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As signs emerge that the global energy sector is beginning to rein in what once had been unbridled levels of climate-changing pollution, new United Nations figures show pollution from farming is continuing to get worse.

Remote audits from FirstFuel have already helped the government identify $14.5 million in energy savings. That's just the beginning.

Up to $10 million in grants from the Department of Energy will be available for advanced biofuel and other biobased product initiatives. The program is in support of the agency's aim to lower the cost of advanced biofuels to $3 per gallon of gasoline equivalent by 2022.

Answers to the question, "Why is the Keystone Pipeline such a focal battle in the war on climate legislation?"

The Obama administration's rule leans heavily on renewable energy to meet its goal to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 32 percent by 2030, which is an increase of 2 percentage points from the draft it released in the summer of 2014. While states have two additional years until they must begin cutting emissions - 2022 instead of 2020 - they are expected to start devising ways to improve their environments, which will focus on shifting to cleaner burning fuels and away from carbon-heavy ones. "The trend we are on will get us there," says Rob Gramlich, senior vice president for government affairs at the American Wind Energy Association, in a phone interview. "As the nation moves from coal to gas, and as it adds more wind, solar and energy efficiency, we will reach that 32 percent target."

The Obama administration's Clean Power Plan rule will require states to begin cutting carbon emissions by 2022. "The trend we are on will get us there. As the nation moves from coal to gas, and as it adds more wind, solar and energy efficiency, we will reach that 32% target," said Rob Gramlich of the American Wind Energy Association. To comply, states can choose among options including boosting renewables, improving heat rates for coal-fired steam generators, and using more nuclear energy and lower-emitting natural gas. Forbes (8/4) 

The French Government passed legislation to cut the country's energy consumption 50% by 2050, reduce nuclear power production to 50% of the energy mix, and increase renewable energy to 32% of total energy consumption by 2030. The law also requires the country to reduce its carbon emissions 40% by 2030, compared to 1990 levels.

U.K. supermarkets Sainsbury announces that one English store is now powered entirely by biogas.

The Department of Agriculture is awarding more than $5.6 million in grant payments to 220 advanced-biofuel companies under its Advanced Biofuel Payment Program. The agency is also handing out $4 million in grants to bioenergy projects under its National Institute of Food and Agriculture. The grants are part of the Obama administration's "all-of-the-above" approach to U.S. energy policy, said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.

A committee of the International Civil Aviation Organization has proposed standards for aircraft carbon dioxide emissions. "When fully implemented, the standards are expected to reduce carbon emissions more than 650 million tons between 2020 and 2040, equivalent to removing over 140 million cars from the road for a year," the White House said in a fact sheet

JetBlue Airways became the first U.S. airline company to join the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials, a multi-stakeholder coalition that works to promote the sustainability of biomaterials. 

Brands in Unilever's sustainable living lineup, which include Hellmann's and Ben & Jerry's, fueled 60% of the company's growth last year, and are growing 50% faster than Unilever's other brands. "Our results show that sustainability is good for business, with increasing evidence that our 'sustainable living brands' do better," said CEO Paul Polman.

Packaging remains a considerable challenge for businesses looking to reduce their impacts, but innovators such as food-service supplier Eco-Products and Finnish startup Sulpac are helping to accelerate the transition to lower-impact models through cross-industry partnerships and sustainable packaging solutions.