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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 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 […]
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 […]
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 […]