International: Europe
Tour de France stage 10 halted by climate action protestors
13 Jul 2022
The Tour de France stage to Megève came to a stop with 35km to go as the route was blocked by a group of protestors demanding action against climate change.
Denmark to roll out new state-run climate label for food
11 Jul 2022
Denmark will establish a state-controlled climate label in order to help residents purchase more environmentally-friendly foods.
Greenwashing lawsuit against Dutch airline is the first of its kind
11 Jul 2022
As concerns over climate change rise, so too does greenwashing as a marketing tactic. And it’s often the most environmentally-destructive companies that trumpet the most outrageous claims—just take a look at some of the advertisements fossil fuel companies have put out in recent years.
Anger simmers for Dutch farmers who oppose pollution cuts
11 Jul 2022
Bales of hay lie burning along Dutch highways. Supermarket shelves stand empty because distribution centers are blocked by farmers. Then, at dusk, a police officer pulls his pistol and shoots at a tractor.
Dutch government issues world-first cap on flights from European hub
8 Jul 2022
Schiphol airport in the Netherlands is set to permanently cut the number of flights in a bid to reduce noise and air pollution. Campaigners described the decision as a “historic breakthrough” that could help curb emissions from the aviation industry.
EU decision on natural gas could threaten climate progress
8 Jul 2022
The European Union's plan to include natural gas in a list of activities considered sustainable could derail its progress in reducing greenhouse gas emissions at a time when climate scientists are calling for dramatic reductions to planet-warming releases.
Europe's landmark test of banks' resilience to climate risk is softer than expected
7 Jul 2022
Europe’s landmark test of banks’ resilience to global warming was far softer than many lenders had expected, according to people familiar with the matter.
Gang illegally trafficking greenhouse gases across Spain is busted by the police
6 Jul 2022
Spanish authorities say they have broken up an organised crime group involved in millions of carbon tax fraud.
DMK’s climate targets: ‘This is about the credibility of an entire industry’
6 Jul 2022
DMK Group has committed to new climate targets under the Science Based Target Initiative (SBTi). The dairy cooperative’s CEO explains that action is needed to drive down dairy emissions in order to safeguard the reputation of the ‘entire’ dairy industry.
Youth climate case moves to top tribunal in European Court
5 Jul 2022
The European Court of Human Rights said Thursday that a complaint against 33 countries filed by six young Portuguese climate activists will be examined by the tribunal’s top panel of judges, a move reflecting the case’s legal significance.
Deadly glacier collapse in Italy "linked directly to climate change"
5 Jul 2022
Italian prime minister Mario Draghi joined scientists in pointing to the climate emergency as the cause of a deadly glacier collapse in the Italian Alps on Sunday afternoon, saying policymakers must act to ensure avalanches don't become a more regular occurrence.
EU carbon border tax could hurt developing countries
1 Jul 2022
By assisting the developing world’s green transition, Europe could mitigate the protectionist threat in its climate agenda.
The Swedish city that asked its banks for an ultimatum
30 Jun 2022
If Gothenburg doesn’t meet its climate and social goals, its lending banks will charge it a fine — at the city’s request.
EU ministers reach agreement on climate bills, zero emission cars by 2035
30 Jun 2022
EU member states have approved the end of fossil fuelled passenger cars in 2035 and found compromises on emissions trading and a “Social Climate Fund”.
Bonn climate talks end with ‘almost empty pages’
28 Jun 2022
“Kicking the can”, “pointing fingers”, and “divorced from climate impacts” were descriptions used by observers to describe progress at the latest round of global climate talks in Germany.
London could feel as hot as Barcelona by 2050
28 Jun 2022
A major climate change study has found that London's weather could feel more like Barcelona's by 2050. Even though this might sound like a dream at first to Londoners, the change could turn into a nightmare as it would be accompanied by stretches of severe drought as well as heavier downpours in the wet months, potentially challenging many aspects of life in the city.
Why Germany is pushing for a 'climate club'
27 Jun 2022
Germany is hosting this year’s meeting of leaders from the Group of Seven leading economies in the Bavarian resort of Elmau. Before the invasion of Ukraine by Russia triggered a cascade of crises over food, energy and international security, the main focus of the meeting was meant to be on climate change.
Clothes made from 'carbon emissions': Why Zara's new line is just more greenwashing
27 Jun 2022
Rather than addressing this crisis of overconsumption, by limiting how much they produce and encouraging shoppers to buy fewer items, Zara is simply using the guise of sustainability to shift more products and protect the guilty conscience of their consumers.
EU lawmakers back stricter emission caps in climate change fight
23 Jun 2022
European Union lawmakers stepped up the fight against global warming Wednesday by requiring deeper emission cuts from power plants, factories and planes in the EU and by endorsing an unprecedented import tax.
Valencia introduces an option for climate-neutral burial
23 Jun 2022
Starting from July, the City of Valencia will offer compostable burial urns as an alternative to traditional ones made from metal or ceramic. The vessels will come with a young tree sapling, which can be planted together with the urn to serve as an organic and sentimental reminder of the deceased person.
How Ukraine’s environmentalists are helping the war effort
22 Jun 2022
Volunteers are monitoring air quality, tracking environmental war crimes, sheltering people, and protecting wildlife.
Climate change leading to earlier and earlier heatwaves, scientists say
20 Jun 2022
As France grapples with a particularly intense heatwave this weekend, with temperatures reaching 40 degrees Celsius in many parts of the country, meteorologists say the increasingly early arrival of heatwaves is directly linked to global warming due to human activities.
Countries mull delaying new EU carbon market in search of climate deal
15 Jun 2022
European Union countries are considering a one-year delay to the launch of a new European carbon market for buildings and transport, pushing back the start to 2027, as they seek a compromise on more ambitious climate policies, draft documents show.
Three companies seek permits for carbon storage off Norway
14 Jun 2022
The Norwegian Government has received applications from three companies seeking to secure permits for future carbon storage sites off Norway.
Plugging methane leaks is a powerful climate fix, so why aren't we doing it?
14 Jun 2022
The oil and gas industry is choking the atmosphere with a heat-trapping gas stronger than CO2 — despite cheap, fast and easy fixes.
In Turkey, study recommends investments in olive farms instead of coal mines
13 Jun 2022
In the wake of the recent regulation in Turkey opening olive groves to coal mining activities, a new report focused on the country’s Milas district found that the expansion of the olive oil sector represents a better alternative to mining for the local economy.
On the road to COP27: Climate negotiations in Bonn
10 Jun 2022
COP27 will take place in Egypt this November. Some 4000 delegates are currently meeting in Bonn to prepare the conference. What are the intersessional negotiations? What is on the agenda? What role does the UN city Bonn play?
Key climate proposals fail to pass European Parliament
9 Jun 2022
Key pieces of the EU's climate legislation failed to pass the European Parliament Wednesday.
Urgent and additional measures are needed if Ireland is to meet the climate targets it has set for itself
3 Jun 2022
Urgent and additional measures are needed if Ireland is to meet the climate targets it has set for itself, the country’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has said in a newly released report.
Carbon offsets may ease your flight guilt, but they aren’t saving the planet
3 Jun 2022
Book a flight and you’ll usually get the option to pay to offset your carbon emissions. In essence, your contribution funds tree planting and other projects intended to counterbalance the carbon you emit.
Deutsche Bank raided in 'greenwashing' probe
2 Jun 2022
Prosecutors in Frankfurt raided the offices of both Deutsche Bank and its asset management subsidiary DWS on Tuesday as part of an investigation into so-called "greenwashing."
EU spending on climate action ‘overstated’ by €72bn, auditors say
1 Jun 2022
Spending on climate action in the EU’s 2014-2020 budget was “not as high as reported” in official documents, the European Court of Auditors (ECA) said in a report published on Monday (30 May).
Is this the World’s most eco-friendly landfill?
1 Jun 2022
Once-endangered Pinzgau goats are among the many animals to flourish on Vienna’s “trash mountain,” which heats roughly one-fifth of the city’s homes.
Finland's nuclear free moment
27 May 2022
Finland could soon become the first country in the world to legally commit to carbon negativity.
No done deal on EU carbon market reform
26 May 2022
Lawmakers in the European Parliament’s environment committee voted on a major overhaul of the EU’s carbon market last week, but it’s a long and possibly bumpy road to EU legislators shaking hands on the final deal.
How a French bank set the gold standard for climate action
24 May 2022
The headquarters of La Banque Postale resemble a towering greenhouse in a quiet residential neighborhood of Paris, about a mile east of the Eiffel Tower.
Farmer sues VW over climate change; German court has doubts
23 May 2022
A court in Germany cast doubt Friday on claims by a German farmer that automaker Volkswagen is partly responsible for the impact that global warming is having on his family business.
Studio MOM creates eco-friendly cycle helmet from mycelium and hemp
19 May 2022
Dutch design office polystyrene (https://www.dezeen.com/tag/studio-mom/">Studio MOM has developed a bicycle helmet from biomaterials that, unlike
EU climate emissions higher than before pandemic
18 May 2022
The EU's greenhouse gas emissions in the last quarter of 2021 were higher than any quarter since late 2018, scrubbing out the apparent gains made during the pandemic.
MEPs raise ambition on EU carbon market reform
18 May 2022
The European Parliament environment committee on Tuesday (17 May) agreed on reform of the European carbon market — including its expansion to buildings and transport.
Berlin pushes for a €60 minimum price on EU carbon markets
17 May 2022
Discounting allegations of speculation on the EU carbon market, Berlin is throwing its weight behind a minimum price of €60 per tonne of CO2, saying it will ensure this through national measures if the EU does not take action.
Zero-carbon flat glass made for the first time by Saint-Gobain
17 May 2022
In a world first, France’s Cie. de Saint-Gobain said it produced carbon-neutral flat glass by using recycled materials and green energy.
Sustainable bonds poised for growth, but standards remain a potential bottleneck
13 May 2022
A recent study estimates that green, social and sustainability bond issuance may reach €1.6tn in just four years, but also highlights concerns on standards and the liquidity of the market.
Giga-scale solar manufacturing roaring back to Europe: industry chief
13 May 2022
Solar players are now very willing to relocate to Europe again to cater for soaring demand as the continent tries to wean itself off Russian energy imports and meet climate targets, Carsten Körnig, chief executive of the German solar industry federation (BSW Solar) said at the opening of the Intersolar 2022 event in Munich.
Biggest 'floating solar park' in Europe will open this year in Portugal
12 May 2022
Europe's largest floating solar park will take shape in July this year, in Portugal's Alqueva reservoir.
European carbon prices tumble, failing to scale new highs as gas drops
11 May 2022
There may be no fresh risks of an escalation in the Ukraine war and in the standoff between the EU and Russia regarding its fossil fuels, but recession fears spilled over to the carbon market. The price of a ton of CO2 equivalent within the EU ETS fell more than 5% after challenging recent record highs.
Swedish green steel firm racks up sales before plant is built
11 May 2022
Sweden’s H2 Green Steel has pre-sold more than half of its planned initial capacity and aims to close financing for a plant in the north by the end of the year, Chief Executive Officer Henrik Henriksson said in an interview.
This Arctic town wants to make renewable energy work at the top of the world
10 May 2022
For Toku Oshima, a hunter from Greenland, the quest to bring renewable energy to her hometown of Qaanaaq is not just a fight against climate change — it’s a fight for cultural survival.
German transport minister plans massive increase of e-car subsidies
10 May 2022
Germany’s transport ministry plans to almost double e-car subsidies to achieve climate targets, but experts and NGOs criticise the plans as hugely expensive and ineffective, reports business daily Handelsblatt
Norway wants people to park their EVs and ride the bus
10 May 2022
Norway has been incredibly successful at introducing electric vehicles. In 2021, nearly two-thirds of all new vehicle purchases there were EVs, and combustion sales there are set to end just three years from now in 2025. But there's a new problem for the Scandinavian nation: it needs people to stop driving their EVs so much and get on buses and trains.
NSW to ban new coalmines in major shake-up for $23bn industry
Today 11:15am
A major shake-up is on the way for one Australian state’s single biggest export, which powers homes here and abroad.
Thousands remain under evacuation orders in Hawaii flooding
Today 11:15am
Flooding across Oahu is now the worst Hawaii has seen in over 20 years. More than 230 people have been rescued so far. Some 5,500 people remain under evacuation orders in part because of rising water levels at the Wahiawa dam.
China tells oil refiners to suspend exports
Fri 20 Mar 2026
China has told its largest oil refiners to suspend exports of diesel and gasoline, Bloomberg News reported Thursday, citing unidentified sources, as the war in the Middle East risks an energy supply crunch.
UK climate aid cuts ‘short-sighted’ and leave ‘fossil fuel profits untouched’, campaigners say
Today 11:15am
Campaigners have condemned the UK government's decision to cut its international climate finance as "extremely short-sighted" and a "moral abdication," warning the move threatens national security, abandons communities on the frontlines of climate change, and leaves "windfall profits from fossil fuels untouched".
Mark Carney just picked his lane on climate change
17 Feb 2026
COMMENT: Mark Carney's time as prime minister has been defined in part by his decision to roll back Trudeau-era climate policies.
Asia pivots to coal as Middle East conflict chokes LNG supply
Thu 19 Mar 2026
Asian utilities are boosting coal-fired power generation to cut costs and safeguard energy supply, industry officials say, as the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran chokes liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments and soaring prices threaten to suppress LNG demand.
Pacific Nations fear fuel shortages as Middle East war sends oil prices soaring
Fri 20 Mar 2026
Leaders of Samoa and Tonga appealed for help this week as the import-reliant Pacific nations raised fears over possible fuel shortages and escalating costs caused by war in the Middle East.
Limiting warming to 2C is ‘crucial’ to protect pristine Antarctic Peninsula
24 Feb 2026
Keeping global warming to less than 2C above pre-industrial temperatures is “crucial” for limiting damage to the Antarctic Peninsula’s unique ecosystems, according to a new study.
'Blackwater' lakes and rivers in the Congo Basin are now emitting ancient carbon into the atmosphere
16 Mar 2026
Carbon that has been buried in the Congo Basin's peatlands for millennia is seeping into lakes and rivers. Why this is happening remains unclear, but researchers warn that tropical peatlands could be nearing a tipping point.
Surfing’s big break: how climate crisis insurance may save El Salvador’s waves
Thu 19 Mar 2026
Fearing that extreme weather threatened its epic breaks, Oriente Salvaje is piloting the first surf insurance policy to protect livelihoods and ecosystems.
Iran war should trigger faster exit from fossil fuel dependence, UN climate chief says
Wed 18 Mar 2026
The disruption to energy markets caused by the Iran war is a lesson on the risks of relying on fossil fuels which should drive governments to wean their economies off oil and gas faster, the U.N. climate secretary told Reuters on Monday.
