Europe

Greens big winners in European elections

Thursday - The Greens have been the big winners at the weekend elections by attracting new voters in Belgium, Luxembourg and Bavaria.

Change ‘laboratories’ open up in EU

Thursday - Stark warnings from the United Nations ahead of a make-or-break summit in Poland in December have propelled climate change up the political agenda in Europe.

‘Disappointed’ EU ministers agree on CO2 cuts

12 Oct 18 - Some EU environment ministers admitted they were disappointed with the outcome after they voted to agree on a 35 per cent cut in car and van CO2 emission for 2030.

Dutch court shoots down government appeal

11 Oct 18 - The Dutch government must stick to a tougher climate target, after an appeals judge upheld a historic court ruling.

Protesters celebrate German forest's reprieve

8 Oct 18 - Thousands of demonstrators have descended on Germany’s Hambach forest to celebrate an unexpected court victory over a coal mine.

Denmark ban plan includes hybrid cars

5 Oct 18 - Denmark has proposed a ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030 and hybrid from 2035.

MEPs vote for 40% cut in car emissions by 2030

4 Oct 18 - MEPs have voted for a 40 per cent cut in car emissions by 2030, in a rebuke to more cautious proposals by the European commission that signals tough negotiations with national governments ahead.

Paris builds zero-carbon future with a conscience

4 Oct 18 - Paris is pioneering an “eco-district” aimed at slashing emissions while also providing affordable housing.

German official backs clearing forest for coal mine

4 Oct 18 - Controversial plans to chop down a German forest to build a coal mine should proceed because Germany needs the polluting fuel to keep the lights on, according to a senior official.

Climate proposals terrify Polish unionists

26 Sep 18 - Polish trade unionists see EU and international climate action as terrifying and a threat to their way of life.

Rubbish is powering Sweden’s electricity and buses

26 Sep 18 - At a power plant in Sweden, a municipal government company is burning rubbish to turn waste into energy.

Switzerland's 'eternal' snow is melting faster

24 Sep 18 - Parts of Europe’s alpine mountain chain are undergoing accelerating melting, as the “eternal” Swiss snow thaws ever faster, threatening both the skiing industry and the nation’s water supply.

Business lobby plans to veto EU emissions cuts

21 Sep 18 - A leaked memo shows that BusinessEurope is preparing to resist a stronger EU 2030 emissions target, ahead of the climate summit in Poland later this year.

Dutch recycling plant does the 'impossible'

21 Sep 18 - A Netherlands recycling plant is doing what many in the industry have labelled impossible - recycling household packaging and making a financial success of it.

France plans to go big on bikes

19 Sep 18 - France plans to launch a major endeavour to triple the amount of cyclists on its streets within the next seven years.

Europe must cut meat and dairy by 2050, says expert

17 Sep 18 - Europe’s animal farming sector has exceeded safe bounds for greenhouse gas emissions, nutrient flows and biodiversity loss, and urgently needs to be scaled back, according to a new report.

Court orders Frankfurt to ban diesels

14 Sep 18 - The German city of Frankfurt has received a court-ordered ban on diesel after regularly exceeding pollution limits.

Europe air pollution killing 1000 a day

13 Sep 18 - Governments are failing to tackle an air pollution crisis that causes 1000 early deaths a day, says a damning EU report.

End nuclear power war, says France’s new minister

12 Sep 18 - France’s new environment minister François de Rugy is calling for an end to what he called the “religious war” on nuclear power and pleading for a more pragmatic approach to environmental policy.