UK
Fracking update
Yesterday saw Cuadrilla withdraw their application to extend their drilling permissions in Balcombe. Despite 'beating a humiliating retreat from the West Sussex village' the company plans to reapply before September 27th with a new drilling application which would not explicitly include permission to frack. However, the new application will 'include revised planning boundary lines showing the extent of the horizontal well being tested'.
The news comes as the Department for Communities and Local Government suggests it is 'impractical' to expect and that drilling companies warn residents that drilling is occurring beneath their homes. On the same day, the Department of Energy and Climate Change revised its planning requirements for onshore oil and gas drilling.
Despite the UK government's insistence that fracking will benefit the country, economist Lord Stern describes Cameron's claims that the practice will bring down prices as 'baseless economics'
Not fracking
Shell vows to remain in the North Sea
The company has committed to spending of $2 billion annually over the next three years in an attempt to demonstrate its long term commitment to the region.
World
The World Bank has planned 'aggressive action' to curb air pollution in a commitment to channel an as yet undisclosed portion of its development funds into curtailing soot and other short-term pollutants. This comes as Beijing also promises 'yet another slew of measures' aimed at dealing with the city's poor air quality.
With the Australian election likely to be won by the conservative Coalition, the Green party has promised to scupper Prime Minister-to-be Tony Abbot's plans to scrap carbon taxes.
And finally, New Zealand records the warmest winter on record.
