newsmart – Environment

theguardian.com | 56 min. ago NEW

At Cop17, the pressure is on to rescue a deal that could end the destruction of nature

​As world leaders struggle to meet deadlines to halt nature loss set four years ago, a rare leopard in host country Armenia offers a symbol of what is at stakeDon’t get Down to Earth delivered to your inbox? Sign up hereThe Armenian capital Yerevan is chock-a-block right now with officials, scientists and environmentalists from all over the world gathering for Cop17.

Everyone is here to try to rescue a historic deal to end the destruction of nature.The pressure is on. Targets set for 2030 are woefully off track, and the nearly 200 countries present need to agree on a plan to speed things up. All this is happening at a time when national budgets are tight and leaders are distracted by conflict, protests and the global energy crisis.This Norwegian village is one of the fastest-warming places on Earth.

How can its people save it?What does the UK’s approval of the Jackdaw gasfield mean?US extreme weather survivors are a growing group – now they want to be a political force Continue reading...

theguardian.com | 12 hrs. 3 min. ago

Andy Burnham vows UK will hit net zero target despite Jackdaw gasfield approval

PM pledges commitment to address climate crisis, saying in Guardian article that his ‘determination is unwavering’Andy Burnham: We will make the net-zero transition work for BritainAndy Burnham has said he will not “abandon the responsibility” of fighting the climate crisis after the government approved the Jackdaw gasfield, pledging to block new North Sea licences and keep Britain on track for net zero by 2050.The comments are the prime minister’s most forthright yet on net zero, after many MPs have privately cast doubt on the authenticity of his commitment to tackling the climate crisis.

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theguardian.com | 14 hrs. 4 min. ago

We will make the net-zero transition work for Britain – approving the Jackdaw gasfield is part of the plan

Andy Burnham | Protecting jobs and strengthening energy security in the short term does not mean wavering on Labour’s deep commitment to a cleaner, greener futureOn Wednesday, the energy secretary, Miatta Fahnbulleh, gave the go-ahead for gas production to begin at the Jackdaw gasfield in the North Sea.

This has been the subject of fierce debate for many years, with strong views on both sides. I want to explain what the decision means and how it fits with Britain’s climate commitments.At a time of acute global instability, it makes sense to responsibly use our resources here at home.

Gas from this field will begin heating our homes and powering our businesses this winter. In the longer term, it will significantly strengthen our energy security by increasing domestic gas production by about 6% and support the UK’s energy supply for more than a decade.

Wednesday’s decision will also protect hundreds of jobs in Scotland and add almost £3bn to the UK economy over the lifetime of the project.Andy Burnham is prime minister of the United KingdomDo you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here.

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theguardian.com | 17 hrs. 53 min. ago

Rosebank row: will Labour block the oilfield? – podcast

The government has given the go-ahead for the Jackdaw gasfield, but that was the easy part. The next big headache is the Rosebank oilfield. The energy secretary, Miatta Fahnbulleh, has indicated she might reject this licence because of the project’s expected environmental impact, but could Andy Burnham overrule her to help the chancellor, John Healey?You can read Kiran Stacey’s exclusive report on Rosebank here Continue reading...

theguardian.com | 1 days ago

UK politics: Reform UK claims racism exposé has left some members ‘psychologically damaged’ as it reports ITV to police – as it happened

Zia Yusuf claims undercover investigation broke the law as broadcaster stands by its journalismHere is an explainer by Jill Ambrose about the Jackdaw decision.But environmental groups have condemned the decision. Ami McCarthy, head of politics for Greenpeace UK, said:Approving Jackdaw shows the toxic grip fossil fuel lobbyists still hold over our energy policy.

Andy Burnham promised pragmatism [see 8.40am], but there is nothing pragmatic about rubber-stamping a project that won’t lower energy bills, won’t boost energy security and will create just 27 full-time jobs …True pragmatism means severing our reliance on expensive oil and gas that leaves British households broke, supercharges extreme weather, and leaves our energy security at the mercy of petrostates.Is the prime minister living in a parallel universe? One where we haven’t just endured our hottest summer on record, with droughts, wildfires and, in all likelihood, the most heat-related deaths on record? And where the UN hasn’t warned that we’re on the brink of breaching the all-important 1.5 degree warming limit?Shell will be cheering this decision but it won’t knock a penny off our energy bills, which is what’s keeping people up at night, or make a meaningful difference to our gas supply.

Jackdaw will provide around just 2% of our gas demand for roughly ten years. It has been oversold and won’t stop the decline in North Sea jobs, as it will be largely unmanned and operated remotely. Continue reading...

theguardian.com | 1 days ago

How bad is Jackdaw gasfield approval for the climate? – The Latest

Climate campaigners have condemned the UK government’s decision to allow the drilling of the Jackdaw gasfield. Critics argue the move will put climate targets at risk, while failing to reduce energy bills and the cost of living crisis. But there could be a significant victory for green activists when it comes to the much larger Rosebank oilfield, with the energy secretary, Miatta Fahnbulleh, leaning towards rejecting approval.

Michael Safi speaks to environment correspondent Matthew Taylor – watch on YouTube Continue reading...

theguardian.com | 1 days ago

‘Climate vandalism’: Jackdaw gasfield approval condemned - The Latest

Climate campaigners have condemned the UK government’s decision to allow the drilling of the Jackdaw gasfield. Critics argue the move will put climate targets at risk, while failing to reduce energy bills and the cost of living crisis. But there could be a significant victory for green activists when it comes to the much larger Rosebank oilfield, with the energy secretary, Miatta Fahnbulleh, leaning towards rejecting approval.

Michael Safi speaks to environment correspondent Matthew Taylor – watch on YouTube Continue reading...

theguardian.com | 1 days ago

As Miatta ignites the speaker’s gas-fuelled inferno, Reform show up as snowflakes

John Crace | The energy secretary’s trip north provokes Hoyle’s futile rage, while ITV’s exposé leaves Zia Yusuf immensely sadWhen is a licence not a licence? When it’s a new licence that is an old licence. After months of faffing around – there were the small matters of a party conference and a byelection to negotiate first – the government finally gave the go-ahead to drilling in the Jackdaw gasfield in the North Sea.

What swung it wasn’t so much the irresistible excitement of creating 27 new jobs and securing 2% of the UK’s gas supply for the next 10 years, it was the politics. If other countries were going to carry on drilling then we might as well do so, too.There would still be the same amount of greenhouse gases created and we wouldn’t have to rely on anyone else for our gas supply.

Though we would for the other 98%. Small steps and all that. At a time of global insecurity and rising energy costs, it was time to drill, baby, drill. So the inconvenience of a Labour manifesto that promised no new North Sea licences could be rethought.

It was now merely re-allowing a licence that had already been granted and then deemed unlawful by the courts. AKA dancing on the head of the pin. Continue reading...

theguardian.com | 1 days ago

Total UK government debt hits £3tn for first time while inflation jumps to highest in nearly a year – as it happened

French government bond yields highest since 2002 as country rocked by protests; UK approves controversial North Sea gasfield JackdawThe approval of Jackdaw is an “important step” for the North Sea, according to Shell.The UK energy giant jointly owns Jackdaw operator Adura, which is headquartered in Aberdeen, together with Norway’s Equinor.This is an important step in ensuring the UK North Sea can continue to contribute to the country’s energy security and economy.Long-term energy projects depend on a competitive and stable investment environment, alongside timely and predictable regulatory decisions.

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theguardian.com | 1 days ago

‘Jackdaw means we pay our mortgages’: relief in Aberdeen over gasfield approval

Few believe decision will bring back city’s boom years, but workers hope it will secure North Sea jobs for nowUK approves Jackdaw gasfield in North SeaWhat does the UK’s approval of the Jackdaw gasfield mean?As recently as 2012, Aberdeen boasted the highest concentration of millionaires in the UK.

An ATM reportedly had the highest withdrawal rate in Europe in the 90s, as oil and gas wealth flowed through the city. House prices skyrocketed in the scramble for space as fossil fuel firms transformed the city’s grand granite houses into company offices. But that was then.Today, “for sale” and “to let” signs punctuate the city’s main thoroughfares.

Disposable income in Aberdeen has fallen by nearly 20% between 2013 and 2023 – more than any other large UK city – after a 2014 oil price shock sparked a brutal reversal in Aberdeen’s fortunes. Continue reading...

theguardian.com | 1 days ago

Energy secretary leaning towards rejecting Rosebank oilfield

Exclusive: Officials say Miatta Fahnbulleh minded not to give approval in victory for climate campaignersUK politics live – latest updatesMiatta Fahnbulleh is leaning towards rejecting the giant Rosebank oilfield, the Guardian understands, in what would be a blow for the North Sea energy industry but a major victory for climate campaigners.Officials say the energy secretary, is minded to refuse approval for the field, which would be one of the biggest in the North Sea.

Fahnbulleh approved the smaller Jackdaw gasfield on Wednesday, prompting protest from some in the green movement. Continue reading...

bbc.co.uk | 1 days ago

How much gas could Jackdaw provide? And will it cut your energy bills?

BBC Verify looks at what the Jackdaw decision means for bills, energy security and the environment.

nytimes.com | 1 days ago

U.K. Approves Long-Stalled Jackdaw Gas Drilling Project in the North Sea

The project will lessen the country’s dependence on imported energy, though environmental advocates say it undercuts a pledge to reduce carbon emissions.

thehindu.com | 1 days ago

U.K. govt. approves drilling in Jackdaw gas field

The Labour administration promised when returning to power in 2024 not to issue any new oil and gas drilling licences as it steers Britain away from fossil fuels towards cleaner renewable energy.

theguardian.com | 1 days ago

Climate campaigners condemn ‘maddening’ decision to approve Jackdaw gasfield

Critics say move will jeopardise climate targets, fail to cut cost of living and distract from need to decarbonise energyUK politics live – latest updatesClimate campaigners and green experts have condemned the government’s decision to allow the drilling of the Jackdaw gasfield in the North Sea.They said approval for the site would jeopardise the UK’s climate targets, fail to reduce the cost of living, and distract from the need to decarbonise the UK’s energy sector.

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independent.co.uk | 1 days ago

The Jackdaw gas field and what it means for the climate crisis and your bills

Andy Burnham insists the decision will ‘protect hundreds of jobs and keep millions of homes warm’ but the move has proved controversial with environmentalists

independent.co.uk | 1 days ago

Jackdaw latest: Andy Burnham accused of ‘climate vandalism’ after gasfield drilling approved

Zack Polanski said the government had ‘abandoned all credibility in the fight against climate change’