Environment | The Guardian

Agreement arrived at on Saturday night made progress in some important areas but poor countries say it is not nearly enough

Experts say country’s watering down of fossil fuel pledge reflected its lack of choicesIt was a dramatic 11th-hour decision, portrayed as a devastating blow to the success of Cop26.After pressure exerted by India and China, the wording of the final deal was watered down to a pledge to “phase down” rather than “phase out” coal. Alok Sharma, the president of Cop26, was on the brink of tears as he explained what had happened and the last-minute alteration brought sharp words of rebuke from the US and other nations. Continue reading...

Lincoln Children’s Zoo says deaths of Ranney, Everest and Makalu are ‘truly heartbreaking’, as two tigers recoverThree snow leopards have died at the Lincoln children’s zoo in Nebraska of complications from Covid-19.The zoo made the announcement in a Facebook post on Friday, describing the deaths of the three leopards – named Ranney, Everest, and Makalu – as “truly heartbreaking”. Continue reading...

Analysis: Cop26 delegates made progress on emissions cuts and climate adaptation but fell short on coalThe Cop26 climate conference finally came to an end on Saturday night, having overrun by a day. Here are the main points in the text agreed to by delegates. Continue reading...

Influx of delegates has brought excitement and new connections – as well as a little inconvenience – for residents“I can’t believe how early it gets dark here,” says environmental lawyer Patsy Contardo, who has spent the last two weeks experiencing Scottish culture, from Tunnock’s teacakes and shortbread to the great British weather.Contardo, a Cop26 delegate from Chile, was staying with Glaswegian hosts Fiona and Matt Hooker, who opened up their home to her as part of the Cop26 Homestay Network aimed at helping foreign delegates faced with sky-high accommodation costs in the city; rates rose to more than £1,000 a night in some hotels. Continue reading...

US climate envoy says many countries have very aggressively increased their ambition

Minister welcomes Cop26 summit outcome but sidesteps questions on target arguing ‘we’ll continue to update our projections’

Queensland passes 70% double-dose vaccination; Cop26 agreement made in Glasgow aims for ‘phasing down’ of coal. This blog is now closed

Watered-down coal pledge and climate financing shortcomings temper optimism over Glasgow dealWorld leaders and environmental experts have broadly welcomed a UN climate deal that for the first time targeted fossil fuels as the key driver of global warming, while some criticised the agreement for not going far enough.While the agreement won applause for keeping alive the hope of capping global warming at 1.5C, many of the nearly 200 national delegations wished they had come away with more. Continue reading...

Other countries say that although they disagree with elements of the text, they are reluctantly willing to support it

Indigenous leaders say renaming public spaces suggests ‘we are moving forward as a society and repairing relationships’

Invasive species that wreaks havoc on land found on vessel after trip from Indian Key to Marco IslandA python sneaked aboard a sailboat in the Florida Keys and lurked undetected until the boat finished a near-100-mile voyage, police said.The crew found the 7ft snake in the boat’s shower after docking on Friday at Marco Island, on the south-west Florida Gulf coast, after a trip from Indian Key, a distance of about 95 miles around the southern tip of the state. Continue reading...

Critically endangered North Atlantic right whales are dying in alarming numbers after getting caught in lobster trap ropesA fierce fight is being waged in the Gulf of Maine between lobster fishers desperate to maintain their way of life and conservationists who argue that the waters are a vital haven for the threatened North Atlantic right whale.Last month, a federal judge in Maine rejected a federal ban on lobstering in a section of the Gulf of Maine that is meant to protect the whales. Continue reading...

Clearwater Marine Aquarium mourns dolphin whose recovery after losing tail was chronicled in the film Dolphin TaleFlorida’s most famous dolphin, Winter, beloved by fans around the world and star of the movie Dolphin Tale, died of twisted intestines, according to necropsy results released by an aquarium on Saturday.The dolphin’s intestines were in an area impossible to reach through surgery. Continue reading...

Countries who take this crisis seriously must seize the initiative, and make the rest pariahsWhere now? Governments have agreed a weak climate deal which gets us a smidgen closer to holding temperatures to a rise of 1.5C. But as regards all the most important pledges to phase out coal, reduce subsidies and protect forests, Glasgow failed.The fossil fuel lobby, led by India, held its line, dramatically succeeding in watering down – at the last minute and without due, transparent process – the move to ‘phase out’ coal power, pledging instead to ‘phase down’. The poor came away with next to nothing, there was little urgency and we are still heading for catastrophe. Any chance of halving fast-rising emissions by 2030 – the declared aim of the talks – is now negligible. Continue reading...

Has the goal of 1.5C gone up in flames?• You can order your own copy of this cartoon Continue reading...

Demonstrators say Cop26 talks failed and call on City banks to stop funding fossil fuel projectsPolice arrested Extinction Rebellion protesters who blocked the lord mayor’s show in central London on Saturday.Footage shared on social media showed officers dragging demonstrators out of the road after they disrupted the procession. Environmental activists could be seen blocking the route in the City of London, while forcing riders on horseback and the new lord mayor’s golden state coach to stop. Continue reading...

Analysis: Fossil fuel phaseout stays in but promise of funds for climate change damage may not be enough to sway poorer nationsThe new Cop26 draft text released on Saturday morning has relatively few changes, showing that the global climate summit is narrowing down on the most contested issues that will make or break a strong agreement.The call for the phaseout of coal and fossil fuel subsidies remains, which is positive as many observers thought fossil fuel-rich nations would get it deleted.Decides that the Santiago network will be provided with funds to support technical assistance for the implementation of relevant approaches to avert, minimise and address loss and damageDecides to establish the [NAME] dialogue between parties, relevant organisations and stakeholders to discuss the arrangements for the funding of activities to avert, minimise and address loss and damage associated with the adverse impacts of climate change to take place at the first sessional period of the SBI, concluding at its 60th session Continue reading...

Latest version of text, which asks nations to return next year with stronger emissions targets, will now be scrutinised by delegatesA third draft of the outcome of the Cop26 climate summit retained key resolutions to pursue greenhouse gas emissions cuts in line with holding global temperature rises to 1.5C.Nations will be asked to return next year to strengthen their targets on emissions cuts, which are so far inadequate, and to accelerate the phase-out of coal power and fossil fuel subsidies. The text was not substantially weakened overnight, but there is a long process still to go through on Saturday, and perhaps Sunday, in which some countries are likely to attack some of the key provisions. Continue reading...

A trip down London’s famous waterway reveals many signs of life – but is this another false dawn?The Thames shark hunt begins on a swirling golden brown river, where high above Battersea power station soars a speck that may be another awesome predator: a peregrine falcon.“I haven’t seen a shark but I’ve seen porpoises up the Thames and there were a couple of whales last year,” says Alfie Gardner, captain of one of the Thames Clipper Uber Boats that whisk commuters and tourists up and downriver. “We see a lot of seals. Near enough every day.” Continue reading...

Thousands march in Melbourne CBD as Victoria reports 1,221 new Covid-19 cases, NSW 250 and the ACT 11. This blog is now closed

Deadlock stretched climate summit past its scheduled end with hopes leaders will reach agreement by Saturday

Humans have encroached on the animals’ habitat – now villagers face daily raids as the elephants break into their homes in search of foodIt was around midnight when Kittichai Boodchan heard two loud crashes coming from in front of his home. He knew immediately what was happening. An elephant was outside, and it wanted the family’s stash of bananas.Boonchuay, a local bull from the nearby Kaeng Krachan national park notorious for his habit of raiding the village in search of snacks, had come to call. Kittichai had earlier bought 200kg of bananas to sell and, although stored inside, the sweet scent had undoubtedly piqued Boonchuay’s interest. Continue reading...

The modelling was delayed until the final Friday of COP26 to avoid embarrassment. But it’s even worse than expected

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Royal Society Open Science research finds bees release ‘rallying call for collective defence’ that is ‘quite harsh and noisy’A study has revealed a new defense mechanism used by bees when attacked by giant “murder” hornets: screaming.When left unchecked, the giant Asian hornets can destroy a honeybee hive in hours, feeding on larvae and decapitating bees in what scientists call a “slaughter phase”. The hornets then feed severed body parts to their young. Continue reading...

Deadline passes for global deal to tackle climate change but negotiations to continue

Birds Chile and Greater, painstakingly restored by taxidermists, will be on display at SA Museum as part of Feast festivalAustralia’s last flamingos will go on display this weekend after taxidermists restored the magnificent pink birds.The last flamingo in Australia (named Chile) died in 2018, the second last (Greater) in 2014 – but they have been resurrected as gay emblems for South Australia’s Feast festival. Continue reading...

Environmental campaigners celebrate as state government announces plan to extend conservation area to cover unique rock formation and ecosystemsConservationists have hailed the extension of protection of the Gardens of Stone, a region of dramatic rock formations and rare wildlife in the Blue Mountains that has long been threatened by coalmines.The New South Wales government is set to announce on Saturday a $50m plan to transfer about 31,500ha of state forest and other crown land west of Sydney into a state conservation area. Continue reading...

Climate Action Network give unwanted prize of worst country at the talks to Australia for its ‘breathtaking ineptitude’Australia has been named the “colossal fossil” of the Glasgow climate talks for its “appalling performance” at the summit, with activists castigating the country for its ongoing embrace of fossil fuels.At a mock ceremony held at the Cop26 summit, activists at the Climate Action Network gave the unwanted first prize of the worst country at the talks to Australia, which had previously been named “fossil of the day” five times during the two-week UN conference. Continue reading...

Ofgem tells Orbit, Simply Your Energy, Delta, Social Energy Supply and Whoop they could lose licencesThe energy regulator has threatened to strip five suppliers of their licences after they failed to hand over more than £500,000 collected from customers’ bills to help pay for a renewable energy support scheme.Ofgem warned Orbit Energy, Simply Your Energy, Delta Gas and Power, Social Energy Supply and Whoop Energy to pay a total of £575,000 into the pot used to support small-scale renewable energy projects such as rooftop solar panels “immediately” or face enforcement action. Continue reading...

Indigenous people, representatives of farmers and environmental NGOs carry red ribbons as they exit convention centre

World’s largest shipping company Maersk plans to power new container ships on carbon-neutral methanol but very little of it is produced todayIn August, Maersk, the world’s largest shipping company, announced that it would add eight new container ships to its fleet that would be unlike any merchant vessels operating on the high seas today. Instead of running on “bunker” fuel – the gunky, tar-like substance left behind after oil is refined – Maersk plans to power these ships on carbon-neutral methanol, a colorless liquid made from biomass such as agricultural waste or by combining renewably generated hydrogen with carbon dioxide.Globally, very little of this “green” methanol is produced today and compared with the oil industry waste product most ships run on, the cost is high. Maersk hasn’t yet announced a fuel supply for its new fleet but the company hopes that standing up the world’s first green methanol-powered fleet will spur the energy sector to significantly ramp up production of clean fuels. Continue reading...

Attendees on day 11 of UN summit in Glasgow included London mayor Sadiq Khan and a Tyrannosaurus rexCop26 climate summit: day 11 – as it happened Continue reading...

The best of this week’s wildlife pictures, including a swinging gibbon, a cheeky macaque and a preying crocodile Continue reading...

British designer’s tote bag to go on sale at Sainsbury’s and Waitrose in new bid to tackle single-use plasticWith the exception of a new must-have brand of oat milk and an aesthetically pleasing tin of chopped tomatoes, the supermarket experience is not an especially chic one – unless Anya Hindmarch is along for the ride.Having sent shoppers wild in the aisles of Sainsbury’s with the I Am Not a Plastic Bag bag that opened a debate on single-use plastic in 2007, the accessory designer is returning to the checkouts this winter with a bag she hopes will revolutionise the way we carry our shopping. Continue reading...

The measure could curb the wind-driven wildfires in the region, but critics want a deeper assessment“That tree is dead. That tree is dead – we are too late for them,” Greg Thomson, the forester for Los Padres national forest says, as he traipses through a dense patch of conifers clustered on a peak overlooking Ventura county. Pine needles and yellowed grass crunch beneath his boots as he points to giant spiny tree skeletons with thick trunks.These trees, he says, were victims of the drought, beetle infestations and a changing climate on an overgrown landscape that has not seen a good fire in too long – and it’s his job to do something about that. Continue reading...

Who pays for ‘loss and damage’ is in vogue at Cop26, but the authors of the climate emergency are still escaping accountabilityMohammed Nasheed made global headlines in 2009 by convening the world’s first underwater cabinet meeting. As president of the Maldives, a nation of 1,138 low-lying islands south-west of India, Nasheed donned scuba gear and descended beneath the waves with 13 government ministers. The officials used waterproof pencils to sign a document urging the world to slash carbon dioxide emissions so the Maldives would not disappear beneath rising seas.“If the Maldives cannot be saved today, we do not feel that there is much of a chance for the rest of the world,” Nasheed told reporters.This story is published as part of Covering Climate Now, a global collaboration of news outlets strengthening coverage of the climate story. Mark Hertsgaard is Covering Climate Now’s executive director Continue reading...

Restaurateurs invited to discuss plant-based ‘faux gras’ ahead of expected ban on liver-based spreadIt is prized for its rich flavour and exclusive image by top restaurants and gourmands, but now foie gras is going vegan as the government meets chefs to discuss how to make alternatives out of nuts and mushrooms.Vegan restaurateurs have been invited to meet UK government advisers to discuss how to create plant-based “faux gras” in the event of an upcoming ban, the Guardian has learned. Sources said the government hoped to show that a gap in the market left by a restriction on the trade of the controversial product could be filled by high-end chefs who are willing to produce alternatives. Continue reading...

Federal government releases net zero modelling; Scott Morrison says ‘of course the French are upset’; Australia passes 90% first dose Covid vaccination milestone; Victoria records 1,115 cases and nine deaths; NSW records 286 cases and two deaths; state funeral for Bert Newton. This blog is now closed

Negotiators in Glasgow are working to come to an agreement as the conference enters its final dayCountries are being called on to accelerate the phaseout of coal power at the Cop26 summit, and to return to the negotiating table next year with improvements to their national plans on cutting greenhouse gases.The second draft of the key outcome from the Cop26 summit, now nearing its final hours in Glasgow after a fortnight of intense talks, showed a slight softening of language in some instances but retained the core demands for a return. Continue reading...

US declined to join promise to end coal mining and to compensate poor countries for climate damage. Critics ask, is that leadership?The crucial UN climate talks in Scotland have produced landmark commitments to phase out coalmining, to call time on the internal combustion engines and to compensate poorer countries for damage caused by the climate crisis.The United States, which has trumpeted its regained climate leadership at the summit, has not joined any these pledges as the talks draw to a close. Continue reading...

Barack Obama may have struck a gloomy tone, but that sense is amplified for those in imminent perilAfter an exhausting two weeks of speeches, protests, meetings and increasingly tortuous negotiations at the Glasgow climate summit, a sense of simmering frustration and anxiety has gripped many of the 25,000 attenders.Even former world leaders are not immune. “There are times where the future seems somewhat bleak,” said Barack Obama on Monday. “There are times where I am doubtful that humanity can get its act together before it’s too late, and images of dystopia start creeping into my dreams.” Continue reading...

Washington state is debating wether to grant a special waiver after the tribe fought a lengthy legal battle to try to resume the historic practiceHunting gray whales has long been a sacred tradition for the Makah Tribe, dating back thousands of years. But in recent decades, the practice has faced severe scrutiny from conservationists, and the tribe, located in Washington state, has fought a lengthy legal battle to try to resume the historic practice.Now, the situation could be finally gearing up to a resolution. Continue reading...

New walk covering parks’ most spectacular peaks opens to public on Saturday after construction delaysA 160km multi-day hiking trail running the length of the Grampians (Gariwerd) National Park will open to the public on Saturday becoming one of the longest trails in Victoria.Connecting some of the parks’ most spectacular peaks, the Grampians Peaks Trail is a 13 day/12 night journey commencing at Mt Zero and travelling south over the ranges that make up Gariwerd and ending in the town of Dunkeld. Continue reading...

Chevron says it failed to meet Western Australia’s target of capturing at least 80% of the CO2 that would otherwise be released at its Gorgon LNG project

The ‘unusually large’ and deadly spider’s fangs – so big they could bite through a human fingernail – will be milked for venom

Analysis released at Cop26 climate summit shows Australia’s per capita emissions from coal power nearly double those of ChinaAustralia has the highest greenhouse gas emissions from coal power in the world on a per capita basis, nearly doubling those in China, according to a new analysis released at the Cop26 climate summit in Glasgow.As the talks headed towards a fraught final day, there was disagreement over whether a closing declaration would commit countries to return with stronger short-term emissions reduction targets next year, and explicitly support an accelerated phaseout of coal. Continue reading...

UN chief calls for an end to the trillions in subsidies given to the fossil fuel industry as discussions over the final text contine

The London mayor and chair of a global alliance of cities announces $1bn for electric buses