International: Europe
BALTIC BURPS: Clams giving off as much gas as 20,000 cows
16 Oct 2017
Scientists have found clams and worms in the Baltic Sea are giving off as much gas as 20,000 dairy cows.
German Greens put climate progress top of agenda
11 Oct 2017
Leading Green politicians in Germany have said a coalition agreement with Angela Merkel’s conservative Christian Democrats and the free-market Free Democratic party will be contingent on climate policy progress.
Mackerel on the move stir up European politics
10 Oct 2017
The impacts of climate change can lead to conflict, but conflict not necessarily leads to violence. This is exemplified with the so-called ‘’mackerel case’’.
Powerco changes name and abandons fossil fuels
4 Oct 2017
Denmark's DONG Energy has fully abandoned power generation from oil and gas, and is changing its name to Ørsted to pledge its commitment to clean energy technologies.
Europe playing a two-faced climate change game
3 Oct 2017
EU member states risk undermining the diminishing confidence Europeans have in the union by playing a two-faced game on climate change.
EU climate chief’s Paris suggestion sparks anger
28 Sep 2017
A suggestion by the EU’s climate chief that the US might water down its carbon-cutting pledge to the Paris Agreement has sparked outrage among veteran negotiators and developing countries.
Weakened Merkel means boost for coal phaseout
26 Sep 2017
A three-way coalition in Germany is the most likely outcome of a surprising election, putting the Greens in a position to pursue their goal of ending coal power.
Innovation fuels Europe’s leadership on shared mobility
25 Sep 2017
European cities are stepping up their efforts on shared mobility, aiming to reduce traffic jams and pollution while generating the most profitable business in this field on the planet.
EU aims for 100% emission cuts in new mid-century roadmap
22 Sep 2017
The European Commission is preparing an update of its low-carbon economy roadmap for 2050, acknowledging that the bloc’s current target of cutting greenhouse gas emissions at least 80 per cent by mid-century are insufficient.
Angela Merkel the world's leading eco-vandal
21 Sep 2017
Ignore Angela Merkel's reputation for supporting green initiatives. The German chancellor’s record on environmental policy has been a disaster.
Figueres wants EU action on ‘imported deforestation’
20 Sep 2017
Former UN climate chief Christiana Figures has called on the EU to step up regulatory action against deforestation in the global south by tackling emissions of imported agricultural goods like beef, soy and palm oil.
EU extends respite from airline carbon fees
15 Sep 2017
The European Parliament has approved a plan to keep commercial flights in and out of Europe exempt from the EU’s carbon emission controls until 2021.
EU moves closer to ‘genuine energy union’
14 Sep 2017
European lawmakers this week approved a new security of gas regulation, which includes a solidarity principle in case of supply disruptions and will make it more difficult for other countries to “blackmail” the EU’s members.
Macron to pitch global environmental rights charter
13 Sep 2017
French president Emmanuel Macron is set to call for a global pact affirming universal principles for environmental protection at the UN general assembly next week.
Norway vote could be turning point for Arctic oil
8 Sep 2017
Norway has a general election on Monday. The future of its oil industry has become – to the surprise of the three largest parties – one of the most debated and divisive campaign themes.
France to ban oil, gas output on home soil
8 Sep 2017
France has unveiled a law to ban all production and exploration of oil and natural gas by 2040 on the country’s mainland and overseas territories.
Merkel under pressure to tackle toxic smog
7 Sep 2017
With less than three weeks until the German elections, pressure is mounting on Angela Merkel to tackle the deadly smog in a large number of cities or face a court-enforced diesel ban and backlash from millions of motorists faced with plummeting resale values.
Glyphosate ban will kill ‘conservation agriculture’
5 Sep 2017
Farmers in France have reacted strongly to the government's intention to block the reauthorisation of glyphosate, pointing out the negative effects the ban would have on conservation farming.
Finland doubles down on nuclear power
4 Sep 2017
Finland is set to embrace a decarbonised future by increasing carbon taxes and introducing laws in 2018 that will begin to phase out the use of coal, with more nuclear capacity waiting to offer an alternative fuel source.
Oslo puts ecological riches at the heart of the city
30 Aug 2017
Norway wants urban gardeners to cultivate wildflowers and keep hives to reverse a decline in biodiversity.
Swiss trees swelter as climate warms
22 Aug 2017
Foresters are being urged to plant tree species resilient to climate change to save the timber industry as Swiss trees swelter.
It's a good bet Norway will be first fully electrified society
21 Aug 2017
Norway has the renewable resources and political will to become the first country to use entirely clean electricity for its power demands.
Norway selling out-of-date food to help to tackle waste
18 Aug 2017
Supermarkets selling out-of-date produce and apps that identify food at risk of being binned are part of an ambitious plan to slash the nation’s food waste
Switzerland and EU agree to link carbon markets
17 Aug 2017
An agreement to link the Swiss and European Union carbon markets could pave the way for other markets to link to the EU emissions trading scheme in future, says the International Emissions Trading Association.
EU said to be considering electric car quota
16 Aug 2017
Despite public denials, the European Commission is considering implementing an electric car quota to be achieved by automakers by 2030.
Norway's push for Arctic oil threatens Paris goals
15 Aug 2017
Norway’s plan to ramp up oil and gas production in the Arctic threatens global efforts to tackle climate change, according to a new study.
Climate change is triple risk to Europe
15 Aug 2017
New studies confirm climate change’s triple risk to Europe. The heat is on, lives are at risk and the floods are arriving earlier.
Sahara solar project aims to power Europe
8 Aug 2017
A consortium of clean energy developers has applied for permission to build a gigantic solar power plant on the edge of the Sahara desert which could power more than five million EU homes.
Melting Alps glaciers could reveal hundreds of corpses
7 Aug 2017
Swiss police say hundreds of bodies of mountaineers who have gone missing in the Alps in the past century could emerge in coming years as global warming forces the country’s glaciers to retreat.
Coal lobby threatens to sue over clean air rules
3 Aug 2017
Tough air pollution limits for Europe’s coal plants announced on Monday could be engulfed in a firestorm of lawsuits and counter-suits, Climate Home has learned.
EU court orders Poland to stop logging forest
31 Jul 2017
The European Union’s top court has ordered Poland to immediate halt large-scale logging in a Unesco-listed ancient forest.
Europe’s wind capacity grows but concerns persist
31 Jul 2017
The first half of 2017 saw 6.1 gigawatts of extra wind power capacity installed in Europe. But a lack of long-term political commitment has hit investment and market concentration remains problematic.
UK businesses urge PM to raise climate ambitions
26 Jul 2017
A group of UK businesses and investors have written to Prime MInister Theresa May, urging her to raise the country’s ambitions to tackle climate change.
Electric trams shuttle goods around Europe cities
26 Jul 2017
French and German cities using trams to move products are showing how to cut congestion while making a profit from the network.
Work for me, says Macron, and scientists flock to France
21 Jul 2017
Hundreds of climate scientists, including many from the United States, have applied to work in France under a multi-million dollar scheme set up by President Emmanuel Macron.
EU slapped for breaching access to environmental justice
20 Jul 2017
The European Union has accepted a UN ruling that found the bloc in breach of international laws requiring the public to have access to justice on environmental matters.
Finland ignores scientists and increases logging
13 Jul 2017
Plans to increase logging in Finnish forests will have dire impacts on the climate; yet the Finnish government is ignoring evidence and denigrating scientists.
Changing climate puts load on labourers
12 Jul 2017
Climate change could affect labour productivity – at least in the wine industry, new research suggests.
France decrees commercial rooftops must be green
7 Jul 2017
According to a new law, rooftops on new buildings in commercial zones across France must either be partially covered in plants or solar panels.
In the Netherlands, a better way to rebuild the beach
5 Jul 2017
A $US78 million experiment aims to reinforce the rapidly eroding coastline, while avoiding the ecological damage common with other nourishment schemes.
Europe's contribution to deforestation set to rise
4 Jul 2017
Europe’s consumption of products such as beef, soy and palm oil could increase its contribution to global deforestation by more than a quarter by 2030, analysis shows.
Germany ‘massively weakens’ draft G20 climate plan
3 Jul 2017
The latest draft of the German plan for this week’s G20 Hamburg meeting contains major concessions to the US and opens the door for coal projects to be defined as “clean”.
Lack of green options traps Europe’s energy poor
3 Jul 2017
Fuel poverty affects tens of millions of Europeans. Coupled with continuing subsidies for fossil fuel boilers, this means decarbonisation efforts face an uphill struggle.
French leader vows to stop oil and gas licences
28 Jun 2017
The new French government has announced it will stop granting licences for new oil and gas exploration.
EU acts to restrict hormone-disrupting chemical in plastics
19 Jun 2017
A chemical found in CDs, DVDs, kettles and water bottles could soon be restricted after EU authorities ruled that it posed a threat to human health because of its effects on hormones.
IT'S THE LAW: Sweden aims to be carbon neutral by 2045
16 Jun 2017
Sweden has committed to becoming a net-zero carbon emitter by 2045, under a law just passed in parliament.
Germany and California strengthen climate ties
15 Jun 2017
Europe’s largest economy and the largest state economy in the US have issued a joint statement of intent to boost climate cooperation.
UK leads way in Europe emissions reductions
8 Jun 2017
The UK recorded the largest decrease in greenhouse gas emissions in the European Union in 2015, although new research has found the emissions from the bloc increased for the first time in five years.
Europe's last big primeval forest on brink of collapse
25 May 2017
The Polish government has been accused of pushing a primeval forest system to the point of no return with state-sanctioned logging in a Unesco world heritage site.
Swiss referendum votes in favour of renewables
24 May 2017
Swiss voters have said yes to the government’s plan to provide billions of dollars in subsidies for renewables, in addition to banning nuclear power.
Australian heatwave fans bushfires, towns evacuated, Melbourne endures hottest day in 17 years
Wed 28 Jan 2026
A major heatwave across Australia's southeast stoked bushfires, forced hundreds of residents in rural towns to evacuate and brought record-breaking temperatures, with Melbourne recording its hottest day in nearly 17 years.
‘Abdication’: Trump takes US out of Paris climate agreement for a second time
Wed 28 Jan 2026
Experts are watching for how other countries will react as the ‘real economy’ shifts to cheaper, cleaner energy.
Beijing-Ottawa deal reinforces China’s dominance in EV industry at expense of US: analysts
Mon 26 Jan 2026
New agreement is set to significantly boost Chinese carmakers’ global expansion and offers easier entry into the North American EV market
UK to join major wind farm project with nine European countries
Tue 27 Jan 2026
The UK is set to back a vast new fleet of offshore wind projects in the North Sea alongside nine other European countries including Norway, Germany and the Netherlands.
The climate and energy implication hidden in Mark Carney’s Davos speech
Mon 26 Jan 2026
In a speech bound for the history books, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney described a “rupture” in the world order and called for middle powers like Canada to stand up to bullies.
Indonesia’s massive captive coal plans are putting climate targets and economy at risk: study
Wed 28 Jan 2026
Operational and planned industrial coal capacity to fuel the nickel boom has tripled since 2023, surpassed Australia’s entire coal fleet and is nearing Germany’s total, raising concerns over emissions and long-term competitiveness.
Pacific fisheries summit gives a boost to albacore and seabirds
19 Dec 2025
Much of the world’s albacore tuna catch, which usually ends up in a can, comes from the southwestern Pacific Ocean, where fishery managers just passed a new set of conservation rules.
Arctic endured year of record heat as climate scientists warn of ‘winter being redefined’
18 Dec 2025
Region known as ‘world’s refrigerator’ is heating up as much as four times as quickly as global average, Noaa experts say.
World Bank, Rockefeller to spend millions on African solar transition
Tue 27 Jan 2026
The World Bank and the Rockefeller Foundation vowed to spend tens of millions of dollars to accelerate Africa’s solar energy sector, which has taken off in recent months.
Thousands of climate disasters are not included in official reports from Amazonian countries
12 Dec 2025
More than 12,500 extreme weather events impacted the Amazon and its population in 10 years, but countries have not generated enough information about it, according to a new scientific study.
UN environment report 'hijacked' by US and others over fossil fuels, top scientist says
11 Dec 2025
A key UN report on the state of the global environment has been "hijacked" by the United States and other countries who were unwilling to go along with the scientific findings, the co-chair has told the BBC.
