International: Europe
Netherlands police use water cannon, detain 2,400 climate activists
12 Sep 2023
Police deployed water cannons to disperse thousands of climate activists protesting on a highway in the Netherlands to demand an end to government subsidies for the fossil fuel industry.
The world’s largest low-carbon steel plant moves closer to completion
12 Sep 2023
A new $1.6 billion investment puts a hydrogen-fueled plant on track to open in Sweden in 2025, in what would be a first for the hard-to-decarbonise industry.
School strikes led a third of Swiss citizens to change their habits
11 Sep 2023
Almost a third of Swiss people changed their daily habits as a result of Greta Thunberg’s Fridays for Future climate strikes, new research has found.
Bulgaria, Turkey and Greece streets turn to rivers in deadly floods
8 Sep 2023
Flooding caused by heavy rain has led to at least 10 deaths in Bulgaria, Turkey and Greece.
There’s a battle over carbon emerging from the war in Ukraine
5 Sep 2023
A new international effort is working to hold Russia accountable for the climate impact of its invasion.
Torrential rain in Spain causes major flooding
5 Sep 2023
Several weather warnings have been issued across Spain as heavy rain causes major flooding across parts of the country.
Climate change has Sweden growing its wine industry
1 Sep 2023
Climate change is making for warmer and longer growing seasons in Sweden and there are also new kinds of grapes created especially for the country’s environment.
Firefighters in Greece battling 'largest wildfire ever recorded in EU'
31 Aug 2023
A forest blaze in Greece is "the largest wildfire ever recorded in the EU" and the bloc is mobilising nearly half its firefighting air wing to tackle it, a European Commission spokesperson said.
Poland files lawsuit against key EU climate policies
30 Aug 2023
The EU’s recently adopted climate legislation was not properly assessed, exceeded Brussels’ authority and now threatens Poland’s economy as well as energy security.
Labelled climate culprits, European farmers rebel over new standards
30 Aug 2023
Asked to cut herds, move or even shut down to help meet E.U. environmental goals, agricultural workers say too much is demanded of them.
Anger is most powerful emotion by far for spurring climate action, study finds
25 Aug 2023
The link to climate activism is seven times stronger for anger than it is for hope, and the most powerful emotional predictor of whether somebody plans to take part in a climate protest, say Norwegian researchers.
Germany to fall significantly short of EU climate targets
25 Aug 2023
Germany will likely emit 150 million tonnes more of CO2-equivalent gases than EU rules created by the Effort Sharing Regulation permit, which is expected to result in a hefty penalty payment of up to €30 billion.
Thousands displaced as wildfire rages on Tenerife
21 Aug 2023
Firefighters battling a vast wildfire on Tenerife are facing another difficult night after severe weather conditions worsened the blaze, forcing thousands to flee their homes.
Climate change threatens Germany's fairy tale forests
8 Aug 2023
Andre Salamon wends his way through coniferous woodlands on a hillside in Germany's central Harz region.
Unesco recommends adding Venice to endangered list
3 Aug 2023
The iconic Italian city is at risk of "irreversible" damage from overwhelming tourism, overdevelopment and rising sea levels due to climate change, according to a report from Unesco.
Europe’s most important trade route is at risk due to climate change
2 Aug 2023
The Rhine River has been a reliable shipping lane for centuries, helping spawn industrial giants along its banks.
Emissions from Greek wildfires equivalent of 2.3m barrels of oil, data shows
28 Jul 2023
Emissions from the wildfires that have ravaged parts of Greece in recent weeks are the highest in two decades — similar to more than 220,000 petrol cars driven for a year.
‘Like a blowtorch’: Mediterranean on fire as blazes spread across nine countries
27 Jul 2023
Wildfires were burning in at least nine countries across the Mediterranean, with thousands of firefighters in Europe and north Africa working to contain flames stoked by high temperatures, dry conditions and strong winds.
Rhodes wildfire forces thousands of evacuations, tourists flee
25 Jul 2023
Thousands of tourists and residents fleeing wildfires on the Greek island of Rhodes took refuge in schools and shelters, with many evacuated on private boats as flames threatened resorts and coastal villages.
Europe’s heat wave: Greek wildfires force hundreds to flee as temperatures rise
21 Jul 2023
Hundreds of people have been evacuated as wildfires rage in Greece, and Southern Europe faces another week of sweltering, above-40C temperatures in a heat wave that experts say is linked to climate change.
Europe should cap ‘luxury’ energy use to meet emissions targets
20 Jul 2023
Research finds that limiting the demand of top 20% saves seven times the greenhouse gases required to meet the needs of the bottom 20%.
Northern Europe faces biggest relative increase in uncomfortable heat and is dangerously unprepared
19 Jul 2023
A recent UN report even stated that there is now “no credible pathway” to achieve 1.5℃.
Summer 2022 heatwaves killed 61,000 people in Europe
12 Jul 2023
Last year's summer was the hottest season ever recorded in Europe, and a new estimate shows there were over 61,000 heat-related excess deaths during this period.
Drop carbon offsetting-based environmental claims, companies urged
11 Jul 2023
Companies should drop offsetting-based environmental claims and adopt a “climate contribution” model instead, according to a new quality standard.
Climate change challenges hydropower-dependent Austria
11 Jul 2023
In Austria's Alps, construction workers toil in a huge underground project aimed at storing hydropower as climate change has reduced the country's water-dependent electricity production.
Germany must consider climate risks during LNG buildout – govt advisors
3 Jul 2023
Germany’s quest for liquefied natural gas as a substitute for halted Russian pipeline supplies entails significant risks regarding climate change mitigation, as the country’s demand could lead to new extraction projects and lock-in effects abroad.
"World's largest wooden city" set to be built in Stockholm
30 Jun 2023
A Scandinavian architecture studio is designing Stockholm Wood City, which will become the world's largest mass-timber development and have the "serenity of a forest".
Big herbivores could help save the tundra from rising heat and shrinking ice—if they can survive themselves
29 Jun 2023
Scientists in Greenland found that tundra vegetation fares better when caribou and muskoxen are around to dine on encroaching, heat-loving shrubs.
Ukraine targets initial $40 billion for 'Green Marshall Plan'
21 Jun 2023
Ukraine is seeking up to $40 billion to fund the first part of a "Green Marshall Plan" to rebuild its economy, including developing a coal-free steel industry, a senior Ukrainian official said ahead of an international summit.
Switzerland backs net-zero climate law in referendum
20 Jun 2023
Almost 60% of Swiss voters have backed plans to severely cut emissions by 2050 despite opposition from the right-wing Swiss People's Party.
Europe's city schools, hospitals at risk from extreme heat, EU agency says
16 Jun 2023
Nearly half of schools and hospitals in European cities are located in urban "heat islands", exposing vulnerable populations to health-threatening temperatures as climate change impacts worsen, the European Union's environment agency has said.
France seeks to rally support for emissions levy on shipping
14 Jun 2023
France is drumming up support for a global levy on greenhouse gas emissions from the shipping industry ahead of a summit hosted by Emmanuel Macron this month.
Ireland proposes culling 200,000 cows, farmers push back
13 Jun 2023
Countries across Europe are working to fulfill their commitment to shift to a climate-neutral economy.
EU mayors list climate action as top priority
13 Jun 2023
Climate change is a key concern for Europe's local leaders, with a majority of mayors in 92 major cities across the bloc listing it as a top priority in a new survey published today.
Climate change is causing more turbulence on flights, say scientists
12 Jun 2023
Clear-air turbulence was long predicted to increase under climate change, but a new study from Reading University has painted the most detailed picture yet of the effects kicking in.
Wales falling behind on targets
7 Jun 2023
Wales is falling behind on actions needed to fight climate change, according to a major report.
Accounting for war - Ukraine's climate fallout
7 Jun 2023
The war in Ukraine is deepening the climate crisis at time when global greenhouse gas emissions are already running at a record high, according to report by carbon accounting experts who have tallied the overall impact of the conflict.
Germany: govt body warns of increased health threats from climate change
2 Jun 2023
Germany’s disease control agency warns that rising temperatures due to global warming will increase the likelihood of heat stroke, vector-borne illnesses and other health risks in the country.
EU doubles firefighting fleet in preparation for climate change impacts
31 May 2023
The EU said on Tuesday it is doubling its aerial firefighting fleet for the summer of 2023, citing challenges such as increasing forest fires due to the climate crisis.
More than 1,500 arrested during Netherlands climate protests
30 May 2023
Activists blocked a section of a motorway in the centre of the city during the afternoon, in protest against Dutch fossil fuel subsidies.
UN advises against offsets for carbon removal technologies
29 May 2023
Billions of dollars are pouring into tech-based solutions to suck carbon dioxide from the atmosphere but the UNFCCC says they are unproven and pose unknown risks.
Irish farmers convert ocean carbon to fertiliser via seaweed
26 May 2023
UK start-up Carbon Kapture has joined forces with Irish shellfish farmers to launch a seaweed farm, absorbing CO₂ and enriching soil with converted biochar.
France bans short-haul flights in effort to fight climate change
25 May 2023
France has formally banned domestic flights on short routes that can be covered by train in less than two-and-a-half hours in a move aimed at reducing airline emissions.
Climate change: Ministers lack urgency on flood risks, critics say
23 May 2023
Welsh ministers have been accused of lacking urgency on flood risks due to climate change, after postponing planning rule changes twice.
Italy's Deadly Floods: Climate Change's All-Or-Nothing Weather Extremes
23 May 2023
In a changing climate, more rain is coming, but it’s falling on fewer days in less useful and more dangerous downpours.
Norway under pressure to scale back fossil fuel expansion plans
19 May 2023
The Norwegian government is facing growing pressure to scale back its huge global fossil fuel expansion plans – including the development of a controversial new oilfield in the North Sea.
Meteorologists are the new targets in global social media misinformation
16 May 2023
Once trusted faces on the news, meteorologists now brave threats, insults and slander online from conspiracy theorists and climate change deniers who accuse them of faking or even fixing the weather.
Ukraine’s already planning its green rebuilding
16 May 2023
Ukrainian activists, scientists and architects are pushing for a postwar recovery unlike any in history, with a focus on climate resilience and clean energy.
Paris agreement’s police force begins with rebuke to Vatican
15 May 2023
A committee set up to pressure governments into complying with the Paris Agreement has issued its first warnings, rebuking the Vatican City for not submitting a climate plan.
EU Parliament advances methane reduction with Fit for 55 legislation
12 May 2023
The new initiative is designed to help the EU achieve its climate goals and improve air quality.
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.
