‘Historic’ moment in biggest coal-consuming countries could bring decline in global emissions, analysis says
Coal power generation fell in China and India for the first time since the 1970s last year, in a “historic” moment that could bring a decline in global emissions, according to analysis.
The simultaneous fall in coal-powered electricity in the world’s biggest coal-consuming countries had not happened since 1973, according to analysts at the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, and was driven by a record roll-out of clean energy projects.
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Breaking Waves: Ocean News
01/12/2026 - 19:01
01/12/2026 - 19:01
Seven out of 10 targets have little likelihood of being met by 2030, Office for Environmental Protection says
The government will not meet its targets to save wildlife in England and Northern Ireland and is failing on almost all environmental measures, the Office for Environmental Protection watchdog has said.
In a damning report, the OEP has found that seven of the 10 targets set in the Environment Act 2021 have little likelihood of being met by 2030, which is the deadline set in law.
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01/12/2026 - 18:55
Conditions ease, with no emergency warnings in place for first time since Thursday, but communities urged to remain alert
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The bushfire threat in Victoria has eased, with no emergency warnings in place for the first time in almost a week, as the state and federal governments commit an initial $10m to help clean up more than 500 structures destroyed by the fires.
The State Control Centre (SCC) on Tuesday morning confirmed that while there were 12 major bushfires active across Victoria, many of which are expected to burn for days or weeks, there were no emergency warnings in place for the first time since Thursday.
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01/12/2026 - 17:29
Ørsted and other wind developers have faced repeated disruptions to multibillion dollar projects under Trump
A federal judge on Monday cleared Danish offshore wind developer Ørsted to resume work on its nearly finished Revolution Wind project, which Donald Trump’s administration halted along with four other projects last month.
The ruling by US district judge Royce Lamberth is a legal setback for Trump, who has sought to block expansion of offshore wind in federal waters.
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01/12/2026 - 11:54
Exclusive: ClimatePartner analysis shows how move would risk plunging Earth further into climate catastrophe
US plans to exploit Venezuela’s oil reserves could by 2050 consume more than a tenth of the world’s remaining carbon budget to limit global heating to 1.5C, according to an exclusive analysis.
The calculation highlights how any moves to further exploit the South American nation’s oil reserves – the largest in the world, at least on paper – would put increasing pressure on climate goals, and risk plunging the Earth further into climate catastrophe.
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01/12/2026 - 09:00
Joyce says the pair were saving taxpayers’ money and ‘I’ve got no problems with that at all’
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The One Nation MPs Pauline Hanson and Barnaby Joyce have used a private jet owned by the mining magnate Gina Rinehart to tour flood-affected Queensland communities.
Joyce, who defected from the Nationals last month, said the pair were saving taxpayers’ money by using the Gulfstream G700 plane and a helicopter at the weekend, including to meet with mayors in north Queensland.
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01/12/2026 - 07:45
South East Water blames cold weather and Storm Goretti for problems, with schools and libraries closed for day
A major incident has been declared after 30,000 homes in Kent and Sussex were left without water.
People in areas including Tunbridge Wells, Canterbury and Maidstone have been without water for as long as five days.
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01/12/2026 - 07:30
President’s memo stating US ‘shall withdraw’ from UNFCCC marks first time any country has tried to exit the agreement
The Trump administration’s long-anticipated decision this week to pull the US from the world’s most important climate treaty may have been illegal, some experts say.
“In my legal opinion, he does not have the authority,” Harold Hongju Koh, former head lawyer for the US state department, told the Guardian.
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01/12/2026 - 02:00
Foreign Office and MoD among only four departments with declining morale in annual Whitehall monitor report
Civil service morale rose slightly after Labour took power in 2024, with the biggest jumps in satisfaction in the energy and health departments, an annual Whitehall monitor report will show.
The survey from the Institute for Government (IfG) thinktank, due to be published this week, found that morale rose from 60.7 to 61.2% on the civil service employee engagement index.
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01/12/2026 - 01:29
Volunteers found thousands of dead bats at Melbourne’s Brimbank park, wildlife expert says
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Thousands of flying foxes have perished in the heatwave that scorched south-east Australia last week, the largest mass mortality event for flying foxes since black summer.
Extreme temperatures resulted in deaths in camps across South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales. Grey-headed flying foxes, listed as vulnerable under federal environment laws, were the most affected.
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