German ministers have agreed on guidelines for the introduction of technology that prevents the release of carbon dioxide from power stations.

The draft legislation sets out a regulatory and technical framework for trial carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects, providing utilities with much-needed planning and investment guidelines, while setting environmental and public safety rules.

The summit of the Group of 20 leading high-income and emerging countries in London on Thursday seems set to achieve progress. But achievement must be measured not just against past performances, but against

This week

The sea of northern Spain is shortly to be invaded - by robots.

Scientists are building a shoal of robot fish to be let loose in the port of Gijon to check on the quality of the water.

Modelled on carp and costing about

Four years ago, when biofuels were being hailed as the way of the future, Doug Ward opened one of the UK

Something fishy is going on in northern Spain. The waters of the port of Gijon are shortly to be invaded

Europe is running out of fresh water and

Around the world, a massive injection of cash is being prepared by governments desperately trying to resolve the financial crisis and prevent the recession turning into something worse.

Royal Dutch Shell's disclosure of its carbon emissions lags behind its closest rivals and falls well short of best practice, a study by an industry consultant has said.

PFC Energy said Shell, which has sought to assert its green credentials, was rated bottom out of six multi-national oil companies surveyed on the level of detail, frequency and coherency of their emissions disclosures.

One of the world's biggest owners of oil and gas tankers has become the first major operator to announce plans to enter the market to transport captured carbon dioxide.

Maersk Tankers, part of Denmark's AP Moller-Maersk, said demand for the service could be vast - around 750m tonnes of carbon dioxide are emitted from large power plants around the North Sea alone.