Big polluters funnel 75% of profits to shareholders, not clean energy
Research by Friends of the Earth found that Europe’s top high-carbon firms have handed shareholders most of their profits in the last 13 years – now they want public handouts
FAO draft report backs growth of livestock industry despite emissions
Experts say the UN’s food agency has shied away from recommending less animal farming, though cutting methane emissions is a quick way to curb warming
Despite dilution, officials say new nature law can restore EU carbon sinks
To meet climate goals, the European Union needs to reverse the decline of its carbon-storing ecosystems like forests and peatlands
Eastern Europe turns to private sector as EU clean energy budget cut
Czech officials warn the loss of EU structural funds and carbon market revenues leave a funding gap for renewable and energy efficiency projects
Macron: EU ‘mad’ to do trade deal with US after Paris climate withdrawal
‘I’m not in favour of showing any softness to those who decide to break those rules,’ the French president said about the deal struck in his capital in 2015
Tokyo 2020 Olympics confirms use of rainforest timber in stadium build
Admission prompts calls for transparency over Tokyo 2020 supply chain with timber sourced from deforestation hotspot
Documents reveal UK push to water down EU biomass regulations
Brexit-bound UK won big concessions for power stations that burn wood, while new research claims the technology will undermine carbon cuts for half a century
EU, US business lobbies seek closer access to UN climate talks
Business Europe and the US Council for International Business are calling for a direct channel to influence the review process for national climate targets
Poland to put ‘common sense’ over climate ambition as host of critical UN talks
In exclusive interviews, Poland’s climate chief said “calls for ambition bring nothing” while the environment ministry refused to back science on cause of climate change
Forest watchdog calls for protection of Estonia’s pagan heritage
A board member of Estonias Forest Stewardship Council is threatening to strip “sustainable” certification from timber felled near sacred sites
Logging surge threatens a quarter of Estonia’s forest, warn conservationists
Baltic state lobbied for flexibilities in EU rules to enable a dramatic increase in forestry, turning its thriving woodland into a net emitter of carbon by 2030
US ‘no position’ on how much humans are changing climate, says Trump envoy
George David Banks speaks with Arthur Neslen about keeping the US in the Paris deal, morale in the state department and why he said he didn’t know what 2C means
German Greens reveal coal phase-out red line for joining government
The Green Party will only join a coalition promising to close at least 7GW of coal power capacity by 2020, its lawmakers say, as Germany likely faces another election
Macron: France will replace US funding for UN climate science
French president said Europe must step into the leadership role the US had abandoned, while Angela Merkel struggled with Germany’s political uncertainty
Trump’s climate official: ‘I actually don’t know what 2C means’
The US came to sell fossil fuels as a solution to climate change, but were interrupted by protests as the divided US arrived in Bonn
Bloomberg demands seat at UN climate negotiating table for cities and states
UN special envoy says non-state actors can deliver US carbon-cutting pledge despite president Donald Trump’s hostility to climate action
Coal deals ‘very possible’ as US holds industry event at UN climate talks
Ghana and Ukraine are among countries for whom the presence of the US coal industry at UN talks in Bonn is opportunity to strike energy deals
Syria to join Paris Agreement, isolating US
Syria will sign the Paris climate deal, it announced at UN talks in Bonn, meaning the deal includes every nation, for now
Polish coal cash grab attacked by UK, France, Germany
No support for coal, say several EU nations, as Poland asks for billions generated through emissions trading scheme for its ageing plants
Juncker’s ‘Rasputin’ moved to weaken EU electric car push – sources
Martin Selmayr, the powerful Brussels chief of staff, ordered commissioners to drop sanctions that would punish carmakers for missing proposed electric vehicle targets
Supersonic, super-rich, super-polluting: the next generation of business jets
Hundreds of extra fast jets could be flying over Europe within ten years, but documents show the EU preparing to cede oversight of their huge CO2 emissions
EU bank to decide huge public loan to Europe’s biggest fossil fuel project
Experts refute EU claim that 3,500km gas pipeline from Azerbaijan is necessary for energy security, amid alarm over corruption and human rights issues
Anger at EU climate chief’s suggestion US can backtrack on Paris
EU commissioner has signalled that the US can downgrade its pledge to the Paris deal, but poor countries say such an act would “undermine global solidarity”
China, EU and Canada to take lead on climate at Montreal meeting
New partners move to take on global climate leadership at meeting in Canada this weekend as US influence declines