International: Europe
Europe's heatwave linked to 1,300 deaths, WHO says, as Germany hits record 41.7C
Tue 30 Jun 2026
Europe's unprecedented early summer heatwave may be responsible for hundreds of excess deaths, according to the head of the World Health Organization.
Big Oil’s campaign to stop EU methane restrictions is working
Tue 30 Jun 2026
The fossil fuel industry and the U.S. government are gaining ground in their fight to postpone EU rules designed to cut emissions of one of the most potent greenhouse gases, with at least 12 member countries already backing calls to delay the law.
'Spectacular' electric car sales weaken pressure to shelve combustion engine ban, EU climate chief says
Tue 30 Jun 2026
A "spectacular" rise in electric car sales is weakening political momentum to roll back the European Union's planned ban on combustion engine cars, the bloc's climate commissioner said on Thursday, as governments laid bare divisions over the policy.
From mobile jungles to shadow art: how Dutch people try to beat the heat
Tue 30 Jun 2026
Households in Amsterdam are being urged to hang their curtains outside their windows as health experts recommend simple hacks to moderate the heatwave rolling across the Netherlands, where homes were built for old-fashioned damp and coldish northern European weather.
TotalEnergies must address climate risks linked to its products, French court rules
Mon 29 Jun 2026
French oil major TotalEnergies must disclose the climate risks linked to emissions from its oil and gas products and set out plans to mitigate them, a Paris court ruled on Thursday.
European heatwave is worst ever and impossible without climate crisis, scientists say
Mon 29 Jun 2026
The heatwave scorching western Europe is the most severe and widespread ever and is only possible due to the climate crisis driven by fossil fuel burning, scientists have said.
It’s too hot in Europe – again
Fri 26 Jun 2026
Europeans are experiencing their second heat wave this summer. One climate scientist called the weather event a “sad inevitability.”
French farmers suffer arid crops, heat-stricken animals
Fri 26 Jun 2026
France's current heatwave is taking a toll on farmers, who are seeing livestock die and are racing against time to harvest cereals without sparking fires in the tinder-dry crops.
France records hottest day ever as 40 people drown across country
Thu 25 Jun 2026
France has registered its hottest day on record as 40 people across the country were confirmed to have drowned while swimming in unsupervised areas over the last few days.
Half of France under red heat alert as alcohol banned at street music festival
23 Jun 2026
France has issued red heatwave alerts for around half the country including Paris for Monday as a heatwave pushes temperatures towards record levels.
EU greenhouse gas emissions rose in 2025, data shows
19 Jun 2026
The European Union did not manage to reduce its planet-warming emissions last year, with preliminary data showing a slight increase in pollution levels compared to 2024.
Ukraine hopes renewables can Russia-proof power grid
19 Jun 2026
Quick to build and able to power a small city, the Oriv wind farm in western Ukraine is exactly the kind of project Kyiv hopes will backstop its power grid against routine Russian strikes.
Steel and chemicals giants demand freeze to EU’s flagship climate policy
17 Jun 2026
The attack on the Emissions Trading System is among industry's most direct calls yet for the EU to change course on climate.
Climate change reshapes Spain's rockfall risk as frost weathering moves uphill
16 Jun 2026
Climate change is altering where and when rocks are most likely to fracture across Spain, according to new research that suggests warming temperatures are redistributing a key process responsible for breaking down mountain landscapes.
EU agrees stronger price controls for new carbon market
12 Jun 2026
The European Union agreed stronger measures to control prices in its new carbon market early on Thursday, responding to governments' concerns that the emissions-cutting initiative could increase fuel bills.
Airline CEOs warn EU plan to expand carbon costs will raise fares
10 Jun 2026
Europe's biggest airlines have urged the European Union not to extend its Emissions Trading System to cover international flights, warning the move would raise ticket prices, a letter seen by Reuters showed.
EU sues Ireland over failure to protect carbon-rich bogs
8 Jun 2026
The European Commission is taking Ireland to court over its failure to protect environmentally crucial boglands from commercial turf-cutters.
How campaigners beat industrial farming in Denmark’s ‘pig election’
8 Jun 2026
Denmark Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen’s new government promises overhaul for people – and animals – in home of ultra-intensive farming.
EU wants households to cut peak time energy use as demand from industry and AI soars
5 Jun 2026
A new law will aim to use artificial intelligence to boost efficient use of power as electricity demand threatens to overwhelm Europe’s grids.
Europe's green jet fuels see upside in Iran war
3 Jun 2026
Interest in synthetic propellants is growing as the Iran war pushes Europe to reassess its dependencies, raising hopes of a turnaround for the struggling sector, according to industry experts.
Germany's €500 billion climate and infrastructure fund spending lagging behind
3 Jun 2026
Spending from Germany’s 500-billion-euro special fund for infrastructure and climate neutrality has remained behind government targets, according to a finance ministry report.
Climate summits are falling short of what the planet needs, EU climate chief says
3 Jun 2026
The outcomes of most of the United Nations' recent COP climate summits have fallen short of the more ambitious action scientists say is needed to address climate change, said EU climate commissioner Wopke Hoekstra on Monday.
Europe heatwave 'brutal reminder' of climate change: UN
28 May 2026
The UN climate chief said Wednesday that a record-breaking early heatwave scorching a swathe of western Europe was "a brutal reminder of the spiraling impacts of the climate crisis".
Recycling could meet half of Europe’s critical mineral needs by 2050
28 May 2026
A new report by an EU-funded research project says the bloc could harness its “urban mines” to reduce its dependence on China for energy transition minerals.
Why temperature records are being not only broken but smashed
27 May 2026
Scientists have little doubt that human-caused climate change – largely the result of the burning of coal, oil and gas – has supercharged the heat.
EU keeps carbon border tax unchanged despite fertiliser price crisis
21 May 2026
Fertiliser producers argue that the EU's carbon pricing rules at the border protect the European industry from cheaper imports produced under weaker environmental rules. But farmers fear they are indirectly paying the bill through higher fertiliser costs.
Germany set to miss 2030 climate goals, independent body warns
20 May 2026
Germany is expected to miss its 2030 climate goals and likely emit more carbon dioxide than previously thought, an independent advisory body said on Monday, contradicting the findings of the government's main climate authority.
Iran war pushes Portugal to halve fossil fuel use over next 10 years
20 May 2026
Lisbon fast-tracks plans after the Iran war caused oil and gas costs to soar, Energy Minister Maria da Graça Carvalho tells POLITICO.
Inequality causing 100,000 extra deaths a year from heat and cold in Europe
12 May 2026
Economic inequality adds more than 100,000 deaths to the vast toll from heat and cold in Europe each year, research has found.
EU floats making it easy for oil companies to break methane rules
8 May 2026
Countries would be able to exempt companies from the rules on energy security grounds, even before major disruption occurs, under draft guidelines seen by POLITICO.
Germany allocates 5 billion euros to push heavy industry to cut CO2
7 May 2026
Germany will provide up to 5 billion euros ($5.85 billion) this year to help major factories reduce carbon emissions by switching to cleaner technology, the economy ministry said on Tuesday.
EU to give industries more free CO2 permits, document shows
6 May 2026
The European Commission has drafted plans to give more free emissions permits to industries over the next few years, a move that could save companies 4 billion euros in CO2 costs.
Amsterdam bans public adverts for meat and fossil fuels
5 May 2026
Amsterdam has become the world's first capital city to ban public advertisements for both meat and fossil fuel products.
Analysts cut EU carbon price forecasts on policy reforms
4 May 2026
Analysts have significantly cut their forecasts for prices in the European Union's carbon market for the next couple of years, due to uncertainty over proposed policy changes and future supply levels.
EU faces ‘China shock’ as EV imports drive Beijing’s record surplus with bloc
1 May 2026
The EU is experiencing a prolonged “China shock” as a flood of Chinese EVs into Europe helped push Beijing to a record surplus with the bloc.
Solar power soars to new heights but fears over 'dangerously high' temperatures
30 Apr 2026
Last year heatwaves hit from the Mediterranean to the Arctic, and Greenland lost 139 billion tonnes of ice, according to a new report from Copernicus, while solar power soared to new heights.
France unveils plan to ditch all fossil fuels by 2050
30 Apr 2026
Dozens of nations gathered in Colombia to hold the first-ever talks on how to transition away from fossil fuels. France published a 'roadmap' that explicitly aims to phase out coal by 2030, oil by 2045 and gas for energy purposes by 2050.
Renewables in vogue as Iran war drives up Europe power prices
29 Apr 2026
As the Iran war disrupts global flows of oil and gas and energy prices skyrocket, the Drin River, which descends through the mountains of northern Albania, is acting as a kind of shield.
EU aims to ease energy blow from Iran war with tax cuts, gas coordination
23 Apr 2026
The European Commission set out plans on Wednesday to cut electricity taxes and coordinate the summer refill of countries' gas storage, as it seeks to cushion the energy fallout from the Iran war.
It’s time for an EU climate diplomacy reset
23 Apr 2026
The geopolitical context for climate diplomacy keeps evolving, with the war in the Middle East the latest example of a more fragmented and uncertain global environment.
Electric car sales soar 51% in mainland Europe as Iran war drives up fuel prices
22 Apr 2026
Buyers’ interest in electric cars has risen across Europe since the start of the war in Iran in late February, as the rising cost of petrol highlights the cheaper power available from a plug.
What Magyar’s defeat of Orbán in Hungary means for climate and energy
21 Apr 2026
Hungary has played a disproportionate role in EU climate and energy policy in recent years, by repeatedly vetoing climate action and by delaying the phaseout of Russian fossil-fuel imports.
Europe has 'maybe six weeks of jet fuel left', energy boss warns
20 Apr 2026
Stocks would reach a tipping point in June if Europe was unable to replace at least half of its imports from the Middle East, the organisation said in a report this week.
IMF warns EU not to offset the energy price spike too much
20 Apr 2026
European governments should not excessively shield businesses and consumers from more expensive energy because that distorts the price signal to cut consumption and could be fiscally very expensive, the International Monetary Fund said.
Thousands protest in Germany urging faster shift to renewable energy, amid Iran war
20 Apr 2026
Thousands of people demonstrated across Germany on April 18, urging a faster shift to renewable energy and accusing conservative Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s coalition of putting the brakes on the transition.
EU working on jet fuel plan as Iran crisis threatens air travel
17 Apr 2026
The European Union is drafting plans to tackle a looming jet fuel supply crunch and maximise refinery output, officials said.
War spurs EU plan for electricity tax cuts, faster shift from fossil fuels, draft shows
16 Apr 2026
The European Union plans to reduce electricity taxes and expand clean technologies faster to cut consumers' exposure to soaring oil and gas prices, as part of its plan to offset the Iran war's energy impact, a draft document showed.
ETS divisions sharpen as EU carbon market review nears
15 Apr 2026
The EU’s carbon market is heading towards a pivotal review, with tensions mounting between Member States over how the system shapes energy prices, industrial competitiveness and the pace of decarbonisation.
France unveils electrification plan to cut fossil fuel dependence
14 Apr 2026
French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu outlined a national electrification plan on Friday aimed at reducing reliance on fossil fuels and strengthening the country’s energy sovereignty.
France's emissions cuts slow again in 2025, throwing climate targets off track
10 Apr 2026
While France's overall emissions are still in decline, the rate of their decline had slowed for the second year in a row, throwing the country off course to meet its 2030 climate goals.
Australia opens first carbon refinery, making new products from captured CO2
24 Jun 2026
Australia’s first carbon refinery opened in New South Wales, capturing carbon dioxide from explosives giant Orica's ammonia-making operations on Kooragang Island and turning it into products such as concrete, paper and glass.
I cold-called President Trump. Here's what he told me about an oil tycoon and major donor.
Mon 29 Jun 2026
I was hoping the president would give me some color about his relationship with billionaire Jeffery Hildebrand. I walked away with a clearer picture of what matters in Washington right now.
China's coal power on the rise again in 2026, reversing first-in-a-decade decline
Thu 25 Jun 2026
China's coal-fired power generation is set to rebound this year from its first fall in a decade, analysts said, due to the impact of El Nino and the Iran war and as renewable sources of energy have failed to keep pace with demand.
Wales' emissions fall significantly after steelworks changes
Mon 29 Jun 2026
There has been a "significant" cut to Wales' greenhouse gas emissions, mainly due to the closure of the blast furnaces at Port Talbot steelworks, according to a new report.
Canada signs landmark LNG energy deal with Germany
29 May 2026
Canada has announced a landmark energy agreement with Germany that will see the first-ever long-term shipments of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Canada to Europe in the coming years.
Asia warming nearly twice as fast as before
19 Jun 2026
A new report from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) highlights record ocean heat, accelerating glacier loss and a series of extreme weather events causing significant human and economic losses across Asia.
‘Those blocking climate science are not our friends': Pacific leaders warn at Bonn talks
23 Jun 2026
Pacific nations and civil society groups have united at UN climate talks, pushing back against efforts to weaken agreed language on global temperature limits as negotiations continue behind closed doors.
Antarctica’s west coast missing an area of sea ice the size of France as temperatures peak 20C above average
16 Jun 2026
A vast area of the Bellingshausen Sea should be covered by sea ice by now, with one expert calling the loss of ice ‘depressing’.
Our Ocean Conference in Kenya ends with $6.4 billion in pledges, review of past promises
Tue 30 Jun 2026
Africa was front and center at the Our Ocean Conference in Kenya, the first time the annual gathering was held on the continent. The conference is built around voluntary commitments from a range of actors including governments, nonprofits, institutions and the private sector.
Colombia’s climate crossroads: Trumpism casts shadow over presidential battle
26 May 2026
Colombia is a global leader in climate activism. Could US influence drag country to a future of mining and fracking?
UN chief says fossil fuel industry must cut methane for warming “relief”
Thu 25 Jun 2026
UN chief António Guterres called for stronger action to cut emissions of planet-heating methane, taking aim at the fossil fuel industry’s practices and profits, and pointing to coal, oil and gas as the root of today’s climate and energy crises.
