International: Europe
EU on track for 50% emission cuts by 2030
3 Apr 2019
While Germany and Eastern European countries continue to oppose raising the EU’s 40 per cent emission reduction target for 2030, a new analysis insists the bloc will actually manage at least 50 per cent cuts under a business-as-usual scenario.
Ryanair joins what used to be the EU's all-coal polluters' club
3 Apr 2019
Low-cost carrier Ryanair has made it to the list of Europe’s top 10 carbon emitters, meaning it now ranks as high as the continent’s coal power plants in terms of pollution.
Slovakia's new leader will fight Big Coal
2 Apr 2019
Slovakia’s first female president, Zuzana Èaputová, will challenge long-standing industrial interests and the financing of coal mining after being elected at the weekend.
EU votes for 55% emissions cuts by 2030
18 Mar 2019
The European Parliament have voted in favour of increasing the EU’s 2030 emission cuts target to 55 per cent and a net-zero mid-century target, bringing an end to weeks of infighting.
Norway to ditch some oil and gas stocks
11 Mar 2019
Norway is planning to ditch some oil and gas stocks from the country’s $1 trillion sovereign wealth fund, but has exempted majors like Shell and Exxon Mobil.
Greenland’s winter rain washing away the icecap
11 Mar 2019
The largest body of ice in the northern hemisphere faces a problem scientists had not identified before: Greenland’s winter rain is accelerating the loss of its vast store of ice.
Italy sees 57% drop in olive harvest
6 Mar 2019
Extreme weather events have been the “main driver” of an olive harvest collapse that could leave Italy dependent on imports.
Climate-neutral EU can jumpstart economy
6 Mar 2019
Top business leaders believe that the transition to a climate neutral economy will create new opportunities for Europe.
Finland approves ban on coal from 2029
4 Mar 2019
The Finnish parliament has approved a government proposal to ban the use of coal to produce energy from May 1, 2029.
EU invests €10b in low-carbon tech
4 Mar 2019
The European Commission has invested more than €10 billion in clean technology to boost its global competitiveness.
Plastic trash will get youngsters a free book in southern Italy
1 Mar 2019
An Italian who run a bookshop cafe is giving free books to children in exchange for plastic bottles and aluminum cans.
EU experts eye trillion-euro climate pact
27 Feb 2019
A group of experts has published a draft treaty for a sweeping European climate finance pact, to inject more than a trillion euros into the fight against global warming.
Germany eyes net-zero emissions by 2050
26 Feb 2019
The German environment ministry is calling for an ambitious goal to cut emissions by “at least 95 per cent” by 2050 and remove the remainder from the atmosphere.
Back the science, Greta tells EU politicians
25 Feb 2019
Schoolkids are on climate strike “because we have done our homework” and listened to science, 16-year-old green activist Greta Thunberg has told EU policymakers in Brussels. “Just unite behind the science, that is our demand,” she said.
Majority of European firms have no reduction targets
20 Feb 2019
Most European companies have no target for reducing their greenhouse gas emissions even though 80% see climate change as a business risk, a survey has found.
Ireland lays ground for stronger climate action
19 Feb 2019
Ireland’s struggle with climate change cuts to the heart of people’s daily lives and reflects the country’s revival after recession: more cars on the road and thriving cattle farms.
In this Siberian town, the snow - and the future - is black
18 Feb 2019
Residents of a coalmining region in Siberia have been posting videos online showing entire streets and districts covered in toxic black snow that critics say highlight a manmade ecological catastrophe.
Sweden puts deadline on fossil-free ships
13 Feb 2019
Sweden’s shipping sector is preparing to end the use of fossil fuels domestically by 2045, in line with national climate goals.
Islands declare emergency after invasion by hungry polar bears
13 Feb 2019
Russian environmental authorities have deployed a team of specialists to a remote Arctic region to sedate and remove dozens of hungry polar bears that have besieged the people living there.
Ambitious Danish island ends fossil fuel use
13 Feb 2019
A small Danish island ends fossil fuel use by combining ambitious aims with ensuring that local people have a say in cleaner replacements.
France tables 2050 carbon-neutral law
11 Feb 2019
The French government has proposed legislation committing the country to carbon-neutrality by 2050.
Germany agrees to quit coal by 2038
29 Jan 2019
Germany will stop burning coal for electricity by 2038, under plans finalised by a commission at the weekend.
How did grim Poland get such a strong carbon price?
21 Dec 2018
Strange as it might sound, the coal-promoting host of this year’s climate negotiations, Poland, has one of the strongest carbon prices in the world.
EU reaches coal deal (with caveat for Poland)
20 Dec 2018
EU legislators have reached agreement over a proposed reform of electricity market rules that includes a 2025 cut-off date for coal subsidies, and a special clause for Poland.
Watch plastic toys, Christmas shoppers warned
20 Dec 2018
Christmas shoppers in Europe are being warned to avoid plastic toys after they appeared in more than half of EU intergovernmental alerts for products containing banned chemicals this year.
EU agrees deal to cut emissions from cars
19 Dec 2018
The European Union has agreed to a goal of cutting carbon emissions from cars by 37.5 per cent in a decade, finally settling differences between vehicle-producing countries and environmentally-conscious lawmakers.
France sets up independent climate council
30 Nov 2018
France has set up independent climate council, a group of 13 experts which will hold the government to account for aligning with the Paris Agreement.
EU plan calls for ‘climate neutrality’ by 2050
29 Nov 2018
The European Commission today will unveil its much-anticipated plan for a “climate-neutral Europe” in an effort to show EU countries how to stick to the goals of the Paris Agreement and endorse a shared long-term strategy.
End of an era as Ireland closes its peat bogs
28 Nov 2018
When the semi-state company that harvests Ireland’s peatlands recently announced the closure of 17 bogs, the news was greeted as the end of an era.
Europe, too, will feel the heat
26 Nov 2018
Unrestrained global warming and a hotter climate will cost Europe dear in lives lost and economies squeezed. Even if it’s limited, there’ll be a price to pay.
She trolled Trump, but can she lead green wave across Europe?
26 Nov 2018
Swedish minister Isabella Lövin found fame in a jibe aimed at the White House. Now she aims for change beyond Twitter.
Ten EU countries demand net-zero goal
22 Nov 2018
Ministers from 10 EU countries have urged the European Commission to chart a “credible and detailed” path towards net-zero emissions in 2050, ahead of the launch of a landmark climate strategy next week.
Hungary wants end to coal power by 2030
21 Nov 2018
Hungary is eyeing an end to coal-fired power generation by 2030, in a move that could shake the EU region most staunchly opposed to tougher climate change measures.
Europe could face migration chaos, says Kerry
20 Nov 2018
Europe faces deeper political turmoil and the possibility of mass migration from Africa unless the world urgently addresses the threat of climate change, says former US secretary of state John Kerry.
France acts to ban deforestation imports
16 Nov 2018
France intends to stop importing soy, palm oil, beef, wood and other products linked to deforestation and unsustainable agriculture by 2030, shooting ahead of the rest of the EU.
Carmakers slam new Spanish climate law
16 Nov 2018
The Spanish car lobby has hit back at the draft of the country’s first climate law published this week, which proposes to ban the sale and registration of lighter diesel and petrol vehicles from 2040.
Venice flooding is getting worse
15 Nov 2018
The spectacular centrepiece of Venice, St Mark’s Square, now floods more than 60 times a year, up from four times a year in 1900.
EU states call for tough action on deforestation
14 Nov 2018
The UK, France and Germany have called on the European Commission to launch tough new action to halt deforestation by the end of the year.
Can Teresa Ribera transform Spain?
14 Nov 2018
In recent years, Spain has been a graveyard for climate-friendly policies. But there are signs the dead may be twitching back to life.
Germany pours money into EV battery ventures
12 Nov 2018
Germany has earmarked one billion euros to support a consortium looking to produce electric car battery cells and plans to fund a research facility to develop next-generation solid-state batteries.
Ministers call for transparency in climate finance
7 Nov 2018
EU economy and finance ministers have stressed the need to scale up public and private money for climate change.
Investors challenge 55 companies on climate lobbying
31 Oct 2018
Five weeks before a pivotal UN climate conference starts, a group of investors, led by the Church of England Pensions Board and the Swedish national pension fund, has sent a letter to 55 companies to challenge them on climate lobbying.
Polish utility sued over financial risk of coal plant
31 Oct 2018
Activist shareholders have filed a climate lawsuit against utility Enea over a planned €1.2 billion coal plant in north-east Poland.
Spain to close most coalmines in $400m deal
29 Oct 2018
Spain is to shut down most of its coalmines by the end of the year after government and unions struck a deal that will mean €250m ($NZ430m) will be invested in mining regions over the next decade.
Brexit and Germany erode EU climate resolve
25 Oct 2018
Britain is leaving, Germany is wobbling and talks on EU emissions cuts are tipping in favour of the bloc’s more reticent countries, according to diplomatic sourcese following climate files in Brussels.
Russian town besieged by hungry polar bears
23 Oct 2018
A coastal town in the Russian Arctic has been besieged by hungry polar bears who are spending more time on land as sea ice melts due to climate change.
Greens big winners in European elections
18 Oct 2018
The Greens have been the big winners at the weekend elections by attracting new voters in Belgium, Luxembourg and Bavaria.
Change ‘laboratories’ open up in EU
18 Oct 2018
Stark warnings from the United Nations ahead of a make-or-break summit in Poland in December have propelled climate change up the political agenda in Europe.
‘Disappointed’ EU ministers agree on CO2 cuts
12 Oct 2018
Some EU environment ministers admitted they were disappointed with the outcome after they voted to agree on a 35 per cent cut in car and van CO2 emission for 2030.
Dutch court shoots down government appeal
11 Oct 2018
The Dutch government must stick to a tougher climate target, after an appeals judge upheld a historic court ruling.
Australian governments subsidising fossil fuel use by more than $30,000 a minute, analysis finds
Fri 13 Mar 2026
Australian federal and state government subsidies that encourage fossil fuel use and help drive the climate crisis will reach $16.3bn this year after leaping by nearly 10%, according to a new analysis.
US National Academies of Sciences says no to demands it remove climate info
Wed 18 Mar 2026
State attorneys general won't get climate chapter removed from a legal manual.
What does China’s 15th ‘five-year plan’ mean for climate change?
10 Mar 2026
China’s leadership has published a draft of its 15th five-year plan setting the strategic direction for the nation out to 2030, including support for clean energy and energy security.
UK emissions fall 2.4% in 2025 as coal hits 400-year low
9 Mar 2026
The UK’s greenhouse gas emissions fell by 2.4% in 2025 to their lowest level in more than 150 years, according to new analysis.
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
Today 10:30am
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.
Vanuatu moves forward with UN climate resolution despite Trump opposition
9 Mar 2026
The Trump administration’s attempt to sink a UN resolution demanding countries act on the climate crisis has caused cuts to the proposal but hasn’t entirely killed it, according to the tiny Pacific island country spearheading the effort.
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
Mon 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
Today 10:30am
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.
