Indonesian government under pressure to stamp out toxic haze
Rampant forest fires are causing polluting smog to travel to neighbouring Malaysia and Singapore, sending air quality plummeting in Southeast Asia
Stinky seaweed chokes American coast due to hotter oceans and deforestation
Sargassum is a natural occurrence on beaches in the Caribbean but warmer waters and the use of fertilisers has seen it proliferate dramatically in recent years
Bolsonaro under fire for deforestation denial, after sacking space agency chief
The Brazilian president forced a top science official out of his job, in a move experts warned could harm the credibility of agricultural exporters
July breaks global heat record, on scorching European weather
Human-caused climate change drove heatwaves in Europe and the Arctic, with above-average temperatures also seen across Africa and Australia
Trudeau announces protected marine area in Canada’s Arctic
The designation is part of a government push for better environmental protection and reconciliation with indigenous populations
Court blocks Polish coal plant, in win for climate campaigners
Client Earth successfully challenged the Ostrołęka C project on behalf of shareholders, arguing it was a bad financial bet as renewables become competitive
Ethiopia bids to plant four billion trees in green push
The African country claims to have broken a world record by planting 350 million trees in a day, as part of a collective effort to restore lost forests
Pacific islands criticise Australia’s carbon accounting dodge
Island leaders called out the banking of old carbon credits to meet future climate goals, a trick Australia is relying on in the absence of carbon-cutting policies
Marseille airport expansion stalled on climate grounds
France’s environment authority asked the developers to show how increased flights can fit with the country’s 2050 net zero emissions target
UK carbon price to plummet under no-deal Brexit
A proposed UK tax on heavy polluters would come in at nearly half the EU carbon market price, reducing the incentive to cut emissions
164 land defenders murdered in 2018, Global Witness reports
The Philippines overtook Brazil as the most dangerous place for activists and indigenous communities, according to the human rights watchdog
Greta Thunberg to sail to New York climate summit in racing yacht
Swedish teen activist will cross the Atlantic in hurricane season by boat for a four-month tour of the Americas, rather than take a high-carbon flight
Poland faces threat of water crisis as rivers dry up
Experts warn Poland could face a serious water crisis in coming years, if the country of 38 million people fails to capture more water
European Investment Bank moots fossil fuel lending ban
The world’s largest development bank proposed a pivot to clean energy, in a draft plan for consideration by EU finance ministers in September
Former UK energy minister Claire Perry appointed Cop26 president
A champion of phasing out coal power internationally, Perry has been named to lead critical UN climate talks in 2020, which the UK expects to host
UN envoy urges India to raise climate ambition
Luis de Alba praised rapid expansion of renewable energy and pressed the government to go further, on a visit to Delhi
Zimbabweans work at night to beat hydropower shortage as drought bites
Low water levels at Kariba Dam mean power cuts lasting 16 hours a day in capital Harare, making it difficult for businesses to survive
Car boom brings gridlock misery to ‘green and happy’ Bhutan
Bhutan’s growing economy brings growing gridlock – and a potential threat to the country’s vaunted carbon-negative status
UN warned corporate courts could thwart climate efforts
Campaigners are urging reform of an obscure system that allows coal, oil and gas companies to sue governments if climate policies hit their profits
EU moots crackdown on deforestation through supply chains
The bloc is considering regulations to address the role of consumer demand for commodities like palm oil, soy and timber in driving forest clearance abroad