International: Europe
Italy’s renewable energy delays could miss EU carbon emission goals: report
10 Sep 2025
Italy may struggle to meet its carbon emission reduction commitments due to delays in renewable power generation and energy storage systems, according to Reuters, based on a recent study conducted by Edison and TEHA Group.
Economy, security crowd out climate as EU citizens’ top concerns
9 Sep 2025
Economic concerns have overtaken energy autonomy in the latest EU survey of public opinion, with climate action slipping further down the list as defence emerges as the top priority.
Climate change made heat and dryness that fueled Iberian wildfires 40 times more likely
8 Sep 2025
The extremely hot, dry and windy conditions, which fueled one of the Iberian Peninsula’s most destructive wildfire seasons in recorded history, were 40 times more likely due to climate change, according to a study.
EU drafting plans to prevent circumvention of carbon border tariff
5 Sep 2025
The European Commission will propose measures this year to prevent countries from dodging its carbon border tariff, as some in Brussels fear Chinese firms could reshuffle their trade to avoid the levy.
Welcome to Europe’s future Carbon Valley
4 Sep 2025
Industrial clusters in Europe’s heartland look to carbon capture and storage to turn CO2 from climate liability into a commercial resource.
EU’s record wildfire emissions highlight threat to forest carbon sinks
1 Sep 2025
As carbon emissions from forest fires spike in Europe, experts warn that wildfires pose a growing risk to national efforts to meet climate goals.
‘Plastic Cup’ competitions are cleaning up rivers in Hungary
1 Sep 2025
Afloat on DIY boats, teams of volunteers have removed over 450 tons of plastic waste from the Danube and its tributaries.
Tesla sales plunge 40% in Europe as Chinese EV rival BYD’s triple
1 Sep 2025
Sales of Tesla cars in Europe plunged in July, in the company’s seventh consecutive month of declines, while Chinese rival BYD saw a monthly surge.
Apple Watch not a 'CO2-neutral product,' German court finds
28 Aug 2025
Apple can no longer advertise its Apple Watch as a "CO2-neutral product" in Germany, following a court ruling on Tuesday that upheld a complaint from environmentalists, finding that the U.S. tech company had misled consumers.
World's first commercial carbon storage facility begins operations, injecting CO2 deep under North Sea seabed
28 Aug 2025
The world's first commercial service offering carbon storage off Norway's coast has carried out its inaugural CO2 injection into the North Sea seabed.
EU wildfires hit new record as flames scorch area larger than Cyprus
25 Aug 2025
The area burned this year has exceeded the 1 million hectare mark for the first time since records started in 2006.
Flying still cheaper than trains on most EU routes, study finds
25 Aug 2025
If you thought European cross-border train journeys might finally be easier on the wallet than flights, think again.
Spain battles one of its most destructive fire seasons even as its heat wave eases
21 Aug 2025
Spain tackled several major wildfires on Tuesday in one of the country’s most destructive fire seasons in recent decades, despite temperatures dropping across the Iberian Peninsula.
‘No future in oil’: Greta Thunberg and 200 activists block Norway oil refinery
20 Aug 2025
Some 200 climate activists including Greta Thunberg of Sweden blocked Norway's largest oil refinery on Monday in a protest demanding an end to the country's oil industry.
EU wants to pay poor countries to cut emissions. It never studied the plan’s impacts.
19 Aug 2025
The European Commission released a controversial plan to offshore millions of tons of greenhouse gas cuts, but admitted it did not analyse the policy’s impact.
Can the EU be a climate leader and boost its economic competitiveness?
18 Aug 2025
A recent proposal by the European Commission to set an emission reduction target of 90% by 2040 compared to 1990 level is being criticised by European lawmakers, member states and environmentalists alike.
Wildfires fanned by heatwave and strong winds rage across Europe
15 Aug 2025
Wildfires caused by arsonists or thunderstorms and fanned by a heatwave and strong winds wreaked destruction across southern Europe on Wednesday, burning homes and forcing thousands of residents and tourists to flee.
Climate change made Nordic heat wave 2 degrees warmer
15 Aug 2025
The chances of reaching dangerous temperatures are only growing as the planet keeps warming up because of climate change, scientists warn.
German minister flags risks to tenders as offshore auctions draw no bids
11 Aug 2025
Germany's Economy Minister Katharina Reiche warned that flawed site selection and shifting market dynamics were undermining offshore wind tenders, as the country's latest offshore auctions received no bids.
France wildfire is 'catastrophe on an unprecedented scale', says PM
8 Aug 2025
French Prime Minister François Bayrou says a huge, deadly wildfire sweeping through the south of France is a "catastrophe on an unprecedented scale".
Vatican strikes solar farm deal to become the world’s first carbon-neutral state
5 Aug 2025
Italy has agreed to a Vatican plan to turn a 430-hectare field north of Rome into a vast solar farm that the Holy See hopes will generate enough electricity to meet its needs and turn Vatican City into the world’s first carbon-neutral state.
EU climate goals at risk as ailing forests absorb less CO2, scientists say
5 Aug 2025
Damage to European forests from increased logging, wildfires, drought and pests is reducing their ability to absorb carbon dioxide, putting European Union emissions targets at risk, scientists warn.
European Central Bank to consider 'climate factor' when lending to banks
31 Jul 2025
The European Central Bank will add climate change considerations to its lending operations from late 2026, raising pressure on banks to channel financing towards greener sectors as the euro zone seeks to reduce its carbon footprint.
The EU’s ‘fantasy’ $750B energy promise to Trump
31 Jul 2025
The EU has narrowly avoided a full-blown trade war with Donald Trump by pledging to buy $750 billion of U.S. oil and gas by the end of his term. But achieving that will be almost impossible.
Tax on AI and crypto could fund climate action, says former Paris accords envoy
30 Jul 2025
Laurence Tubiana urges governments to consider levies on energy-hungry technology.
Wildfires rage in Greece and Turkey as extreme heat persists
29 Jul 2025
Greece continued to battle major wildfires across the country amid a severe heatwave, but firefighters have brought many outbreaks under control.
Greenpeace hails Italy court ruling allowing climate lawsuit against energy company to go ahead
25 Jul 2025
Italy’s highest court has ruled that a lawsuit brought by climate activists against Italian energy company ENI and its government shareholders can go ahead.
Germany's wind power expansion picks up, but targets still missed, says lobby
18 Jul 2025
Germany's onshore wind power sector recorded its strongest half-year since 2017, but the expansion still falls short of the legally mandated targets, the BWE wind power lobby said on Tuesday.
How heatwaves and soaring temperatures are changing tourism across Europe
15 Jul 2025
With unbearable heat and a worsening climate crisis becoming the norm, could the yearly summer holiday be a thing of the past?
1500 deaths in the recent European heatwave were due to climate change
14 Jul 2025
We now have the ability to rapidly assess the death toll of climate change after extreme heat – a first-of-its-kind analysis has shown that it nearly tripled the death toll from the most recent European heatwave
EU countries seek more cuts to deforestation rules
9 Jul 2025
From December, the world-first deforestation law will require operators placing goods including soy, beef and palm oil, onto the EU market to provide proof their products did not cause deforestation.
Experts question business case for nature credits as European Union publishes plan
9 Jul 2025
To protect and restore nature, the world needs to spend $700bn a year, says the Global Biodiversity Framework. The European Commission on Monday published a plan for how nature credits can play their role in boosting biodiversity funds.
Climate target deal in time for COP30 will be ‘difficult’, Denmark warns
7 Jul 2025
Denmark warns EU climate deal for COP30 risks slipping amid tight deadline and deep divisions.
EU Commission proposes allowing carbon offsets to help meet 2040 climate goal
4 Jul 2025
Campaigners accuse the European Commission of adding “loopholes” and “distractions” to the 90% emissions reduction target.
Record-breaking sea temperatures in the Mediterranean spark fresh warnings from scientists
4 Jul 2025
Intense marine heat can have devastating consequences for ecosystems with its ripple effects also extending onto land.
Brussels to stand its ground on 90% emissions cut by 2040
2 Jul 2025
The European Commission is set to propose a target to slash greenhouse gas emissions to a mere tenth of the levels seen back in 1990 – but a leaked summary confirms it will offer significant leeway as a sweetener for reluctant EU members.
Next EU climate target to allow carbon offsets from 2036, draft shows
1 Jul 2025
The European Commission will permit countries to outsource a portion of their climate efforts to poorer countries from 2036, according to a draft proposal.
Fires break out in France as southern Europe heatwave intensifies
1 Jul 2025
In France, wildfires broke out in the Corbières area in the southwest, where temperatures topped 40°C, forcing the evacuation of a campsite and abbey as a precaution.
Europe on alert as first major heatwave of 2025 pushes temperatures to 42C
30 Jun 2025
Authorities across Europe are on alert as the first heatwave of the summer pushes temperatures up to 42C (107.6F), as the fastest-warming continent continues to suffer the effects of the climate emergency.
Protesters flood Venice’s streets during Amazon founder Bezos’s wedding
30 Jun 2025
Protesters denounced the Amazon billionaire’s multimillion-dollar wedding in Venice as the city deals with environmental concerns.
EU countries abandon anti-greenwashing talks after Italy pulls out
25 Jun 2025
The proposed law preventing companies from making misleading environmental claims now looks unlikely to be enacted.
In London and Paris, we’ve experienced vicious backlash to climate action. But we’re not backing down
24 Jun 2025
COMMENT: Around the world, well-funded, organised climate deniers are spreading lies about the crisis. We call on governments and tech companies to step up.
Macron visits Greenland to show European support for the strategic Arctic island coveted by Trump
17 Jun 2025
French President Emmanuel Macron warned that Greenland is “not to be sold” nor “to be taken” in a key visit Sunday to the strategic Arctic territory coveted by U.S. President Donald Trump, saying he’s conveying a message of French and European solidarity.
Decarbonising Europe’s heavy industry, it’s not ‘Mission Impossible’
17 Jun 2025
Balancing climate ambitions with competitiveness is a challenge for every industrial sector. Heavy industry faces an even tougher time, but a new report says net-zero is possible.
Why the EU is about to cripple its next climate target
16 Jun 2025
The European Commission is about to release a controversial new climate milestone, setting the bloc’s economic course for the next 15 years. Most EU governments, however, would prefer Brussels drop the issue.
Ocean current ‘collapse’ could trigger ‘profound cooling’ in northern Europe – even with global warming
13 Jun 2025
A “collapse” of key Atlantic ocean currents would cause winter temperatures to plunge across northern Europe, overriding the warming driven by human activity.
Greenpeace Denmark complaint accuses dairy giant of 'systemic greenwashing'
9 Jun 2025
"Greenwashing and false marketing will not be tolerated, no matter how big you are and where you are based," said one Greenpeace Denmark campaigner.
EU asks 44 oil and gas producers to provide new CO2 storage solutions
5 Jun 2025
The European Commission said on Thursday it had asked 44 oil and gas companies to contribute to the EU's collective target of storing at least 50 million tonnes of CO2 per year by 2030, as part of the bloc's aim to achieve climate neutrality.
EU science advisers slam Brussels’ weakened 2040 climate plans
4 Jun 2025
Using international carbon credits in place of domestic action undermines climate efforts, scientific advisory board says.
EU climate chief lobbied Germany to back weakened 2040 goal
3 Jun 2025
The European Commission’s climate chief successfully lobbied Germany’s coalition government to endorse a controversial measure that weakens the EU’s next climate target.
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.
