International: Europe
Don't divest, government advisers tell Norway
27 Aug 2018
Government advisers have urged Norway not to ditch oil and gas investments from its $1trillion sovereign wealth fund.
Sweden's reindeer at risk of starvation
24 Aug 2018
Sweden's indigenous Sami reindeer herders have urged the state to help to mitigate the impact of climate change in the Arctic circle.
EU carbon prices could rise quickly, says report
23 Aug 2018
EU carbon prices could average 35-40 euros ($NZ60-70) a tonne over 2019-2023, says a new report.
On the world's first floating farm, robots milk the cows
22 Aug 2018
Rotterdam has become a pilot city for the world’s first floating farm where robots do the hard work.
This new coal mine in Germany will soon gobble up 20 villages
16 Aug 2018
When the Garzweiler open cast coal mine in Germany is finished, 5000 people will have been relocated and 20 villages will have been wiped off the face of the Earth.
Europe facing trillion-euros coastal flooding bill
16 Aug 2018
Costs from coastal flooding in Europe could hit almost one trillion euros by 2100, according to researchers.
Rising sea levels threaten Sinatra's old hangout
16 Aug 2018
A proposed island to protect a resort that once was the haunt of stars like Frank Sinatra and Marlene Dietrich could be its ruin.
France to set penalties on non-recycled plastic
15 Aug 2018
France plans to introduce a penalty system next year that would increase the costs of consumer goods with packaging made of non-recycled plastic.
EU carbon emissions price hits 10-year high
14 Aug 2018
The amount polluters pay for emitting carbon in the EU has hit a 10-year high, in a blow for coal power station owners and a boost for renewable energy.
LITTER TWITTER: In this park, clever crows do the dirty work
13 Aug 2018
Six crows trained to pick up cigarette ends and rubbish will be put to work this week at a French historical theme park.
Unions want Poland to push coal at UN climate talks
9 Aug 2018
Poland's trade unions are mounting a defence of coal workers against the impacts of climate policies in an effort to influence the agenda of the UN climate summit to be held in Katowice this December.
Battery makers fight for foothold in Europe
8 Aug 2018
Battery manufacturers are jostling for a leadership position in Europe as electric vehicle sales gather momentum.
Ireland sees need to increase carbon tax
7 Aug 2018
The Irish Government is planning to increase the country’s carbon tax in a bid to meet its climate-change goals.
German farmers want $1b in drought aid
2 Aug 2018
Farmers in the north and east of Germany are seeking more than $1 billion in aid for unprecedented losses as a result of continued high temperatures and lack of rain.
HOT NEWS: How the media has reported the northern heatwave
31 Jul 2018
This year’s northern-hemisphere summer has seen a succession of heatwaves. How has the media reported the extreme weather and how has the coverage referenced climate change?
Anchovies, the fish that gave too much
27 Jul 2018
The Italian fish sauce colatura is made from anchovies and literally adds the Med into the famously healthy Mediterranean diet. So many good things, however, have a downside.
Germany finds reaching climate targets hard work
26 Jul 2018
The German government will introduce a climate protection law to ensure the country reaches its 2030 climate targets.
Europe keeps on setting clean-energy records
18 Jul 2018
Two of the biggest economies in Europe last week set new records for clean energy.
Can Norway solve the plastic crisis, one bottle at a time?
17 Jul 2018
A bottle deposit hub on the outskirts of Oslo has had a stream of high-level international visitors. Can its success be replicated worldwide?
Huge iceberg threatens Greenland village
16 Jul 2018
A 100-metre high iceberg has drifted close to a village on Greenland’s west coast, prompting fears of a tsunami if it breaks up.
Ireland first country to divest from fossil fuels
13 Jul 2018
Ireland will become the first country to sell off its investments in fossil fuel companies, after a bill was passed with all-party support in the lower house of parliament.
Germany powers to renewables record
13 Jul 2018
Germany has set a record for renewable power production during the first six months of 2018.
Plastic waste makes floating pleasure park
13 Jul 2018
More than 1000 square feet of plastic ultimately destined to pollute the ocean is getting a second lease on life in Rotterdam.
Spain to lead energy transition in Europe?
10 Jul 2018
The creation of the new ministry for ecological transition in Spain brings fresh air not only at the national level but also at the EU level as Spain can give a push in the fight against climate change.
TV coverage of bike races holds climate change clues
10 Jul 2018
The impact of climate change on trees has been detected by analysing almost four decades of archive video footage from the Tour of Flanders cycling race.
POPE'S PLEA: Don't turn Earth into a rubbish pile
9 Jul 2018
POPE FRANCIS has urged governments to make good on their commitments to curb global warming, warning that climate change threatens to turn the Earth into a vast pile of “rubble, deserts and refuse”.
Baltic Sea oxygen levels at 1500-year low
9 Jul 2018
The coastal waters of the Baltic have been starved of oxygen to a level unseen in at least 1500 years largely as a result of modern human activity, scientists say.
Italy wants to put a million e-cars on the road
28 Jun 2018
The populist government in Italy, Europe’s most sluggish market for electric cars, has a big-bang plan to put a million of the vehicles on the nation’s roads.
France approves six offshore wind farms
26 Jun 2018
France has given the go ahead to six new wind farms off the country's west coast.
European banks launch green mortgage scheme
21 Jun 2018
A group of 37 major European banks are joining forces to launch a new energy efficiency scheme.
EU efforts not living up to Paris promises
20 Jun 2018
Many EU countries are veering off the course of action they committed to under the Paris Agreement, according to a new report.
EU sets 32% renewable energy target by 2030
19 Jun 2018
European Union lawmakers and member states have agreed on a renewable energy law, including support for electric vehicles and rooftop solar panels.
EU closes in on clean energy package
13 Jun 2018
The EU is near agreement on measures to put its 2030 climate target into action, with a meeting of energy ministers swinging towards more ambition.
Dutch government appeals emissions ruling
30 May 2018
The Dutch government has launched a bid to overturn a landmark climate ruling, arguing that judges in The Hague “sidelined democracy” when they ordered a 25 per cent cut in carbon emissions by 2020.
'We can't see a future' group takes EU to court
29 May 2018
Litigants from eight countries are claiming EU institutions are not protecting their fundamental rights.
New rules make investors report on e-risks
28 May 2018
The European Commission has released fresh proposals to ensure the financial sector contributes to combating climate change.
Shareholders put pressure on Shell
22 May 2018
Royal Dutch Shell faces a shareholder challenge over climate change this week, as investors insist oil and gas firms should offer more transparency and action on carbon emissions.
Europe renewables up - so are emissions
17 May 2018
A bumper year for renewable energy didn’t stop Europe from increasing its emissions.
Lack of models holding back e-car market
10 May 2018
The rise of electric cars in Europe is being hampered by a lack of models for consumers to choose from rather than a lack of public recharging points, say energy companies and carmakers.
The hills are alive with the signs of plastic
1 May 2018
A major study has found microplastics in soil across Switzerland and scientists warn urgent research is needed into impacts on food safety.
EU votes to ban bee-killing pesticide
30 Apr 2018
The EU has overwhelmingly voted for a ban on the use of a pesticide known to be harmful to bees.
EU backs new circular economy measures
26 Apr 2018
The EU has taken a significant step towards principles which make an asset out of waste.
Dutch group threatens take Shell to court
5 Apr 2018
Campaigners are threatening to take Royal Dutch Shell to court in the Netherlands unless it takes major climate action.
Europe's electric cars herald march of the gigafactories
4 Apr 2018
Across Europe a wave of gigafactories are coming online, ready to meet the battery demands of a continent-wide switch to electric cars.
Europe's carbon market finally doing its job
28 Mar 2018
Europe’s $38 billion a year carbon market is finally starting to work the way it was intended, reining in pollution with a minimum of squealing from industry.
Macron pushes for EU minimum carbon price
26 Mar 2018
Europe must set a minimum price for carbon, says French President Emmanuel Macron, something that would require a new tax on imports from non-EU countries that are not doing enough to tackle climate change.
BIRDS EMBATTLED; Europe faces biodiversity oblivion
23 Mar 2018
Intensive farming and pesticides could turn Europe’s farmland into a desert that ultimately imperils all humans, say the authors of report on the decline of bird numbers.
Europe goes for two-speed approach to sustainable finance
19 Mar 2018
Europe is quickly adopting an imbalanced, two-speed approach to sustainable finance, in which the “green” is moving much faster than the “social”.
Nervous about nukes? Don't worry, just swallow this pill
16 Mar 2018
Belgian pharmacies will provide radiation-busting iodine tablets free of charge to anyone as part of the country’s new nuclear strategy,
Germany’s new government deal fails Paris test
14 Mar 2018
With the coalition agreement for a new German government under Angela Merkel, a major opportunity to realign German climate policy to the challenges of the Paris climate change agreement has passed.
Datacentres should be forced to invest in wind and solar energy, all states agree – except Queensland
Wed 13 May 2026
Power hungry datacentres that are growing to meet the demands of artificial intelligence could be forced to invest in enough new solar and wind generation to completely cover their electricity needs.
US EPA moves to speed clean air permits for power plants, industry
Wed 13 May 2026
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said it would speed up the process for large polluters to obtain clean air permits, the latest move by the Trump administration to ease regulatory burdens on American power plants and industry.
China’s leadership calls for ‘strict control’ of fossil fuels
28 Apr 2026
Chinese government leaders published a policy document on 22 April – Earth Day – calling for stricter controls on fossil-fuel consumption and greater oversight of heavy emitters.
Nature recovery zones inspired by Attenborough
Tue 12 May 2026
A wildlife trust has been inspired by Sir David Attenborough's climate change mantra to designate 11 nature recovery zones in honour of the broadcaster's 100th birthday.
Carbon capture ‘doesn’t work’: Former British Columbia premier
Fri 8 May 2026
Former British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell warned the costly, troubled technology has failed to deliver, undercutting a central justification for billions in public subsidies and new oil infrastructure.
Climate change, socioeconomic shifts threaten Nepal’s yak herding traditions
7 May 2026
According to the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), warming temperatures are fundamentally altering Himalayan high-altitude ecosystems.
How climate change threatens the economic backbone of the Pacific
4 May 2026
The vast Pacific Ocean and the islands dotted within it produce more than half of the world's tuna.
‘Triple whammy of climate chaos’: Why Antarctica's sea ice collapse is no longer a mystery
Mon 11 May 2026
Scientists have finally identified the ‘triple whammy’ behind Antarctica’s dramatic collapse, shedding new light on the chain reaction that has pushed its sea ice to record lows.
With its first marine reserve, Ghana protects its ocean to secure its future
5 May 2026
Comment: Last month, Ghana made news when it declared its first marine reserve and sited it in one of the nation’s most ecologically and biologically significant marine environments.
The country where lethal hantavirus cases are on the rise. Experts blame climate change
Wed 13 May 2026
Experts believe environmental degradation caused by climate change and human activity is contributing to its spread by allowing the rodents that transmit the virus to thrive in new areas.
UN methane alert system expanded to coal and waste sectors after Indian landfill named among world’s top emitters
6 May 2026
The United Nations is expanding its methane monitoring system to cover coal mines and waste facilities, after satellite analysis identified a landfill in India among the world’s three largest methane-emitting sites.
