Blue & Green Daily: Monday 30 June headlines

Blue & Green Daily finds and summarises the top sustainability stories around the web every morning. We start with our own picks from Blue & Green Tomorrow.

Philanthropy is about giving ‘a hand up, rather than a handout’

The Crowd’s Green Corporate Energy conference – review

Bill Gates: ‘miracles’ needed in clean energy sector

Green Globe launches sustainable tourism certification

Church of England reduces exposure to ‘sin stocks’ after ethical investment review

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30 June headlines

Allow fracking in national parks, says Environment Agency chief

Fracking in national parks should be permitted because the visual impact can be limited when the process is “done properly”, the outgoing chairman of the Environment Agency has declared. He dismissed those campaigning against the impact of the controversial drilling at particular sites saying, “fears are definitely exaggerated.” Guardian.

Auditors probe £16bn green energy contracts

The government may have failed to protect the interests of bill payers when awarding green energy contracts, says the National Audit Office (NAO). Eight long-term deals worth £16.6 billion were signed this year to secure projects at risk of cancellation. The NAO says too much money was awarded to these renewable sources “without price competition”. BBC.

Rate of deforestation in Indonesia overtake Brazil, says study

Indonesia has greatly under-reported how much primary rainforest it is cutting down, according to the government’s former head of forestry data gathering. Exact rates of Indonesian deforestation have varied with different figures quoted by researchers and government, but a new study, suggests that nearly twice as much primary forest is being cut down as in Brazil, the historical global leader. Guardian.

Australia risks isolation among G20 by scrapping carbon tax

Australia’s prime minister Tony Abbott looks set to deliver one of his main campaign pledges, repealing the carbon tax, this week as senators take their seats following September’s election. The senate, until this week controlled by the opposition Labour and Green parties, has until now blocked legislation repealing the tax. Financial Times.

Independent Scotland risks being destabilised by banks

An independent Scotland would be even more exposed to its banking sector than Iceland was at the height of the financial crisis if the country’s biggest institutions remained there. A global analysis of banks’ assets has estimated that lenders based on Scotland would have combined balance sheets of $2.7 trillion – more than 12 times the size of Scotland’s economy. Telegraph.

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Interesting picks

Do farmers really need bee-harming insecticides? – Guardian

Impact investing on the cusp of mainstream wealth management – Investment News

Ethical investment should be affordable and profitable – Forbes

Why imperil our future with climate change denial? – Delaware Online

Photo: Sanja gjenero via Freeimages