<p>China is likely to cap energy consumption as part of a low-carbon plan to be issued later this year, and experts believe that officials have agreed on its level. However, the cap, which would make it easier for trading schemes to succeed and help the country reduce emissions, may be less tough than expected. According to Reuters, officials seem to have settled on a 4.1 billion ton coal equivalent total energy cap, which is 25 percent higher than scholars involved in the discussion proposed last year.

<p>A long-awaited UN report said that restoration of the Ogoniland region could be the "most wide-ranging and long-term oil cleanup" ever taken, possibly taking as long as 30 years. The report, which follows a two-year investigation, has drawn fire as it is partially funded by Shell, the oil giant that has accepted liability for the 2008 and 2009 spills that impacted the region. The report found that 10 communities were seriously threatened by pollution, and one community has said that it will seek hundreds of millions of dollars in compensation.

<p>The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization's (UNESCO's) World Heritage Committee expressed "extreme concern" at the Queensland government's backing of Curtis Island multi-billion dollar liquid natural gas processing facilities, which require dredging around the island and dramatically increasing shipping traffic in the local port.