europe

Court Rules France Is Responsible for Climate Inaction

Court Rules France Is Responsible for Climate Inaction

French environmental groups have won a landmark court case hailed as the “affair of the century.” The groups claimed that the French government did not act quickly enough to reduce its emissions, dragging its feet on actions such as improving buildings’ energy efficiency and developing renewable energy. French President Emmanuel Macron has advocated for climate […]

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    UK Announces First Live Animal-Export Ban in Europe

    UK Announces First Live Animal-Export Ban in Europe

    The UK has taken steps toward becoming the first European country to ban the export of live animals for slaughter. Environment Secretary George Eustice announced the new plans Thursday, The Guardian reported. The ban would fulfill a campaign promise from the ruling Conservative Party, BBC News explained. “We are committed to improving the welfare of […]

    ‘Major Hurdle’ Cleared as Youth Activists Advance Historic Climate Case

    ‘Major Hurdle’ Cleared as Youth Activists Advance Historic Climate Case

    By Dana Drugmand An unprecedented climate lawsuit brought by six Portuguese youths is to be fast-tracked at Europe’s highest court, it was announced today. The European Court of Human Rights said the case, which accuses 33 European nations of violating the applicants’ right to life by disregarding the climate emergency, would be granted priority status […]

    Roadmap Points Europe Toward Safer, Sustainable Chemicals

    Roadmap Points Europe Toward Safer, Sustainable Chemicals

    Europe’s chief policy-making body Wednesday called for a safer, more sustainable chemicals market, plotting a zero-tolerance approach that nearly eliminates hormone mimicking compounds. The strategy, approved by the European Commission, represents some of the most ambitious policy recommendations on the planet and draws a stark contrast with the United States, where endocrine-disrupting compounds—such as bisphenol-A […]

    EU: Earth Has Experienced Its Warmest September on Record

    EU: Earth Has Experienced Its Warmest September on Record

    The Earth has experienced its warmest September since record-keeping began, according to a European Union agency’s report published Wednesday. The Copernicus Climate Change Service, which tracks global temperatures, published statistics that show 2020 is, so far, tying with 2016 for the warmest calendar year. Global temperatures in January, May and September exceeded those in 2016 […]

    France and UK Set Record for Daily Coronavirus Cases

    France and UK Set Record for Daily Coronavirus Cases

    Britain and France both posted record high rises in the daily number of coronavirus cases on Saturday evening. France reported 17,000 new cases, with 49 additional deaths on the same day. More than 32,000 people have now died of the virus in France, and more than 606,625 people have been infected. The rate of positive […]

    Spain Breaks COVID-19 Record for Western Europe With 500,000+ Cases

    Spain Breaks COVID-19 Record for Western Europe With 500,000+ Cases

    Spain set a dubious record Monday when it became the first country in Western Europe to pass half a million coronavirus cases. The Spanish Ministry of Health reported 525,549 cases Monday, up more than 26,000 from Friday’s confirmed caseload of 498,989, according to Reuters. The news came the same day as six regions in Spain […]

    Social and Environmental Justice Activists React to EU Farm to Fork Strategy

    Social and Environmental Justice Activists React to EU Farm to Fork Strategy

    By Katell Ané The European Commission launched a new Farm to Fork strategy in an effort to reduce the social and environmental impact of the European food system. It is the newest strategy under the European Green Deal, setting sustainability targets for farmers, consumers, and policymakers. “Farmers are under extreme pressure,” Stefan de Keersmaeker, European […]

    New Study Finds China and EU Soy Imports Are Increasing Brazil’s Deforestation

    New Study Finds China and EU Soy Imports Are Increasing Brazil’s Deforestation

    By Chris Arsenault A first ever study has provided detailed estimates of greenhouse gas emissions across the entire soy producing agribusiness sector in Brazil. The study, published in the journal Global Environmental Change, found that countries and companies in the European Union and China importing soy from Brazil have driven deforestation there, causing a marked […]