EU
Climate ambition hangs in balance as Europe votes
The EU’s new parliament and commission face major decisions that reach far beyond where energy comes from
Germany to miss 2030 climate goal without coal phase out
Unless action is taken across the economy, the country will miss emissions goal by wide margin, government report shows
European left eyes transatlantic Green New Deal
Proponents said their plan to commit 5% of EU GDP to climate action and ending austerity was the first step towards radical global cooperation
Germany, Italy, Poland snub call for net-zero carbon EU by 2050
Eight countries have submitted a proposal to ramp up European climate action, but not all member states are ready for increased commitment
Britain, home of the industrial revolution, ‘to end contribution to global warming’
Government advisors recommend climate target to be hiked to net-zero by 2050, a mark they said would lead the world and mobilise ambition in other countries
Climate emergency declarations spread across UK after Extinction Rebellion
Scotland, Wales and many councils have adopted the language of climate urgency, now Labour is pushing the national government to follow suit
Spain’s socialists win election with Green New Deal platform
Vote share up in mining regions after deal to transition away from coal, manifesto calls for ‘consideration of planetary limits as conditions for economic progress’
‘A town needs its self-respect’: new coal mine to open in the UK
Coal mining left Whitehaven in 1986, now it is about to return, bringing promises of jobs and division
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?