Global emissions must fall by 7.6% a year for next decade to avoid crisis, report saysCountries must make an unprecedented effort to cut their levels of greenhouse gases in the next decade to avoid climate chaos, the UN has warned, as it emerged that emissions hit a new high last year.Carbon dioxide emissions in 2018, also accounting for deforestation, rose to more than 55 gigatonnes, and have risen on average by 1.5% a year for the past decade, according to the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) annual emissions gap report. Continue reading...

Judges give state governments six weeks to explain why they should not be held accountable for pollution failuresThe Indian supreme court has declared that state governments will have to pay their citizens compensation if they fail to provide clean air and water.The judges, who have been vocal in their condemnation of state governments who have repeatedly failed to address the issue, said people had the constitutional right to live free of pollution. Continue reading...

Scott Morrison says no action is required after speaking to the NSW police commissioner. This blog is now closed• PM stands by Angus Taylor despite NSW police investigation into doctored document• Lower pay rises are the ‘new normal’, Reserve Bank says• A timeline of Angus Taylor’s mystery document controversy6.57am GMTSo with parliament right back to where it started – talking ensuring integrity – we are going to wrap up the blog for the night.Stay tuned for the news stories and analysis on yet another extraordinary day in the Australian parliament which will be coming your way.6.49am GMTAnd around and around we go:We want the #EnsuringIntegrity Laws because for 75 years, the Liberal Party has always backed workers and the middle classes. Labor stands for vested interests - they just do what unions say on super, trade and industrial relations Continue reading...

Maximum penalties in the tens of thousands of dollars apply for using routes that are closed to contain dieback diseaseA hiker in New Zealand has become the first to be charged with walking on closed tracks in the Waitakere ranges, violating a ban put in place to stop the devastating spread of a fungal disease called kauri dieback.Potential fines of tens of thousands of dollars apply for repeatedly using the tracks, which are closed to the public to let the forest recover from a disease that kills the majority of kauri trees it infects. Continue reading...

Sixty per cent of respondents want to see more action – compared with 51% in MarchAn increasing proportion of voters worry Australia is not doing enough to reduce the risks of climate change, and more people see a direct link between warming and bushfires, according to the latest Guardian Essential poll.Ominously for the Morrison government, which bristles at regular public criticism it is not doing enough to reduce the risks of the climate crisis, 60% of the sample of 1,083 voters believes Australia should be doing more. This is up from 51% in March. Continue reading...

Environmentalists say a Victorian government plan to preserve old growth forest may instead open up currently protected areasEnvironment groups have raised doubts about the Victorian government’s promise to protect 90,000 hectares of old growth forest, just weeks after the Andrews government announced a major transition plan for Victoria’s timber industry.Six organisations, including The Wilderness Society, Friends of the Earth and Environment Victoria, have expressed fears that the government will open up some areas currently mapped as old growth to logging. Continue reading...

Footage appears to show corpses floating around the capsized vessel, which is likely to have been bound for Saudi ArabiaAttempts to save some of the 14,000 sheep trapped in a half-sunken boat in the Romanian port of Midia have been resumed, say activists at the scene, after sounds emerged from the ship indicating that some were still alive.Campaigners are calling again for a ban on live exports from Europe to non-EU countries, after the Queen Hind capsized on Sunday, shortly after sailing out of port. Conflicting reports of the ship’s destination mean that at one point it was believed to have been headed to Libya, but the authorities have now confirmed that it was intended for Saudi Arabia. Continue reading...

Four decades of near-uninterrupted growth stoked global climate crisisThe world’s use of coal-fired electricity is on track for its biggest annual fall on record this year after more than four decades of near-uninterrupted growth that has stoked the global climate crisis.Data shows that coal-fired electricity is expected to fall by 3% in 2019, or more than the combined coal generation in Germany, Spain and the UK last year and could help stall the world’s rising carbon emissions this year. Continue reading...

Revealed: records show law enforcement has called demonstrators possible ‘domestic terrorism’ threatsUS law enforcement officials preparing for fresh Keystone XL pipeline protests have privately discussed tactics to stop activists “by any means” and have labeled demonstrators potential “domestic terrorism” threats, records reveal.Internal government documents seen by the Guardian show that police and local authorities in Montana and the surrounding region have been preparing a coordinated response in the event of a new wave of protests opposing the controversial Keystone XL tar sands pipeline, which would carry crude oil from Canada to Montana, South Dakota and Nebraska. Continue reading...

Head of World Meteorological Organization says ‘no sign of a slowdown, let alone a decline’The concentration of climate-heating greenhouse gases has hit a record high, according to a report from the UN’s World Meteorological Organization.The jumps in the key gases measured in 2018 were all above the average for the last decade, showing action on the climate emergency to date is having no effect in the atmosphere. The WMO said the gap between targets and reality were both “glaring and growing”. Continue reading...

British-backed plantation firm vows to address claims that underpaid palm oil workers have been exposed to toxic chemicalsThe UK development bank has been accused of failing to protect workers from exposure to dangerous pesticides and paying “extreme poverty” wages on palm oil plantations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.Human Rights Watch said the CDC group, along with three other European development banks, had failed to properly oversee its investments in Feronia, one of Africa’s largest palm oil companies. Continue reading...

Research reveals that living in proximity of traffic increases risk of lung cancer by 10%Living near a busy road stunts lung growth in children and increases the risk of lung cancer, research has revealed.The analysis by King’s College London is the first to examine a wide range of health conditions linked to living near areas of air pollution from traffic. It compared 13 different health conditions, including heart disease, stroke and bronchitis, across 13 cities in the UK and Poland. Continue reading...

EVs produce more CO than say diesel – it’s just they emit via the power plant not the exhaust pipe

Demonstrators chant ‘Venice resist’ amid anger over waves caused by ocean liners and flawed flood-proofing projectThousands of Venetians have taken to the streets to protest over frequent flooding and the impact of giant cruise ships.In heavy rain between 2,000 and 3,000 people answered the call of environmental groups and a collective opposed to the ships. Critics say the waves cruise ships create are eroding Venice’s foundations. Continue reading...

Emergency services search for missing people as Europe hit by mudslides and floodsAt least two people were killed in France and a landslide collapsed a stretch of elevated highway in Italy, leaving cars perched on a precipice, as heavy rains pounded the region over the weekend, trapping travellers, downing trees and triggering mudslides and floods in parts of both countries.A 30-metre (100ft) section of highway along a viaduct near the flooded coastal city of Savona collapsed on Sunday. In an aerial video taken by firefighters, cars and one truck could be seen stopped perilously close to the point where the raised part of the A6 highway plunged on to a wooded area of the Liguria region. Continue reading...

Renewable energy giant says it expects Tories to reverse their block on onshore generationScottishPower has begun plans for a major expansion of onshore windfarm projects across Scotland in anticipation of a government U-turn on support for wind power projects.The renewable energy arm of the big six power supplier has already considered almost 100 sites for a new generation of windfarm, using a smaller number of more powerful wind turbines to generate clean electricity. Most of the sites are in Scotland, but the company is also considering plots in Ireland. Continue reading...

As protest and environmental alarm escalate, a new breed of business is prioritising values other than money and growthIn a volatile world jolted by protest, revolt and environmental alarm, capitalism is showing signs of twitchiness.

Grand Tour host says impact of global heating on lake bed in Cambodia was ‘genuinely alarming’Jeremy Clarkson has made what could be the biggest reversal of his 30-year career. The anti-environmental columnist has, for the first time, accepted the existence of global heating after seeing the impact for himself.Clarkson’s epiphany came as he and his Grand Tour co-stars ran into difficulty while filming a 500-mile boat race from Siem Reap in Cambodia to Vung Tau in Vietnam. Continue reading...

The close-knit group that shuns modern technology has adapted to the changing world by selling what the people want: sticky buns and cappuccinoThose of us who live in the Philadelphia area are used to occasionally seeing “old world” people around. They dress in 19th-century clothing, drive around in horse and buggies and generally keep themselves separate from the rest of the general population.They’re mostly known as Amish, but there are many related sects. One of these are Mennonites – a close-knit, 500-plus-year-old Christian group that shuns modern technology, wears straw hats and calico dresses and embraces a simple lifestyle that adheres closely to its centuries-old doctrines of worship, religious faith and pacifism. The Mennonites are good, God-fearing people. Oh, and they also know how to make a buck. Continue reading...

Weather warnings in place for Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, Yorkshire and DerbyshireParts of northern England and the Midlands that were devastated by severe floods have been told to brace for further downpours this week.A band of heavy rain is expected to hamper continuing recovery efforts across four counties on Wednesday, with a Met Office weather warning in place for large parts of Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, South Yorkshire and Derbyshire. Continue reading...

Trial shows panels can smooth voltage fluctuations in the National GridSolar farms could soon play a vital role in the energy system 24 hours a day, after a breakthrough trial proved they can even help balance the grid at night. National Grid used a solar farm in East Sussex to help smooth overnight voltage fluctuations for the first time earlier this month, proving solar farms don’t need sunshine to help keep the lights on.Lightsource BP, the owner of the solar farm, said an inexpensive tweak to the project’s electrical equipment meant it could help balance the grid with only two seconds’ notice. Kareen Boutonnat, the company’s chief operating officer, said: “We have proven that solar plants can play a larger role across the electricity network. But this is only the beginning.” Continue reading...

Students began campaigning in 2012 for both universities to stop investing in oil and gas companies that contribute to climate crisisStudents and alumni from Harvard and Yale disrupted the annual football game between the two elite universities on Saturday, occupying the field in New Haven, Connecticut, at half-time and demanding the colleges divest from investment in fossil fuels.More than 200 protesters stalled the high-profile game for around an hour, many chanting: “Hey Hey! Ho Ho! Fossil fuels have got to go!” The protest was briefly booed by some in a crowd of 44,989 and discussed widely on social media. Continue reading...

Last of the species in country, a female rhino named Iman, ‘died sooner than expected’The Sumatran rhinoceros has become extinct in Malaysia, zoologists have announced.The last of the species in the country succumbed to cancer in the state of Sabah on the island of Borneo, it was revealed. Continue reading...

Heritage sites associated with abolitionist, including Underground Railroad park, projected to be inundated at high tide by 2050On the flat, marshy stretches of Maryland’s eastern shore, not a huge amount has changed since Harriet Tubman escaped from slavery here 170 years ago. Rivers and streams lace a wedge of land dotted with wood-board churches and small towns. Crabs and oysters are plucked from the adjacent Chesapeake Bay.The climate crisis is set, however, to completely transform low-lying Dorchester county, threatening to submerge some of the key heritage associated with Tubman, the celebrated abolitionist whose daring missions helped free scores of slaves from bondage in her homeland. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Former PM tells Guardian Australia the party he once led has been hurt by climate denialism becoming an issue of ‘identity’

Mother and daughter die in Winchombe, as Met Office forecasts further downpoursTwo people, believed to be a mother and daughter, have died after a tree fell on their car, as the Met Office issued more weather warnings for the weekend.Police were called to the incident shortly after 10pm on Thursday near the Cotswolds town of Winchcombe. Gloucestershire police said a formal identification had not yet taken place but the victims were believed to be a 16-year-old girl and her 56-year-old mother. Continue reading...

Girl in viral image looks similar to activist in both the intensity of her stare and braided hair, prompting Twitter jokesCould Greta Thunberg be a time traveller sent from the future to save humanity from the unfolding climate crisis? A cadre of Twitter users seem to think so, after the photograph of a young Klondike goldminer bearing a striking resemblance to the Swedish activist was discovered this week.The now viral 1898 image of three children operating a goldmine in Canada’s Yukon territory is part of a sprawling collection by the documentary photographer Eric Hegg. Near the end of the 19th century, the Swedish American captured some of the most iconic images of people hoping to make their fortunes in the rugged north. Continue reading...

Investor says it is seeing ‘positive signs’ from oil giant after PensionBee clients question inclusionLegal & General has defended its decision to retain Shell as one of the top stocks in its climate-conscious fund, despite a pension client raising concerns about the oil giant’s inclusion.PensionBee, an online pension provider that handles £650m worth of client assets, said it was being inundated with questions from its own customers about the composition of one of Legal & General Investment Management’s Future World Funds, which counts Shell among its top 10 holdings. Continue reading...

Stall owners fear for livelihoods, saying burning dung essential to flavour of Bihari favouritesThe tantalising scent of freshly cooked dough rises from Brij Bihari Rai’s food stall outside Patna zoo. Sitting on top of the grill is Rai’s specialty, litti chokha, stuffed wheat flour balls tossed in ghee and served with mashed aubergine or potato on the side. But there is another ingredient, Rai says, that is essential to the dish’s distinctive flavour.“Cow dung flame, smoke and ashes add a special taste to this dish and that’s why food lovers rush to our stall to relish the food,” he said. Continue reading...

Hydropower scheme at William Morgan’s 16th-century house to keep humidity levels in checkOne of the most important sites in the history of the Welsh language is being protected from the threat of flooding and heavy rainfall by harnessing the element that is putting it at risk.The upland farmhouse Tŷ Mawr Wybrnant in Snowdonia, north Wales, is the birthplace of Bishop William Morgan, whose translation of the Bible in the 16th century was a key moment for the Welsh language. Continue reading...

Temperatures top 40C in Victoria’s north, up to 11 properties hit by fire in South Australia and NSW and Tasmania face difficult conditionsRecord-breaking spring temperatures helped spark and fan bushfires across the country on Thursday.In Victoria, 100km/h winds fanned more than 60 fires as an unprecedented heatwave moved north to south, drawing comparisons with the “worst conditions you’d see in February or March” from the state’s emergency services minister, Lisa Neville. Continue reading...

Channel 4 to broadcast first such discussion – but prime minister unlikely to participate

‘Investment blitz’ promised as experts taken aback by scale of Labour’s tax and spend plans

Environmentalists say such political focus on green issues ‘unthinkable’ just five years agoThe climate emergency has risen to the top of the UK’s election agenda in a way that would have been “unthinkable” even five years ago, leading environmentalists have said, predicting that it augurs a permanent change in British politics.On Wednesday, Labour took the unprecedented move of putting green issues as the top section of its manifesto, the first time one of the UK’s two major parties has done so. Jeremy Corbyn led the appeal to voters with policies including an £11bn windfall tax on oil and gas companies, a million new jobs in a “green industrial revolution” and commitments on moving to a net-zero carbon economy. Continue reading...

Focus on environment in upcoming manifesto seen as attempt to broaden appeal

Angus Taylor wants support for $2.55bn rebadged fund and roll out of new generation and transmission projectsQueensland has demanded federal funds for gas infrastructure in return for its co-operation with the Morrison government’s rebooted emissions reduction scheme.The state’s energy minister, Anthony Lynham, will head to Western Australia for the energy Coag meeting later on Friday, pressing for Canberra’s financial support to expand its gas industry into the Galilee and Bowen basins. Continue reading...

Scale of killings so great that long-term-impact on eagle population is unknown, conservation groups say

‘Investment blitz’ to be funded by wealthy and includes tax on energy firms to tackle climate crisis

British group delay tour to support new album Everyday Life as they work towards developing carbon-neutral concertsColdplay have pledged to make any tour in support of their new album “actively beneficial” to the environment.Frontman Chris Martin told BBC News that the British group was waiting to tour their new album, Everyday Life, so they can ensure such a tour is carbon neutral. “Our next tour will be the best possible version of a tour like that environmentally,” said Martin. “We would be disappointed if it’s not carbon neutral. We’ve done a lot of big tours at this point. How do we turn it around so it’s not so much taking as giving?” Continue reading...

Campaigner says Conservatives might ban live exports and give more funding for fighting wildlife crimeWildlife campaigner Dominic Dyer received a call last week from former Conservative environment minister Zac Goldsmith with an unexpected request: could Dyer advise on the foxhunting ban, and how might the Tories strengthen it in their manifesto?The 2019 election may go down in history as another Brexit vote but the apparently marginal issue of animal rights could – once again – prove surprisingly influential. Continue reading...

Party wants UK workers to take advantage of opportunities in a global green economy worth £3tn

Experts say new approach to classify plants’ conservation status suggests 7,000 species at riskA third of plant species in tropical Africa are threatened with extinction, a new study suggests. Plants are crucial to many ecosystems and life in general, providing food and oxygen, as well as being the source of myriad materials and medicines. However, human activities including logging, mining and agriculture pose a major threat.While the extinction risk of animals around the world has been well studied, the risk facing many plants remains unclear: 86% of mammal species have been assessed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) for its Red List, compared with only 8% of plant species. Now experts say they have come up with a rapid approach to give a preliminary classification. Continue reading...

Foreign affairs staff say despite opposition from some countries, Australia will continue to use them to meet Paris targetsAustralian officials have told major business groups there will have to be a diplomatic solution to a standoff between the Morrison government and other nations about whether the government can use carryover credits from the Kyoto period to meet its Paris target.Guardian Australia understands diplomats from the British high commission signalled their objection to Australia using carryover credits during a recent meeting of the Australian Industry Greenhouse Network, which includes major emitters such as BHP and Woodside, and industry associations. Continue reading...

German politicians accuse Roger Hallam of downplaying significance of genocide

Researchers linked nine causes of death with a certain type pollution when reviewing medical records of deceased veterans

Capacity rose by 42.9GW in 18 months, far outpacing global efforts to cut use of fossil fuelChina’s growing appetite for new coal-fired power stations has outstripped plant closures in the rest of the world since the start of last year, data shows.Elsewhere countries reduced their capacity by 8GW in the 18 months to June because old plants were retired faster than new ones were built. But over the same period China increased its capacity by 42.9GW despite a global move towards cleaner energy sources and a pledge to limit the use of coal. Continue reading...

B venatorum, which causes flu and jaundice in humans, identified in sheep in north-east ScotlandConcerns have been raised after a potentially deadly tick-borne parasite was found in the UK for the first time.The organism – named B venatorum – causes babesiosis, an animal disease recognised as an emerging infection in humans. Continue reading...

Critics say announcement of extra funding serves as ‘reminder of government’s delayed reaction’People affected by flooding in the Midlands and north of England have accused the government of a “belated response” after Boris Johnson announced a series of measures designed to prevent a repeat of this month’s disaster.The prime minister announced that £5,000 grants would be made available through local authorities from the end of November, in the wake of severe flooding in parts of Yorkshire and the Midlands. Continue reading...

Prime minister tells business council he wants shorter timeline for environmental approvalsScott Morrison has flagged an overhaul of environmental approvals for major projects and a willingness to further streamline the industrial relations system, as he makes a fresh deregulation pitch to business.Saying the government wants to “get major projects off the ground sooner”, Morrison has told the Business Council of Australia that he wants to reduce the length of time it takes for businesses to navigate environmental approvals. Continue reading...

NGO leaders say Lobbying Act stops them from representing the most vulnerable in societyLatest election news – live updatesLeading charities are calling on the next government to lift the legal gag that prevents them from campaigning for the poor and marginalised in society.Heads of non-governmental organisations, including Friends of the Earth, Shelter, Liberty, End Violence Against Women, the Quakers and the Howard League, have written to all of the main political parties calling for greater freedom to speak out. Continue reading...