EU
UN climate conference 2018 heads to heartland of Polish coal
Katowice, home to the largest coal company in the EU, will host the pivotal 2018 climate talks
EU climate laws undermined by Polish and Czech revolt, documents reveal
As the world looks to the EU for leadership on climate, eastern states are diluting laws supposed to guide Europe toward its carbon reduction targets
G7 leaders walk fine line between Trump and Paris deal
As G7 leaders meet in Italy, can they reaffirm their commitment to action on climate change without driving the US out of the Paris accord?
France lobbied EU to cut forests without counting climate impact
Campaigners are calling on newly appointed environment minister Nicolas Hulot to reverse course and close carbon accounting loophole
France set for ‘massive’ renewables boom under president Macron
Emmanuel Macron’s picks for prime minister and environment minister support rapid expansion of clean energy
Dutch university contracts gave Shell influence over curriculum, students
Report reveals Shell’s contracts with the Rotterdam School of Management that gave it power over the school’s core educational functions
Africa clean energy row continues in Bonn
African leaders are no-one’s “puppet”, says head of the African group of climate negotiators, after $10bn scheme was said to have been hijacked by the EU
Emmanuel Macron vows climate action as French president
Centrist candidate supports a coal phase-out by 2022, carbon price rise and trade sanctions on polluting countries, but needs a parliamentary mandate to deliver
EU countries have brought in $1bn of coal subsidies since Paris
In the shift to renewables, several member states are paying coal generators to be available for back-up power
EU must stop trying to dictate Africa’s clean energy future
Strong-arm tactics by the European Commission and France to bypass African leadership are unacceptable, writes Mohamed Adow
EU, France accused of hijacking ‘Africa-led’ clean energy scheme
African head of $10bn programme quits, saying French environment minister Ségolène Royal intervened to impose EU-preferred projects
UK foreign office cut climate staff in half under Tory government
Labour says the 46% reduction in foreign office climate jobs since it was in power is “staggering” and a sign the government is not serious about the issue
UK set for first coal-free work day since pre-industrial times
Britain is expected to be coal-free on Friday, reports National Grid, as the power sector shifts to cleaner sources of supply
Energy efficiency becomes breakthrough issue in French election
All five leading candidates in France’s presidential election have made prominent energy efficiency pledges, now UK Labour have followed suit
EU should block Nord Stream 2 on climate grounds
Planned gas pipeline from Russia undermines long-term EU energy security and climate goals, writes Marcin Stoczkiewicz
Balkans are gambling on coal as EU utilities opt out
Eurelectric members have pledged to build no new coal power stations from 2020. So why do firms in Serbia and Bosnia still think they can make coal pay?
Azerbaijan president: gas pipeline to EU will not be stopped
Environmental protests against the $46bn Southern Gas Corridor are baseless, says Ilham Aliyev, who expects to begin exporting gas through the pipeline by 2018
G7 fails to agree Paris climate statement as US turns spoiler
All G7 nations, except the US, expressed support for the Paris climate accord, but the Trump administration did back an end to fossil fuel subsidies
Indonesia calls EU palm oil fuel ban ‘discriminatory’, ‘protectionist’
Indonesia’s foreign ministry has slammed the EU’s proposed ban on palm oil in biofuels
Dutch coal plant lost €800m in value last year
Power stations opened in 2015 are losing value fast, amid falling EU electricity demand and surging renewable generation