International: Europe
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.
UK companies better to stay with European ETS
23 May 2017
An international carbon trading organisation says British companies should stay in the European Emissions Trading Scheme until at least 2020, despite Brexit.
Shell shareholders to vote for new climate goals
23 May 2017
Shell shareholders including the Church of England, European pension funds and Dutch activists will send a signal to the board of the Anglo-Dutch company this week by voting for it to set new climate-change goals.
Australia's battery subsidies spark rooftop solar resurgence
Tue 7 Jul 2026
The rooftop solar boom shows how countries stifled by transmission line logjams can continue reducing emissions, analysts say.
Clean energy hurt but resilient one year after Trump winding back climate policy
Wed 8 Jul 2026
The GOP budget law that President Trump signed a year ago has darkened the outlook for several clean energy sources, but stopped far short of strangling low-carbon tech.
China warming faster than global average as extreme weather intensifies, report says
Mon 6 Jul 2026
China is warming faster than the global average, while extreme heat, heavy rainfall and other severe weather events are becoming more frequent and intense as climate change accelerates worldwide.
Low-cost loans for solar panels could save households hundreds on bills – thinktanks
Thu 9 Jul 2026
Millions of UK households could save hundreds of pounds a year on their energy bills if the government were to approve low-cost loans for solar panel installation, research has found.
Canada advances Alberta pipeline to Pacific Coast to expand oil exports beyond the US
Mon 6 Jul 2026
Canada took a step toward opening a new route for its vast oil reserves to Asian markets as Prime Minister Mark Carney advanced a Pacific Coast pipeline from Alberta, seeking to reduce the country’s dependence on the U.S. while easing separatist tensions and preserving environmental protections.
Enhanced flash flood risks in Hindu Kush Himalaya
Thu 9 Jul 2026
The communities in the Hindu Kush Himalaya region could face enhanced risks from flash floods due to bursts of extreme rainfall and cloudbursts during the southwest monsoon season along with high temperatures which could lead to accelerated glacier and snow melting.
‘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’.
Ugandan farmers launch UK court case against East African oil pipeline
Thu 9 Jul 2026
Four Ugandan farmers filed a case with London’s High Court aiming to stop the East African Crude Oil Pipeline from starting to operate by asking the court to apply Uganda’s laws against the project’s UK-registered company.
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?
Strong El Nino will develop rapidly over coming months, says UN weather agency
Tue 7 Jul 2026
The United Nations weather agency on Friday raised its forecast for the rapid emergence of a strong El Nino in the coming months, warning that the phenomenon is likely to drive global temperatures higher.
