EU
EU energy chief flies to Tehran to talk gas supply, as US sanctions loom
As companies withdraw from deals involving Iran, fearing US sanctions, the EU scrambles to preserve growing energy cooperation
German coal phase-out commission to balance jobs with climate
Leaked strategy paper leads on jobs and calls for environmental concerns to be ‘harmonised’ with economic development
London’s ‘light touch’ regulatory hub for African oil ventures exposed
DeSmog UK investigation finds secretive companies using UK’s Alternative Investment Market to raise finance for new oil and gas projects
Fears for post-Brexit climate laws as UK green watchdog plans revealed
Post-divorce environment body will not enforce climate change regulations, says proposal, but UK lacks direct replacement for EU institutions
Fossil fuel companies should be part of UN climate process, says top Polish official
Tomasz Chruszczow said calls to exclude organisations from talks based on a conflict of interest test were not ‘very useful’
German renewables meet 100% of power demand for second time ever
Preliminary data suggests that renewable supply alone met demand for about two and a half hours on a sunny, windy public holiday on Tuesday
Russia fumes as US raises Crimea occupation during climate talks
Western allies say Russia is using UN climate talks to ‘normalise’ its claim to the peninsula, while Russia accuses them of politicising the delicate process
Seven member states push for EU to raise climate targets
Germany, France and Sweden are among the countries advocating a faster transition to a clean economy, in a critical year for strengthening ambition
Trump and Macron plant a tree in DC, but disagree on climate change
On a state visit to the US, French president Macron brought a green gift but showed no sign of convincing Trump to reconsider his rejection of the Paris Agreement
Three quarters of EU climate finance goes to middle income countries: report
The Act Alliance is calling on the EU to direct more climate finance to the most vulnerable, after finding Turkey and Ukraine were the biggest beneficiaries
UK will legislate net-zero carbon emissions target, says minister
Britain will legislate new emissions targets and order a review on bringing them in line with the Paris Agreement, minister Claire Perry announced
Africa holds EU climate agenda ransom
As a tough year of talks begins, the EU is searching for allies in a fight with China over the rules of the Paris Agreement, but Africa’s help will come at a cost
10 years of success, but the UK climate change act needs an upgrade
The pioneering piece of legislation has helped bring emissions down, but the challenges of the Paris Agreement require more ambition from the government
Europe’s coming gigafactory boom, mapped
Across Europe a wave of gigafactories are coming online, ready to meet the battery demands of a continent-wide switch to electric cars
UK MPs call on Gove to trigger climate reporting clause
Financial regulators drew parliamentarians’ ire after failing to meet their demands to voluntarily report their climate adaptation plans
EU leaders order long-term climate strategy by early 2019
Campaigners welcome move to update low-carbon emissions roadmap, saying it sends an important political signal
Macron: EU ‘mad’ to do trade deal with US after Paris climate withdrawal
‘I’m not in favour of showing any softness to those who decide to break those rules,’ the French president said about the deal struck in his capital in 2015
Norway’s electric car demand is outstripping supply – with lessons for the EU
Thousands of Norwegians are on waiting lists for electric cars, showing the success and limitations of policy incentives
Germany’s new government deal fails the Paris climate accord test
It’s three steps forward and four back as Angela Merkel resumes government in coalition with the social democrats
France’s Macron pledges €700m to solar energy push
The French president announced extra finance to help developing countries adopt clean energy at the International Solar Alliance launch in New Delhi