Climate Change

EU leaders tussle over emissions target in climate change talks

A meeting of European Union leaders on Tuesday could end without a declaration on how to meet the bloc's new goal to cut greenhouse gas emissions due to differences over its upcoming overhaul…

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EU leaders to debate who will pay for the green transition

European Union leaders meet on Tuesday to debate how to split the efforts and costs of the bloc's shift to a low-carbon future, at a summit that will set the…

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In climate push, G7 agrees to stop international funding for coal

The world’s seven largest advanced economies agreed to stop international financing of coal projects that emit carbon by the end of this year, and phase out such support for all…

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UAE asks to host 2023 UN climate change conference

The United Arab Emirates has asked to host the COP 28 international conference on climate change in 2023, Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan said on Sunday. The…

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Maritime shipping to fall short of net zero emissions target – IEA

The maritime shipping industry will fall short of achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions (NZE) by 2050, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said in a report. The shipping industry is…

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European climate group says EU needs far tougher van CO2 targets

The European Union needs to dramatically toughen weak CO2 targets for commercial vans to spur a shift to electric models and phase out fossil-fuel sales entirely by 2035, European campaign…

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Britain to treble tree planting by 2024 to fight climate change

Britain said it planned to treble tree planting rates over the next three years to help reach its target of net zero carbon emissions by 2050, as part of efforts…

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Spain logged hottest year on record in 2020

Spain experienced its hottest year on record last year, the Environment Ministry said on Friday, a day after parliament passed a landmark bill to combat climate change. In a year…

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U.S. wants pope to attend climate conference, sway debate

Pope Francis has the moral authority to sway public opinion over global warming and might attend the United Nations’ Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Scotland, U.S. President Joe Biden’s climate…

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David Attenborough named COP26 People’s Advocate ahead of key climate summit

Britain has tasked naturalist David Attenborough with inspiring action to tackle the issue of climate change as its People’s Advocate ahead of the United Nations’ Climate Change Conference (COP26) in…

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Carbon emissions drop across Europe in 2020 – Eurostat

Carbon emissions from use of fossil fuels fell across the European Union last year, the bloc’s statistics office estimated, citing COVID-19 restrictions that shut down travel and factories across the…

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French banks told to speed up response to climate change

French banks and insurers should speed up their response to climate change, France's banking regulator said, after publishing what it called the world's first climate-related stress test of banks. Other…

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EU sets plan to promote rapid green transition of key industries

The European Union aims to help industries slash greenhouse gas emissions by promoting a rapid expansion of investment in low-carbon technologies, partly through schemes with easier state aid rules, according…

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Activist Greta Thunberg says global leaders still in denial over climate

Politicians, including Sweden's leaders, are still in denial over the threat from climate change, environmental activist Greta Thunberg said this week after meeting Sweden's Prime Minister Stefan Lofven. "We climate…

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Malta: Country is becoming too dry to support its habitat, experts warn

December to February this year saw more than double last winter’s rainfall at 141mm compared to the super low 66.8mm, but it was still way below climactic norms, according to…

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White House backs 2030 milestone on path to net zero grid

he White House hopes to capitalize on growing support from U.S. utilities, unions and green groups for a national clean energy mandate by backing efforts to require the U.S. grid to get 80%…

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Ursula von der Leyen meets U.S. President Biden at Leaders Climate Summit

Yesterday, President von der Leyen participated in the Leaders Climate Summit hosted by U.S. President Joe Biden, for Earth Day. Welcoming the U.S. back to the fight against climate change, the President…

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U.S., other countries deepen climate goals at Earth Day summit

The United States and other countries hiked their targets for slashing greenhouse gas emissions at a global climate summit hosted by President Joe Biden, an event meant to resurrect U.S.…

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Taiwan begins to plan for zero emissions by 2050

Taiwan has begun to assess how it can reach zero emissions by 2050, President Tsai Ing-wen said on Thursday, after green groups criticised the government for not doing enough to…

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U.S. pledges to halve its emissions by 2030 in renewed climate fight

The Biden administration on Thursday pledged to slash U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by 50%-52% from 2005 levels by 2030, a new target it hopes will spur other big emitter countries…

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UPDATED: EU scientists report 2020 was Europe’s hottest year on record

Europe experienced its hottest year on record last year, while the Arctic suffered a summer of extreme wildfires partly due to low snow cover as climate change impacts intensified, the…

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Bill Gates, dozens of world leaders to attend Biden climate summit

Bill Gates will address a climate summit hosted by President Joe Biden this week and nearly all of the 40 world leaders that were invited have confirmed they will attend,…

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Xi to attend Biden’s climate change summit in first meeting of two leaders

China's President Xi Jinping will attend a U.S.-led climate change summit on Thursday at the invitation of President Joe Biden, in the first meeting between the two leaders since the…

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UPDATED: EU reaches provisional deal on 55% greenhouse gas cut by 2030

The European Union clinched a deal in the early hours of Wednesday on a climate change law that commits the bloc to more than halving its net greenhouse gas emissions…

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Malta launches national campaign on climate change

Malta is at high risk for impacts of climate change, and this requires ambitious action and collective change. This is not a simple educational campaign, but a call for a…

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UN warns of climate ‘abyss’ as 2020 confirmed as one of 3 hottest years on record

2020 was one of the three hottest years on record, marked by wildfires, droughts, floods and melting glaciers, a United Nations report said on Monday, prompting the U.N. Secretary-General to say the world stands "on the verge of…

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U.S. must halve emissions to galvanize global climate action – UN chief

United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres wants the United States to commit this week to at least halving its greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 -- a move he said could…

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Big business seeks unified, market-based approaches ahead of climate summit

orate executives and investors say they want world leaders at next week's climate summit to embrace a unified and market-based approach to slashing their carbon emissions. The request reflects the…

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China, U.S. agree on need for stronger climate commitments

China and the United States agree that stronger pledges to fight climate change should be introduced before a new round of international talks at the end of the year, the…

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Seven European countries to halt export finance for fossil fuels

Seven European countries, including Germany, France and Britain, will commit on Wednesday to stop public export guarantees for fossil fuel projects, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said. Coal, oil…

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Climate change shrinks marine life richness near equator: study

During some summers, as the Caribbean water temperatures climb, the luminous coral colonies of gold, green and blue that ring the island nation of Cuba give way to patches of…

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Nine EU advisers threaten walkout over sustainable finance row

Nine members of the expert group advising the European Union on its sustainable finance rules have threatened to step down if Brussels pushes ahead with plans that they say would…

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Peripheral countries, islands should get more support in fighting climate change, EP says

The European Parliament stressed the need to better support the territories most affected by the transition towards climate neutrality, notably outermost regions and small islands, which have specific needs. Such…

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Italy plans to cut carbon emissions by around 60% by 2030

Italy plans to cut its carbon emissions by around 60% by 2030 after using 80 billion euros ($96 billion) of EU funds for energy transition in the next five years,…

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Citizens’ Dialogue: Executive Vice-President Timmermans discusses grassroots climate action under the European Climate Pact

Tomorrow, Executive Vice-President Timmermans will meet online with representatives of various youth associations, citizens and Climate Pact Ambassadors from Spain as part of a Citizens' Dialogue series focused on individual action against…

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EU bets on data to prepare for climate change impacts

The European Commission on Wednesday said it would create an arsenal of data tools to anticipate and adapt to the increasing impacts of climate change. As European Union countries attempt…

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It is official: U.S. back in the Paris climate club

The United States officially re-joined the Paris climate agreement on Friday, reinvigorating the global fight against climate change as the Biden administration plans drastic emissions cuts over the next three…

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Bill Gates warns that manufacturing could challenge climate goals

Bill Gates exudes optimism in discussing the world’s ability to tackle climate change – until he hits on manufacturing. About that, he is worried. There is currently no way to…

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France leads calls on EU to quit energy treaty – FT

Financial Times - France is leading calls so the EU calls quits an international energy treaty that gives multinationals the power to sue governments, with critics calling the agreement a serious…

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EU climate change plans will ripple through foreign policy, researchers say

BRUSSELS, Feb 3 (Reuters) - The European Union's goal to have zero net greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 will have "profound geopolitical repercussions," including sharply lower revenue to oil and…

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2020 ties with 2016 as world’s hottest year on record, EU climate change service says

Last year tied with 2016 as the world's warmest year on record, rounding off the hottest decade globally as the impacts of climate change intensified, the European Union's Copernicus Climate…

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EU’s landmark climate law to be finalised within months, Portugal says

Portugal will use its six-month presidency of the European Union to finalise a landmark law containing the bloc’s emissions-cutting targets, the country’s environment minister said. The bill would make the…

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From floods to locusts, ‘climate breakdown’ cost rich and poor in 2020

Disasters fuelled by weather and climate extremes brought “catastrophic results for millions” across rich and poor nations in 2020, causing thousands of deaths and tens of billions of dollars in…

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Biden unveils diverse team tasked with ambitious climate agenda

WILMINGTON, Del., Dec 19 (Reuters) - President-elect Joe Biden introduced his climate and energy team on Saturday, a history-making group that will seek to advance an ambitious climate agenda that…

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Maltese Editors’ Perspectives

Times of Malta says that electing Donald Trump as US President was a mistake. It says that democracy is both robust and fragile. The Independent says that climate change could…

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Pope commits Vatican to net zero carbon emissions by 2050

Pope Francis urged countries to work towards net zero carbon emissions and committed Vatican City - the world's smallest state - to reaching the target by 2050. Francis, who has…

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Declare states of ‘climate emergency,’ U.N. chief tells world leaders

LONDON, Dec 12 (Reuters) - World leaders should declare states of "climate emergency" in their countries to spur action to avoid catastrophic global warming, U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres said…

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Australia says it will hit 2030 emissions target without counting old carbon credits

MELBOURNE/SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia on Friday said it would achieve its 2030 carbon emissions pledge under the Paris climate agreement without counting carbon credits from overachieving on its previous climate targets, marking…

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EU leaders reach historic deal on climate targets

European Union countries struck a deal on the bloc's new climate target on Friday after haggling through the night at a summit in Brussels, pulling the political trigger on a…

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EU gets down to details in search for deal on new climate target

The European Union is offering assurances on funding for poorer members and countries' ability to choose their own energy mix, as it strives for a deal next week on a…

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2020 likely world’s second hottest year, U.N. says

This year is on track to be the second hottest on record, behind 2016, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) revealed. Five data sets currently place 2020, a year characterised by…

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New Zealand declares climate emergency, promises carbon neutral govt by 2025

New Zealand promised its public sector would become carbon neutral by 2025 as it declared a climate emergency on Wednesday, a symbolic move that critics said needed to be backed…

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Surge in greenhouse gases sustained despite COVID lockdowns – U.N.

Greenhouse gas concentrations climbed to a new record in 2019 and rose again this year despite an expected drop in emissions due to COVID-19 lockdowns, the World Meteorological Organization said…

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ECB’s Weidmann calls on central banks to address climate-related financial risks

Bundesbank President Jens Weidmann on Thursday called on the Eurosystem, which includes the European Central Bank (ECB) and the euro zone's 19 central banks, to consider climate-related financial risks before…

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2030 Climate Target Plan: Commission launches public consultations on EU renewable energy and energy efficiency directives

The Commission has launched two public consultations today on the revision of the Renewable Energy Directive and the Energy Efficiency Directive. The objective of these twelve-week consultations is to seek a wide range…

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Over €280 million in EU funding for environment, nature and climate action projects

The European Commission has approved an investment package of more than €280 million from the EU budget for over 120 new LIFE programme projects. This EU funding will trigger total investments of…

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Macron hails chance to “make our planet great again” after Biden win

French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday welcomed the prospect of U.S. President-elect Joe Biden rejoining the Paris climate accord, saying countries now had a chance to "make our planet great…

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