EU
We need a Green New Deal for Europe
A European sustainability pact, massive investments and the EU’s full regulatory power will be needed to address the climate crisis, writes Michel Barnier
EU, China agree to work together on clean energy
After a Brussels summit dominated by trade tensions, the two major powers presented a united front on climate change and clean energy
EU must back indigenous people against Bolsonaro’s attacks
Brazil’s president has slashed forest and indigenous protections in his first 100 days. As a major importer of soya and beef, the EU should check his power
Carmakers on course for $2-12bn fines for missing EU CO2 targets: Moody’s
The ratings agency warns of possible credit downgrades, while the UK’s auto lobby says ‘anti-diesel’ agenda has made targets harder to reach
French police tap counter-terrorism unit to quell climate activists
‘It’s beyond disproportion’, says group that has removed 27 portraits of Emmanuel Macron from town halls, as ‘green scare’ spreads in Europe
Slovakian president-elect is a green campaigner who will fight coal subsidies
‘Slovakia’s Erin Brockovich’ Zuzana Čaputová will promote a green jobs agenda against the country’s traditional backing of heavy industry
‘Laggard’ Ireland takes step toward net-zero carbon goal
A cross-party parliamentary group wants carbon budgets, a higher tax and green agriculture support to reverse the country’s lax policies
UK MPs propose Green New Deal bill
A private members bill would compel the UK government to decarbonise the economy and “eradicate inequality”
China’s Xi backs climate-friendly finance on Europe tour
Xi made common cause with Emmanuel Macron on climate change, amid multi-billion dollar business deals on a 6-day visit to Europe
Southeast Europeans ignore EU rules with €2.4bn coal subsidies
The EU’s Energy Community neighbours ‘systematically turn a blind eye’ to its state aid rules, a report by the secretariat finds
EU leaders’ draft statement dismays climate campaigners
At a council meeting expected to be dominated by the UK’s attempts to leave the EU, leaders are expected to ignore recent pressure to raise the bloc’s climate targets
‘We were ecologists before the capitalists’: the gilets jaunes and climate justice
France’s worst civil unrest in decades was sparked by an anti-pollution tax, but are the gilets jaunes fighting against climate action?
UK and Italy bid for 2020 climate talks, amid political uncertainty for both
Both countries face potential general elections and economic problems before the crucial Cop26 meeting and the UK may still be in a Brexit imbroglio
Germany ready to join global coal phase-out alliance: environment minister
Now its coal commission has recommended a 2038 exit date, Germany can join a global alliance to end coal burning, Svenja Schulze tells Taz newspaper
Belfast’s bid to join UK environment law raises post-Brexit border issues
Adding Northern Ireland to the environment law adds pressure on London to keep its regulations in step with the EU’s
Macron puts European climate bank on EU election agenda
French proponent ‘pleased’ Macron has backed a new institution, although the president’s support was left deliberately vague, said a government official
New UK green watchdog to be based on EU system, says Gove
‘Whatever else are the defects of the EU – that is a good working model,’ the environment secretary told MPs
Burning wood for power breaches EU treaty, new lawsuit claims
Plaintiffs from six European countries and the US argue biomass does more harm than good and should be not be counted as a renewable energy source
French experts propose trillion-euro EU climate finance pact
Economist Pierre Larrouturou and climate scientist Jean Jouzel are leading a call to mobilise funds on a large scale, backed by more than 600 political figures
German climate law draft calls for net-zero emissions by 2050
The environment ministry is calling to hike the target to 95% and ensure that any remaining emissions are removed