canadian coal mine
Rich and poor countries concluded a trillion-dollar deal on the climate crisis in the early hours of Sunday morning, after marathon talks and days of bitter recriminations ended in what campaigners…Continue readingCOP29 agrees $1.3tn climate finance deal but campaigners brand it a ‘betrayal’
Kuwait Petroleum Corp. plans to spend about 10 billion dinars ($33 billion) over five years to ramp up oil production capacity, betting on robust demand for decades to come. “We’re looking…Continue readingKuwait to Spend Over $30 Billion to Boost Oil in Bet on Demand
About 150 miles south-east of the US city of New Orleans, Shell’s newest oil platform looms above the choppy waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Dubbed Vito, the structure embodies a…Continue readingOffshore oil is back. At what cost?
Saudi Arabia has been working to foil any agreements that renew a pledge to transition away from fossil fuels, according to negotiators, says the New York Times. Negotiators say it’s part…Continue readingSaudi Arabia is a ‘wrecking ball’ in global climate talks
Donald Trump’s nomination for energy secretary has connections to fracking operations for gas in the Beetaloo basin in the Northern Territory. Chris Wright is the chief executive of Liberty Energy, a…Continue readingTrump’s new energy tsar linked to fracking in Australia’s Beetaloo basin
Although many countries have explicitly promised to reduce fossil fuel subsidies to combat climate change, this has proven difficult to accomplish. As a result, fossil fuels remain relatively inexpensive, and their…Continue readingCountries spend huge sums on fossil fuel subsidies
As the COP29 summit in the Azerbaijani capital of Baku begins its second week, representatives from Vanuatu and Tuvalu have called on Australia to stop approving new fossil fuel developments, including…Continue readingAustralia accused of ‘exporting climate destruction’ on tiny Pacific neighbours with massive gas expansion plans
Relying on natural carbon sinks such as forests and oceans to offset continued fossil fuel emissions will not stop global heating, the scientists who developed net zero have warned. Each year,…Continue readingCountries could use nature to ‘cheat’ on net zero targets, scientists warn
At least 480 lobbyists working on carbon capture and storage (CCS) have been granted access to the UN climate summit. CCS lobbyists at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, outnumber the core national…Continue readingAlmost 500 carbon capture lobbyists granted access to COP29 climate summit
The host country of this year’s UN climate summit, Azerbaijan, has rolled out “red carpet” treatment to fossil fuel bosses and lobbyists, the Guardian can reveal. At least 132 oil and…Continue readingFossil fuel bosses get ‘red carpet’ at COP29 despite concerns over influence
Argentinian negotiators representing the government of the climate science denier Javier Milei have been ordered to withdraw from the COP29 summit after only three days. More than 80 representatives from the…Continue readingArgentina withdraws negotiators from COP29 summit
At least 1,773 coal, oil, and gas lobbyists have been granted access to the United Nations climate talks in Baku, Azerbaijan. Those lobbyists outnumber the delegations of almost every country at…Continue readingOver 1,700 coal, oil and gas lobbyists granted access to COP29
Australia and Turkey are vying to host COP31, and the Australian government hopes Turkey will exit the race in time for an announcement before next week. The hypocrisy of Australia’s bid…Continue readingClimate criminal Australia competes to host Climate-COP
Azerbaijan’s president has branded oil and gas a “gift from God” as he welcomed delegates to the COP29 climate summit. The president of the oil and gas-rich country argued, as he…Continue readingCOP29 host Azerbaijan brands oil and gas ‘gift from God’
Highlights of Energy Law of the People’s Republic of China, adopted at the 12th meeting of the Standing Committee of the 14th National People’s Congress on November 8, 2024 –Continue readingNew Energy Law passed by People’s Republic of China
Papua New Guinea’s decision to pull out of an upcoming UN global climate summit due to frustration over “empty promises and inaction”. Prime minister James Marape announced in August the country…Continue reading‘A total waste of time’: why Papua New Guinea pulled out of COP29
The chief executive of COP29 has been filmed apparently agreeing to facilitate fossil fuel deals at the climate summit. The campaign group Global Witness posed undercover as a fake oil and…Continue readingCOP29 CEO filmed agreeing to facilitate fossil fuel deals at climate summit
A plan by climate activists to shut down the Port of Newcastle for 50 hours has been challenged by New South Wales police who have argued in a court challenge against…Continue readingNSW police take legal action to prevent climate activists blockading Port of Newcastle
Biodiversity is declining more quickly within key protected areas than outside them, according to research that scientists say is a “wake-up call” to global leaders discussing how to stop nature loss…Continue readingBiodiversity declining even faster in ‘protected’ areas, scientists warn COP16
Azerbaijan, the host of the COP29 global climate summit, will see a large expansion of fossil gas production in the next decade, a new report has revealed. Azerbaijan’s state-owned oil and…Continue readingCOP29 host Azerbaijan set for major fossil gas expansion
Some of Australia’s biggest carbon polluters have a couple of reasons to celebrate this week. WA’s Labor government passed environmental protection laws that were described by one of its own MPs…Continue readingHave Western Australia’s new environmental protection laws left the state’s EPA a toothless tiger?
Foreign aid for fossil fuel projects quadrupled in a single year, a report has found, rising from $1.2bn in 2021 to $5.4bn in 2022. The report found the top five funders…Continue readingForeign aid for fossil fuel projects quadrupled in a single year
More than 80% of countries have failed to submit plans to meet a UN agreement to halt the destruction of Earth’s ecosystems, new analysis has found. Nearly two years ago, the…Continue readingAbout 80% of countries fail to submit plans to preserve nature ahead of global summit
One of the largest types of carbon offset projects the Australian government is using to meet climate change targets and reduce carbon in the atmosphere is failing to do so, new…Continue reading‘Widespread noncompliance and poor performance’ in world’s largest nature-based carbon removal projects
The destruction of global forests increased in 2023, and is higher than when 140 countries promised three years ago to halt deforestation by the end of the decade. The rising demolition…Continue readingDeforestation ‘roaring back’ despite 140-country vow to end destruction
A critically endangered orchid has received a late reprieve after a local environmental group threatened legal action against the Victorian government, prompting officials to cancel a planned burn of its habitat.…Continue readingFewer than 10 of these orchids remain in the wild. Victoria was about to burn them into extinction.
Forest campaigners have accused the federal government of hypocrisy for hosting a global nature-positive summit in Sydney while logging resumed in public forest 400km away in mid-north New South Wales. The…Continue readingEnvironment summit taking place in Sydney while greater glider habitat is logged is ‘bullshit’, advocates say
Scientists have challenged Tanya Plibersek’s claim that Australia is protecting more than half of its oceans and has “blitzed” a 30% target, arguing industrial longline fishing will still be allowed in…Continue readingScientists contest environment minister’s claim of ‘blitzing’ Australia’s ocean reserve expansion goal
The environment minister, Tanya Plibersek, approved three coalmine expansions on Tuesday. The Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) said the three projects, all in New South Wales, would generate more than 1.3bn tonnes…Continue readingTanya Plibersek approves three coalmine expansions
The Western Australian government has lifted a ban preventing onshore gas producers from exporting any of their gas. The current WA premier, Roger Cook, said the state needed “a secure supply…Continue readingWestern Australia’s decision to lift gas export ban will drive up emissions, conservationists say
Eni has started gas production from the Argo Cassiopea field, the most important gas development project in Italy. The gas, coming from one of the four subsea wells drilled in recent…Continue readingEni starts gas production from Argo Cassiopea field in Strait of Sicily
Under a federal government scheme, people and businesses can undertake projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions or store carbon, in exchange for financial rewards known as carbon credits. The government has…Continue readingIndustry push to earn carbon credits from Australia’s native forests would be a blow for nature and the climate
Woodside, the largest Australian oil and gas company, has agreed to buy a huge liquefied gas export terminal under construction in the United States, doubling down on demand for the fuel…Continue readingWoodside chases global LNG ‘powerhouse’ crown with latest deal
Permits to explore waters between South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania to establish new offshore gas wells have been approved by the federal government. Esso and Beach Energy are expected to take…Continue readingFederal government approves gas exploration permits in waters off South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania
A Shell-operated plant reported millions of carbon credits tied to CO₂ removal that never took place but were used by Canada’s largest oil sands companies, raising new doubts about a technology…Continue readingShell plant reported millions of ‘phantom’ carbon credits
French oil and gas company TotalEnergies and Sultanate of Oman’s national oil company OQ have reached the Final Investment Decision (FID) for the Marsa LNG project. TotalEnergies has signed an agreement…Continue readingTotalEnergies, OQ make FID on Marsa LNG project in Oman
Longtime forest advocates have expressed disgust at the ongoing logging of koala habitat in northern New South Wales despite promises the state government would protect the species, with one seasoned campaigner…Continue readingContinued logging of NSW koala habitat is ‘a profound tragedy’, conservationist says
Dozens of koalas have been killed or injured and left for dead during logging of blue gum plantations in South Australia, according to former employees of the harvesting company and a…Continue readingDozens of koalas allegedly killed or injured during plantation logging on Kangaroo Island
The world is off track to meet its climate goals and the public is to blame, Darren Woods, chief executive of oil giant ExxonMobil, has claimed. As the world’s largest investor-owned…Continue readingFury after Exxon chief says public to blame for climate failures
The problem of the ever-growing demand for power must be addressed if the world is not to risk descending into “energy turmoil” as it transitions towards clean energy, according to the…Continue reading‘Energy turmoil’ looms unless demand is checked, says Cop28 president
EnergyAustralia has announced the opening of its 320MW Tallawarra B gas-fired power station in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, following two years of construction. It is located next to the Australian…Continue readingEnergyAustralia inaugurates 320MW Tallawarra B gas-fired power station
Dr Stuart Rowland, a retired principal research scientist who worked for NSW Fisheries for 36 years and remains a mentor to scientists in the agency, says there is a conflict within…Continue reading‘The river has been destroyed’: expert says agriculture has overshadowed science in the Murray-Darling Basin
Launched in 2017, Climate Action 100+ aims to work with companies to halve their greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, through governance reforms, the elimination of emission through the value chain and…Continue readingBig firms with $7 tn exit climate investment pressure group
Global liquefied natural gas demand is forecast to surge 50% by 2040 as the world transitions to cleaner fuel, Shell said in its latest annual LNG outlook. China was likely to…Continue readingLNG demand set to surge 50% by 2040 in clean-fuel transition, says Shell
Oxford university has come under heavy criticism after its £6bn endowment fund increased its investment in fossil fuels just a few years after making a landmark commitment to divestment. About £1 out of…Continue readingOxford under fire for increasing fossil fuel investments
TotalEnergies and its partners in Nigeria have commenced production from the Akpo West field in the Gulf of Guinea. Akpo West, which is located 135km off the coast, is producing through…Continue readingTotalEnergies begins production from Akpo West field offshore Nigeria
The EPA told stakeholders it was ditching specific search requirements for glider den trees, which must currently be retained with a 50-metre logging exclusion zone around each one. Instead, Forestry Corporation…Continue readingGreater glider put on path to extinction by NSW environmental watchdog
The Queensland government approved the Vulcan South coalmine in the Bowen Basin earlier this month without requiring an environmental impact statement (EIS). But the project still needs approval from the federal…Continue readingTanya Plibersek urged to block ‘climate-wrecking’ Queensland coalmine that would raze koala habitat
Shell, Equinor, bp, Total and NEO are among the 17 separate companies which have been offered a total of 24 licences in the second tranche of the 33rd oil and gas…Continue reading24 licences offered in second tranche of 33rd oil and gas licensing round
An Australian court has dismissed an attempt by members of the indigenous population of the remote Tiwi Islands to block a new gas pipeline being built by oil and gas major…Continue readingAustralian court allows Santos pipeline to proceed after dismissing Tiwi Islanders’ case
Petrobras and its partners have started production from the second phase of development of the Mero field (Mero-2 project) located on the Libra block in the pre-salt area of Brazil’s Santos…Continue readingPetrobras and partners begin production from Mero-2 project offshore Brazil
The president of the COP28 climate summit will continue with his oil company’s record investment in oil and gas production, despite coordinating a global deal to “transition away” from fossil fuels. Sultan Al…Continue readingCOP28 president says his firm will keep investing in oil
The failure of COP28 to call for a phase-out of fossil fuels is “devastating” and “dangerous” given the urgent need for action to tackle the climate crisis, scientists have said. One called it…Continue readingFailure of Cop28 on fossil fuel phase-out is ‘devastating’, say scientists
Climate agreement may fail to result in falls in oil and gas production. The world’s largest oil producers have saluted the COP28 agreement’s focus on an “orderly” move away from fossil…Continue readingBig oil welcomes COP28 call to move away from fossil fuels in ‘orderly’ way