Europe

Hungary tells Brussels to frack off

Wednesday - Budapest prefers to bet on a major gas fracking project near its border with Romania instead of following Brussels' drive to replace fossil fuels with renewables.

Germany likely to miss 2030 climate target, government advisers say

7 Feb 25 - Germany will probably fail to achieve its 2030 climate targets unless significant policy changes are implemented, government climate advisers said in a study released on Wednesday.

Swiss government approves new climate goals after court rebuke

31 Jan 25 - Switzerland's government on Wednesday approved new climate targets, proposing a cut in greenhouse gas emissions by 2035 of at least 65% compared to 1990 levels.

Let's kill the Green Deal together, far-right leader urges EU's conservatives

29 Jan 25 - Jordan Bardella thinks he can convince the European People's Party to suspend EU climate legislation.

Switzerland sets the bar with corporate carbon removal milestone targets

29 Jan 25 - The Climate and Innovation Act has set a groundbreaking precedent by mandating net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. This month, the Act gained momentum with new guidance for corporate Net-Zero Roadmaps and a groundbreaking mandate to ramp up carbon removal efforts.

How the Mafia is weaponising wildfires

28 Jan 25 - Thousands of wildfires tear through southern Italy every year, fueled by scorching temperatures and the hot, dry, sirocco winds that sweep in from the Sahara. The climate crisis is pouring gasoline on these blazes, but the Mafia may be lighting the spark, according to new research.

US climate denial group working with European far-right parties

27 Jan 25 - Climate science deniers from a US-based thinktank have been working with rightwing politicians in Europe to campaign against environmental policies.

Russia suffering 'environmental catastrophe' after oil spill in Kerch Strait

27 Jan 25 - Satellite images reviewed by BBC Verify have shown a major oil slick spreading across the Kerch Strait that separates Russia from annexed Crimea, a month after two oil tankers were badly damaged in...

EU’s solar and wind growth pushes fossil-fuel power to lowest level in 40 years

24 Jan 25 - Over the past decade, coal power use in the European Union (EU) has fallen by 61%, according to new figures from energy analysts Ember.

Dutch court orders government to meet pollution reduction targets or face millions in fines

24 Jan 25 - A Dutch court on Wednesday ordered the country’s government to meet its own goals for reducing overall nitrogen emissions by 2030, a decision that could have major economic and political consequences.

European leaders at Davos vow to stick to Paris climate agreement despite Trump’s withdrawal

23 Jan 25 - Day two of the World Economic Forum at Davos, Switzerland saw strong responses to US President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Paris climate agreement, with European leaders stating in...

Top advisers say EU should ban solar geoengineering … for now

16 Dec 24 - The bloc’s scientific advisers say the EU should push for an international treaty regulating the controversial technologies.

Greece faced 9,500 forest fires this year, says minister

13 Dec 24 - About 9,500 forest fires, including one on the outskirts of Athens, consumed nearly 44,500 hectares of land this year, Greece's hottest and driest on record, official said on Tuesday.

EU’s new energy chief vows to end Russian fuel ties for good

13 Dec 24 - Momentum for quitting Moscow’s revenue driver has stalled. “Something new needs to happen,” Dan Jørgensen told POLITICO.

Sails make a comeback to cut shipping’s huge carbon footprint

9 Dec 24 - The international merchant fleet of more than 100,000 ships transports more than 80% of global trade. But it’s also responsible for about 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

Europe’s cruise ships produce toxic sulphur emissions equivalent to 1 billion cars, study finds

5 Dec 24 - Cruise ships are producing higher levels of toxic air pollutants than they did before the pandemic, according to a new study by the European Federation for Transport and Environment (T&E).

Spain’s new ‘climate leave’ gives workers four days off during extreme weather

2 Dec 24 - The law on paid leave protects the rights of workers not to go to work in the event of catastrophes or climate-related weather alerts that could put them in danger.

France, Germany, Sweden urge EU battery sector push to avoid China reliance

2 Dec 24 - France, Germany, and Sweden have jointly urged the forthcoming European Commission (EU) to prioritise the autonomy of the EU's battery sector to avoid over-reliance on China amid the green transition.

Europe’s Azerbaijan gas gambit is good news for Russia

22 Nov 24 - Europe keeps striking deals with Azerbaijan, even at COP29. And while it might not be Russian gas, Moscow is still likely to benefit.