World
Cop26 dream team: The people setting the climate agenda on seven key issues
From Denmark’s Dan Jørgensen to Malawi’s Nancy Tembo, here are the leaders to watch ahead of UN climate talks in Glasgow, UK
Chinese inspectors slam energy authority over coal expansion spree
In a highly critical report, officials found the National Energy Administration was promoting coal power expansion without regard for Beijing’s environmental goals
Cyclone Eloise shatters Mozambique’s progress to recover from 2019 storms
Eloise hit poor communities in central Mozambique that had barely recovered from cyclone Idai in 2019, which killed more than 1,000 people
South African campaigners push for faster coal exit in presidential commission
As president Cyril Ramaphosa launches an initiative to deliver net zero emissions, campaigners prepare to confront trade unions over coal
John Kerry promises ‘significantly’ more climate finance at adaptation summit
Presidential climate envoy John Kerry said the US would work to protect the vulnerable and make amends for a four-year absence from international climate action
EU foreign ministers call for end to financing fossil fuels abroad
EU countries are seeking to align trade and foreign investment policies with the bloc’s climate goals, promoting a global phaseout of fossil fuels
As US renews climate relations with EU and China, carbon pricing raises tensions
An EU plan to tax carbon-intensive imports could spur a race to the top between the world’s three biggest polluters – or become politically toxic
‘Gas is over’: EU bank chief signals phaseout of fossil fuel finance
The European Investment Bank provides limited support for gas under its current policy and intends to end all funding for fossil fuels before the end of the year
Joe Biden is sworn in as US president, promising climate action
“We will pass along a new and better world for our children,” says Joe Biden as he enters the White House with the biggest climate team of any president
The Biden-Harris administration can rebuild democracy and climate action
With strong business support and an experienced team of dealmakers, Biden inspires confidence he will deliver on his climate and environmental justice plan
Exclusive: Japan uses ‘environmental’ fund to finance Vietnamese coal plant
The Japan Bank for International Cooperation approved a loan to the controversial Vung Ang 2 coal project from a facility intended for “environmental preservation”
Germany’s conservative CDU picks coal industry supporter Armin Laschet as leader
The premier of Germany’s coal mining heartland could be chosen as the country’s conservative alliance candidate for chancellor in a general election in September
Keystone XL cancellation: ‘Wake-up call’ for Canada to address oil and gas blind spot
Joe Biden is set to revoke permits for the controversial Canada-US oil pipeline expansion, putting Justin Trudeau in an awkward position
Inner Mongolia pursues coal-led recovery, defying Beijing’s climate goals
China’s biggest coal-producing province, Inner Mongolia, approved power plants and industrial installations in 2020 with an annual coal demand equivalent to Germany’s
Colombia banks on forest economy to deliver climate ambition leap
Since the end of a 50-year civil war, Colombia has seen a spike in forest clearance, that the government now hopes to reverse with agroforestry initiatives
Poor and island states highlight toll of climate disasters in submissions to UN
In their updated national contributions to the Paris Agreement, vulnerable countries say they need more financial support to cope with extreme weather and rising seas
Portugal makes deal on EU climate law ‘big priority’ of its six-month presidency
Portugal aims to pass an EU 2030 climate target into law by June, says minister with a leading role in negotiations between member states and parliament
China launches world’s largest carbon market for power sector
China’s national emissions trading scheme could become a significant lever for climate action, but experts warn that it will do little to curb emissions in the short term
Russia-Ukraine dispute over Crimea spills into UN climate forum
Moscow has furiously denied Ukraine’s claim in a routine carbon accounting report that Russian annexation of the Crimea region made it hard to collect emissions data
Democrats win control of US Senate, boosting prospect of climate action
Grassroots organisers have been credited with turning out black voters in Georgia, US, to clinch two critical Senate seats that will help the Democrats deliver climate action