Environment

EU invests more than €100 million in new projects to promote a green and climate-neutral Europe

The European Commission announced an investment of €101.2 million for the latest projects under the LIFE programme for the Environment and Climate Action. The funding will support 10 large-scale environment…

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Poland to return 220 tonnes of waste to UK

More than 220 tonnes of ‘illegally exported’ waste found in a warehouse in Poland is to be returned to the UK, according to a statement from Polish police. The return…

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Every child in England to be offered bicycle training

The British government has announced all children in England will be taught the skills for a lifetime of cycling, as its Bikeability training programme is significantly expanded. The commitment will…

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2020: the year for action, to ‘rise up’ and safeguard ocean life

With the ocean in deep crisis, members of civil society and philanthropic organisations are urging governments and corporations to take bold action to safeguard the ocean. After a two-day preparatory meeting in New York ahead of June’s UN Ocean…

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Dozens of koalas found dead on Australia logging plantation

Dozens of koalas have been found dead or injured at a timber plantation in the Australian state of Victoria, sparking an investigation by officials. Blue gum trees - an important…

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Pakistan declares national emergency over locust swarms

Pakistan's government declared a national emergency on Saturday in response to swarms of desert locusts in the eastern part of the country. Prime Minister Imran Khan made the emergency…

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EU to help tackle air pollution in Kosovo with €76.4 million

As part of his first visit to Kosovo, the European Union’s High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell will launch today a major EU-financed project to improve the environmental performance of the “Kosovo…

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Warning world is “rapidly approaching” a dangerous level of warming

The current record for the hottest year is likely to be broken again within the next five years, the British Met Office said. As it stands, the hottest year on…

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42 Global Organizations Agree on Guiding Principles for Batteries to Power Sustainable Energy Transition

Batteries will be a major driver in reducing the carbon footprint of the transport and power sectors through the use of electric vehicles and renewable energy. To help companies and…

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Microsoft Announces $1 Billion Climate Innovation Fund, Microsoft to be carbon negative by 2030

Microsoft has just announced an ambitious goal and a new plan to reduce and ultimately remove Microsoft’s carbon footprint. Microsoft this week launched an initiative to use its technology to…

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Serbia strives to address air pollution

Following ombudsman Zoran Pašalić’s decision to start the review of the work of the Ministry of Environmental Protection of Serbia and six municipal authorities due to air pollution, the…

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Study suggests platypus in Australia could soon be extinct

A study by the University of New South Wales released by on 20 January 2020 and published in the Biological Conservation journal suggests that platypus could be extinct, depending on…

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Malaysia refuses plastic waste from rich countries

Malaysia has sent back 150 containers of plastic waste to 13 mainly rich countries since the third quarter last year, with the environment minster warning on Monday that those who…

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China to ban plastic bags and other plastic items

China, one of the world's biggest users of plastic, has unveiled a major plan to reduce single-use plastics across the country. Non-degradable bags will be banned in major cities by…

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Microsoft pledges to be ‘carbon negative’ within ten years

Microsoft is making a series of compelling commitments to reduce and ultimately reverse the damage that its business is causing to the environment. The company is already working to compensate…

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Improving circular economy practices in the construction sector key to increasing material reuse, high quality recycling

Construction and demolition waste makes up just over one third of total waste generation in the EU. Despite relatively high recovery rates of used materials, Europe’s construction sector will need…

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Experts say Mediterranean Sea altered by Suez Canal’s invasive species

As Egypt marks the 150th anniversary of the opening of the Suez Canal, marine biologists are bemoaning one of the famed waterway’s lesser known legacies — the invasion of hundreds…

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Air pollution emergency in Rome

Rome's smog emergency intensified on Tuesday with the Lazio ARPA environmental agency reporting that readings for Pm10 small particles were above the permitted levels at eight out of 13 air-quality…

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Industry first for Colgate as it launches new vegan certified toothpaste in recyclable tube

Colgate has launched a new toothpaste which is being billed as the first of a kind because it comes in a recyclable tube. Toothpaste tubes have traditionally been impossible to…

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Polluting vehicles could be pulled from UK market

Carmakers could pull models from the UK, the automotive industry has warned, as the British taste for polluting vehicles clashes with the difficulty of meeting post-Brexit carbon dioxide limits. Under…

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Swiss welcomed the New Year with environmentally-friendly fireworks

Several cities in Switzerland held more environmentally-friendly fireworks displays - or none at all - to see in the New Year. In Basel, the number of fireworks were reduced…

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600-gallon oil spill causes emergency in Galapagos

Emergency teams in the Galapagos Islands are working to contain a 600-gallon oil spill after a cargo vessel overturned while being loaded with containers early Sunday, local officials said on…

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Photo Story: Pollution in Pristina

A face mask is placed on the St. Teresa statue during a smog and heavy air pollution in the morning in Pristina, Kosovo, 19 December 2019. Air pollution in…

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Desert crops in Saudi Arabia thrive as the aquifer shrinks

A handout photo made available by NASA Earth Observatory of a satellite image showing the spread of agriculture around the town of Wadi ad-Dawasir, Saudi Arabia, 26 April 2017 (issued…

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Thousands of serious offences related to marine pollution exposed in global operation

A global law enforcement operation involving 61 countries has identified thousands of illicit activities behind severe marine pollution as well as hundreds of violations and exposed serious cases of contamination…

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First Drone Project of Its Kind in Canada is Aiming to Plant 1 Billion Trees by 2028

A Canadian tech company is aiming to plant 1 billion trees by 2028—and they plan on achieving their goal with drones. Toronto-based startup Flash Forest is using a fleet of…

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Scientists warn Europe to do more to protect its rivers and lakes

More than 5,500 scientists have signed an open letter saying that Europe is facing a severe threat to its freshwater biodiversity and must do more to protect its rivers and…

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British school bans children from sending Christmas cards to protect the environment

A British primary school headteacher is in the centre of a controversy after banning pupils from sending Christmas cards. Jonathan Mason, head of Belton Lane Primary School in Grantham, Lincolnshire,…

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MEPs call for a reduction in pesticides to protect bees

Further reducing use of pesticides, more funds for research and better monitoring are urgently needed to save the EU’s bees, says the Environment Committee. The Environment, Public Health and Food…

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Survey reveals more than half of EU consumers have environmental impact in mind when shopping

The European Commission released its 2019 edition of the Consumer Conditions Scoreboard. It shows that the overall gap in consumer conditions is narrowing between the different regions of the EU;…

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Single use plastic retail bags to be phased out of LEGO Stores in 2020

The LEGO Group announced that it will phase out plastic retail bags in all LEGO® Stores globally in 2020. The move, which is part of the LEGO Group’s ambition to…

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Greek Parliament to invest 3 million euros in becoming energy efficient

The Greek Parliament has put up for a bid a two-year plan to improve the energy efficiency of the building. The institution decided to boost its efforts in tackling climate…

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The last Sumatran rhino in Malaysia dies, less than 80 left in the world

Wildlife officials in Malaysia are mourning the death of Iman, the country's last Sumatran rhino. The female rhino, who was estimated to be about 25 years old, died Saturday at…

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Coldplay will not be touring due to concerns over their concerts’ environmental impact

Coldplay will not be touring to promote their latest album due to concerns over their concerts' environmental impact, BBC reports. "We're taking time to see how our tour can be actively beneficial,"…

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Throwing cigarette butts on the streets of Brussels to be punished by €200 fine

In the Belgian capital, Plan Filters, an awareness initiative from the Alderman for Public Cleanliness in Brussels, Zoubida Jellab, has kicked off this week. The campaign has to make people…

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Pope considering adding ‘sin against ecology’ to Church’s catechism

Speaking to a group of lawyers on Friday, Pope Francis said that the Catholic Church is contemplating the introduction of “ecological sin” to the compendium of Church teaching. “We have…

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Greek-flagged tanker believed to be source of Brazil oil spill

Brazilian officials suspect a Greek-flagged tanker was the source of an oil spill that has stained about 2,500km of Brazil's coastline. The spill was first detected on 2 September, and…

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Decline of insects in Germany is ‘frightening’, scientists warn

The decline of insects in German forests and grassland is "frightening" particularly in the vicinity of intensively farmed land, scientists have warned. An international research team led by scientists from…

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Nestlé, Pepsi and Coca Cola remain among top plastic polluters in the world

Nestlé, Pepsi and Coca Cola are the top 3 most identified companies in global brand audits for the second year in a row, according to a new report “BRANDED Volume…

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Levels of micro-plastics are rising across the Mediterranean Sea, new study shows

Levels of microplastics are rising across the Mediterranean Sea, according to marine biologists who have spent six years studying the scale of the problem. Euronews reports that a lot of plastic…

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Vast oil spill hits dozens of beaches in Brazil

Brazilian officials are investigating the source of a vast oil spill that has hit dozens of beaches along the country's north-eastern coast. Analysis showed the oil found was of a…

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Cannes to ban polluting cruise ships from its harbour

Mediterranean resort town Cannes, France's fourth-biggest cruise ship port, will ban the most polluting cruise ships from next year in a bid to boost air quality in the city. The…

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Obama meets Greta Thunberg

Barack Obama praised Greta Thunberg for her activism. In a post following a meeting with her, Obama wrote "At just 16 years old, Greta Thunberg is already one of our…

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Head of UN body combating desertification appeals to restore land to save the planet, boost the economy

Investing in land restoration could not only help keep our planet healthy, but also be the starting point for resolving some of the biggest issues of our time, the head of the…

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Photo Story: Satellite image of wildfires around the world

A handout released via the NASA Worldview application on 28 August 2018 shows a satellite image with the red dots indicating fires around the globe on 27 August 2019. The…

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Iceland unveils memorial plaque for lost glacier

Iceland has been commemorating the country's first glacier lost to climate change, with a memorial plaque warning of the effects of global warming being installed at the site. Icelandic officials, activists…

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Monaco: One of Europe’s smallest nations is going green

The Principality of Monaco is one of Europe's smallest nations, and indeed 20% of the country has been reclaimed from the sea. A new reclamation project is under way at…

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Towards environmental protection as a human right through new UN agreement

The UN environment agency and human rights office (OHCHR) signed a landmark new agreement on Friday aimed at better protecting vulnerable human and environmental rights defenders and their families, while…

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Germany plans to ban use of plastic bags

Germany plans a law to ban the use of plastic bags because voluntary agreements with retailers to curb usage have not yielded good enough results, Environment Minister Svenja Schulze said.…

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Elections in Poland to be held on October 13

Polish president's office confirmed on Tuesday that the country will hold its parliamentary election on October 13, which most pollsters expect the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party to win…

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Humanity has already consumed more than the planet can sustainably produce in one year

With just five months left in 2019, humanity has already consumed more than the planet can sustainably produce in one year. Over the past 20 years, Earth Overshoot Day has…

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Campaigners say supermarket fridges should be closed as they total one per cent of all UK electricity

Supermarket fridges should be closed, campaigners have said, as it emerges that the appliances use up one per cent of all UK electricity. Most shops use open fridges, which use…

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Think the heatwave was bad? Climate already hitting key tipping points

As Europe just went through one of the worst heatwaves on record and other parts of the world are suffering adverse effects of the climate, Reuters correspondent Matthew Green writes…

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Man’s first step on the moon should spark desire for greater goals – dignity for the weak, more justice among peoples, and more future for our common home – Pope Francis

“Fifty years ago, yesterday”, Pope Francis said on Sunday, “Man set foot on the moon, achieving an extraordinary dream.” Addressing the crowd gathered in St Peter’s Square for the Angelus…

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