Draft energy strategy ‘riddled with holes’
The Government’s draft energy strategy released yesterday for consultation has been criticised by WWF-New Zealand as being ‘riddled with holes and dangerously biased towards mineral extraction’.
New bill to slash Amazon protection passes crucial vote
Brasilia, Brazil - Amendments to Brazil's Forest Code that could sanction dramatic increases in deforestation passed a crucial vote in the Congress's Special Committee on Forest Law Changes last night, an outcome lamented by scientists, environmental and social NGOs and indigenous groups.
A setback in Brazil's environmental legislation
WWF-Brazil described the approval of an alternate bill for the Forest Law submitted by Representative Aldo Rebelo as a setback. In WWF-Brazil's opinion, the changes were hardly debated and, if the bill is passed by the Lower House as is, it will nullify all the efforts that the Brazilian Government has been making to conserve
Russia to create new national parks and reserves almost size of Switzerland
Moscow – Polar bears, walruses, sea otters, and other endangered species are all set to benefit from a Russian decision to boost its national protected areas to nearly 3 percent of its territory by 2020, a move which helps the country to meet its international obligations to protect biodiversity.
Spotlight on planned double subsidies for Spanish coal
Brussels, Belgium – WWF has today lodged a formal complaint with the European Commission concerning a new regulation passed by the Spanish government to provide state aid to power stations that burn domestically produced coal. The organisation says that the scheme, if approved, would be additional to existing subsidies already given to Spanish coal mines for the same coal.
G20: long on platitudes, short on delivery
Toronto, Canada - Sustainable economic recovery will need more than brief platitudes about green recovery, WWF warned today as the G20 concluded without significant commitments on climate change, climate finance or even the G20-nominated issue of inefficient fossil fuel subsidies.
Politics of climate change transformed as leader dumped for not acting
Gland, Switzerland: In what may come to be seen as a pivotal moment in the global politics of climate change, members of Australia’s ruling Labor Party today dumped Prime Minister Kevin Rudd in favour of his deputy, Julia Gillard.
‘Amazongate’ evaporates as newspaper apologises over story
London, UK: A key element of the concerted attack on climate science earlier this year collapsed yesterday, with The Sunday Times apologizing for and withdrawing an article alleging that estimates of climate change risks to the Amazon were based on an “unsubstantiated claim” in a WWF report.
Oil drilling suspension should top agenda at arctic emergencies meeting
Vorkuta, Russia: As oil continues to spew into the Gulf of Mexico from a sunken BP drilling rig, a key meeting of arctic countries starting today needs to push for a suspension of all arctic drilling until the region can deal with the risks, WWF said.
World Environment Day, a time to consider - is the New Zealand Government living in a parallel universe?
WWF climate change campaigner Peter Hardstaff blogs about the possibilities and realities of World Environment Day.
