Environment

EU Council adopts conclusions on climate and energy diplomacy

EU Foreign Ministers have reached agreement on a numebr of Climate and Energy Diplomacy targets, with the intended objective of delivering on the external dimension of the European Green Deal. The Council recognised…

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U.S. “proud to be back” in climate fight, Kerry tells leaders

The United States is "proud to be back" in international efforts to tackle global warming, Washington's new special climate envoy John Kerry told a summit of world leaders on Monday.…

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Malta: Imports of single-use plastics banned from Friday

The ban on imports of single-use plastic products such as bags, cutlery, cotton buds, and straws will come into effect from Friday 1 January. Selling and distributing single-use plastic goods…

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WTO fails to agree rules to stop over-fishing, but will try again

World Trade Organization negotiators have failed to reach a deal by a year-end deadline to cut the subsidies that have helped decimate the world's fish stocks, but will try again next year, the…

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France plans to jail environmental offenders for 10 years under new laws

France is set to make serious intentional damage to the environment punishable by up to 10 years in prison, as part of a planned "ecocide" law, government ministers said in…

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Britain to ban new petrol cars and vans by 2030 on road to net zero emissions

Britain will move up a ban on new petrol and diesel cars and vans to 2030 and is eyeing 250,000 new jobs as part of a green industrial revolution, Prime…

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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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UK to ban sale of new diesel and petrol cars in 2030

The U.K. will move up a planned ban on the sale of new diesel and petrol cars to 2030, the Financial Times reported on Saturday, as part of the government’s plan to…

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European Investment Bank approves 1 trillion euro green plan

European Union governments approved a 1 trillion euro ($1.2 trillion) green "roadmap" for the bloc's lending arm on Wednesday that will see it stop financing fossil fuel projects and airport…

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Malta: President says development in Gozo shouldn’t take place at the cost of nature

President of Malta George Vella stressed on the importance that development in Gozo does not take place at the expense of the natural environment, which is one of the main…

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Commission proposes fishing opportunities in the Atlantic and North Sea for 2021

On Tuesday, the Commission published its proposal setting out catch limits for fish stocks in the Atlantic and the North Sea. Based on this proposal, EU fisheries ministers will set…

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Exposure to air pollution may accelerate Covid-19 deaths

Exposure to air pollution may be linked to some 15% of Covid-19 deaths worldwide, according to research published Tuesday that highlights the health risks posed by greenhouse gas emissions. Previous…

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World should look at all options to reduce emissions, Saudi energy min says

Saudi Arabia's energy minister said on Monday the world should be looking at all options to mitigate emissions of greenhouse gases in its fight against climate change, but that getting…

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Malta: FAA, ADPD’s Cacopardo and Maghtab Residents rally against incinerator

ADPD leader Carmel Cacopardo, together with Flimkien ghal-Ambjent Ahjar and residents from Bahar ic-Caghaq have submitted their objections to the Maghtab incinerator in response to the Environment Impact Assessment currently…

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Reports Japan preparing to release Fukushima’s contaminated water into sea

Nearly a decade after the Fukushima nuclear disaster, Japan’s government has decided to release contaminated water from the destroyed plant into the sea, media reports said on Friday, with a…

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€9.4 billion budget needed for new EU health programme

To fill gaps exposed by COVID-19 and ensure that health systems can face future threats to public health, an ambitious EU health programme is needed, say MEPs. On Wednesday, the…

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Europe plans greener buildings to cut emissions, fight poverty

The European Union set out plans on Wednesday to launch a wave of green building renovations across Europe to cut greenhouse gas emissions and help people struggling to pay energy…

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Pope Francis – “Pull investments from companies not committed to environment”

Pope Francis on Saturday urged people to pull investments from companies that are not committed to protecting the environment, adding his voice to calls for the economic model that emerges…

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‘Real and imminent’ extinction risk to whales

More than 350 scientists and conservationists from 40 countries have signed a letter calling for global action to protect whales, dolphins and porpoises from extinction. They say more than half…

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Top global traders push to cut shipping emissions

Some of the world's biggest commodities and energy players on Wednesday launched an initiative to cut and track emissions from the ships they charter as efforts intensify to reduce the…

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European Parliament backs a 60% EU emissions-cutting target for 2030

The European Parliament on Tuesday voted in favour of a legally binding target for the European Union to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 60% by 2030, against 1990 levels,…

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Environment: Upgrade of Single European Sky regulations on the cards

by KEITH ZAHRA The European Commission is proposing an upgrade of the Single European Sky regulatory framework which comes on the heels of the European Green Deal. The objective is…

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Food companies urge Britain to adopt tougher rules to protect tropical forests

Supermarkets, food manufacturers and restaurant chains under pressure from campaigners over their environmental impact urged Britain on Monday to strengthen a plan to stop tropical forests from being cut down…

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Concern about ‘ecological disaster’ in Russian Far East

Russia told residents to stay away from a pristine beach in the Far East due to unexplained water pollution that Greenpeace said was evidence of an “ecological disaster” and had…

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Clothes mountains build up as recycling breaks down

Clothes recycling is the pressure-release valve of fast fashion, and it's breaking under COVID-19 curbs. The multi-billion-dollar trade in second-hand clothing helps prevent the global fashion industry's growing pile of…

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Plastic straws and cotton buds banned in England from today

A delayed ban stopping businesses from handing out plastic straws, stirrers and cotton buds to customers comes into force today in England. April had been the original deadline for the…

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David Attenborough leads call for world to invest $500 bln a year to protect nature

British broadcaster David Attenborough led a call from conservation groups on Wednesday for the world to invest $500 billion a year to halt the destruction of nature, warning that the…

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Malta: Country classifies 32nd out of 166 countries on action related to sustainable development

Malta has classified 32nd out of 166 countries on action related to sustainable development. This was said by the Principal Permanent Secretary Mario Cutajar who said that work does not…

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Poland to close coal mines by 2049 in deal with unions

Poland's government struck a deal with trade unions on Friday to gradually close its coal mines by 2049, the two sides said, confirming a Reuters report. Poland generates most of…

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Australia counts record 470 stranded whales as rescue continues

Rescuers were racing against the tide on Wednesday to free whales beached off the Australian coast, with more than half the estimated 470 mammals in the country’s biggest stranding on…

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France plans for airline environmental tax to be put on hold

France is preparing to put plans for new environmental taxes on the airline sector on hold, officials said on Friday, despite a government push to speed up moves towards a…

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Comuniq.EU – Environment

by Keith Zahra EU plans to cut greenhouse emissions further is technically and economically possible A European Union plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions to 55% below 1990 levels by 2030 is…

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Concern as birds are dropping dead in the ‘hundreds of thousands’ in New Mexico

Wildlife experts in New Mexico say birds in the region are dropping dead in alarming numbers, potentially in the "hundreds of thousands." “It appears to be an unprecedented and a…

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Global net zero emissions goal would require $1-2 trillion a year investment -study

Achieving net zero emissions by mid-century would cost an estimated $1 trillion-$2 trillion a year of additional investments, or 1-1.5% of global gross domestic product, a report by the Energy…

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Photo Story: ‘Umbrella Road’ advertises car-free city center in Bad Mergentheim

Colourful umbrellas hang above a street in Bad Mergentheim, Germany, 14 September 2020. According to the city of Bad Mergentheim (Main-Tauber-Kreis), the approximately 80 colourful umbrellas hanging up are supposed…

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Malta: Malta to have a refunding system for beverage containers on a national scale

The government is concluding an agreement which will allow Malta to have a refunding system for beverage containers on a national scale. The European Commission which approved Malta’s model last…

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Whales being spotted more frequently in Thailand due to the absence of tourists

Bryde's whales have been spotted more frequently after the absence of tourists and reduction of human activities due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic which raises hopes of the marine ecosystem…

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European Commission to propose more ambitious 2030 climate goal

The European Commission will propose that the European Union sets a 2030 target of cutting its net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% against 1990 levels, according to an internal document…

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Young people highlight migration, rule of law and environment in EU debate

A survey by the National Youth Council found that EU youths would like to see stronger rule of law mechanisms, solidarity within migration crises and unanimity in future climate change…

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Scientists warn wildlife in ‘catastrophic decline’ due to human destruction

Wildlife populations have fallen by more than two-thirds in less than 50 years, according to a major report by the conservation group WWF. In its Living Planet report, the charity…

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Tackling pollution and climate change in Europe will improve health and well-being, especially for the most vulnerable

Air and noise pollution, the impacts of climate change such as heatwaves, and exposure to dangerous chemicals cause ill health in Europe. Poor quality environments contribute to 13 % (one…

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Brazil Amazon fires likely worst in 10 years

The official August data on the number of fires in Brazil’s Amazon needs to be corrected and will likely show an increase over last year, meaning that blazes surged to…

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Unilever to drop fossil fuels from cleaning products by 2030

Unilever Plc said on Wednesday it would invest 1 billion euros to eliminate fossil fuels from its cleaning products by 2030, cutting the carbon emissions created by the chemicals used…

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Malta: Person responsible for the paint marks in protected areas to be arraigned in court in the coming days.

In the coming days a person will be charged with charges related to paint marks found in protected areas. Source: One News Updated 1605pm

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Dead dolphins wash up on Mauritius shore

At least 17 dead dolphins have been found on the coast of Mauritius, prompting debates about whether a recent oil spill was to blame. Environmental campaigners say the deaths were…

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Germany tells makers of sources of litter to pay for future garbage cleaning

Germany’s Environment Minister Svenja Schulze and the country’s 1,500 local body utilities insisted Thursday the future bills should be paid by suppliers whose throwaways end up quickly littering the landscape…

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Britain to introduce legally binding environmental targets

Britain said it would bring in legally binding targets on air quality, waste reduction, biodiversity and cleaner water as part of efforts to combat climate change, improve the environment and…

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Brazil fires threaten world’s largest wetland

Flames are ravaging Brazil’s Pantanal, the world’s largest wetland, approaching the region’s main highway and threatening endangered species amid a near-record number of fires. Brazil’s national space research agency Inpe…

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Amount of plastic in the Atlantic Ocean has been ‘massively underestimated’

Estimates for the amount of plastic dumped in the Atlantic Ocean have been "massively underestimated", experts have said. There are 12-21 million tonnes of tiny plastic fragments floating in the…

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Study finds Greenland ice has shrunk beyond return

Greenland’s ice sheet may have shrunk past the point of return, with the ice likely to melt away no matter how quickly the world reduces climate-warming emissions, new research suggests.…

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Maltese Editors’ Perspectives

Today's four editorials tackle four separate aspects, from reforms in the police force to environmental concerns, and from Malta's interests to smuggling. The Times of Malta discusses again issues of…

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Microsoft commits to achieve ‘zero waste’ goals by 2030

Recognizing the urgent need to protect the world’s ecosystems and reduce the carbon emissions that come from the creation, distribution and disposal of waste, Microsoft announced its goal to achieve…

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Vatican calls for sustainable and responsible tourism

The Vatican is calling on governments and economic policy makers to promote and encourage responsible tourism, particularly in rural and remote areas. In this task, it is urging them to…

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Photo Story: The fires in Russia’s eastern Siberia from space

A handout satellite image made available by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) shows smoke plumes billowing from fires burning in the Sakha Republic (Yakutia), in the eastern Siberian…

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Photo Story: Pollution on the beaches of Barra de Tijuca, Brazil

Aerial view from a drone showing a pollution stain through the Joatinga channel towards the sea in Barra de Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. According to experts, the stain is…

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Malta: Over 60 turtle eggs hatch at Ramla l-Ħamra

Over 60 loggerhead turtle eggs have hatched at Ramla l-Ħamra overnight, in what has been the first turtle nest recorded in Gozo in the past 70 years. Source: Newsbook Updated:…

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Malta: EU to give €22 million for Malta’s second largest environmental project

The EU will be providing funds of around twenty-two (22) million euro for a project which aims at drastically reducing emissions in the Grand Harbour. Described as the second largest…

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