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'Existential challenge': plastic pollution treaty talks begin

A final round of talks on a treaty to end plastic pollution opened on Monday, with the diplomat chairing the difficult negotiations urging nations to "meet an existential challenge."

Climate finance's 'new era' shows new political realities

Rich countries' promise of $300 billion a year in climate finance brought fury at talks in Baku from poor nations that found it too paltry, but it also shows a shift in global political realities.

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Pope warns of 'irreversible' climate change, urges UN action

Pope Francis warned Wednesday the world "is collapsing" due to global warming, urging participants of the upcoming COP28 climate talks to agree to binding policies on phasing out fossil fuels.

Farmers turn to solar power in Syria's former breadbasket

At his farm in Syria's northeast, Abdullah al-Mohammed adjusts a large solar panel, one of hundreds that have cropped up over the years as farmers seek to stave off electricity shortages in the war-ravaged region.

Climate change draws great white sharks north, threatening ecosystem

There never used to be young great white sharks basking off the busy beaches of central California, but as climate change starts to bite, warmer waters are enticing them north -- with possibly catastrophic consequences for a whole ecosystem.

Is planting trees to combat climate change 'complete nonsense'?

Bill Gates is emphatic: "I don't plant trees," he declared recently, wading into a debate about whether mass tree planting is really much use in fighting climate change.

Indonesian city closes schools over peatland fire haze

An Indonesian city with a population of hundreds of thousands has shut schools for three days because of haze caused by large peatland fires, its mayor said Tuesday.

UK's high speed rail row overshadows Conservative party conference

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Tuesday dodged questions over the future of the UK's second high-speed train line as the issue overshadowed his Conservative party's annual conference.

Green issues dominate Paris fashion for LV, Stella McCartney

Environmental activists tried to disrupt Louis Vuitton's event at Paris Fashion Week on Monday, while Britain's Stella McCartney made green technologies central to her own show as climate issues increasingly dominate the industry.

Stella McCartney turns fashion show into green tech marketplace

British designer Stella McCartney took over a Paris marketplace on Monday and turned it into a showcase for new greener textiles while honouring her rock star parents' time in 1970s band Wings.

Austria rail operator OeBB unveils new night trains

Austrian rail operator OeBB on Saturday unveiled its new generation of sleeper trains -- a response to demands from travellers for less pollutant alternatives to planes and petrol or diesel cars.

Biden announces more offshore drilling, angering environmentalists

President Joe Biden's administration on Friday announced it would auction three new oil and gas leases in the Gulf of Mexico, triggering a furious reaction from environmental groups who said the move would accelerate climate change.

Teen bailed in UK after 'Robin Hood tree' cut down

A 16-year-old boy arrested after one of Britain's most photographed trees was found felled next to the Hadrian's Wall UNESCO World Heritage site in northeast England was released on bail on Friday.

Germany bets on hydrogen to help cut trucking emissions

Applause rings out as Daimler Truck's hydrogen-powered, zero-emission lorry crosses the finish line in Berlin after completing a record-breaking 1,047-kilometre (650 mile) journey on a single tank.

Bird flu kills 400 seals, sea lions in Uruguay

An estimated 400 seals and sea lions have turned up dead on the coast of Uruguay in recent weeks, blamed by authorities on bird flu.

Brazil sends emergency aid to drought-hit Amazon state

Brazil announced Thursday it will send emergency aid to an Amazon state that is enduring severe drought, with low water levels killing many fish, a key source of food for the Indigenous people who live there.

Vietnam court jails climate activist for tax evasion

Vietnam jailed a leading climate activist for three years for tax evasion Thursday, a sentence her family condemned as "unfair", as the communist state ramps up a crackdown on environmentalists.

Thai court drops murder charges against officials over vanished activist

A Thai court on Thursday dropped murder charges against four national park officials over the disappearance of an environmental activist almost a decade ago, but jailed one on a lesser offence.

As temperatures rise, Sicily turns to exotic fruits

Avocados, mangos, bananas and passion fruit -- a wealth of exotic produce is growing under the shadow of Sicily's Mount Etna, as the Italian island's farmers adapt to global warming.

European firms scrap toxic ships on Bangladesh beaches: HRW

European maritime companies are ditching their old ships for scrap on Bangladeshi beaches in dangerous and polluting conditions that have killed workers pulling them apart, Human Rights Watch said Thursday.

Japanese scientists find microplastics are present in clouds

Researchers in Japan have confirmed microplastics are present in clouds, where they are likely affecting the climate in ways that aren't yet fully understood.

Tanzania kills millions of birds to save rice fields

Tanzania has culled millions of quelea birds to prevent them from destroying rice fields, using drones and planes to monitor commercial farms, the country's plants and pesticides watchdog said Wednesday.

Decarbonising shipping to cost over $100 bn per year: UN

The UN called for rapid decarbonisation of the shipping industry on Wednesday, warning that the price tag could top $100 billion a year as the sector's emissions continue to swell.

Can a $20 billion bet wean Indonesia off coal?

Less than a year after it was announced, a $20 billion bet to wean Indonesia off coal is mired in controversies over financing and the construction of new plants to power industry.

France taps nuclear know-how to recycle electric car batteries

In the cradle of France's atomic programme, researchers are using their nuclear know-how for a key project in the country's energy transition: recycling the raw materials in old electric car batteries, solar panels and wind turbines.

Morocco aims to become key player in green hydrogen

Morocco has voiced ambitious plans to become North Africa's top player in the emerging "green hydrogen" sector, with plans to export the clean-burning fuel to Europe.

Tree-hugging AI to the rescue of Brazilian Amazon

Small, artificially intelligent boxes tied to tree trunks in the Brazilian Amazon are the latest weapon in the arsenal of scientists and environmentalists battling destructive jungle invaders.

Air France-KLM to order 50 long-haul Airbus A350s: group

Air France-KLM announced Monday that it was going to place a "major order" for 50 long-haul Airbus A350s, as part of its effort to introduce more fuel-efficient planes.

EU countries vote to weaken next car emissions norm

EU member countries on Monday adopted a watered-down deal on curbing car emissions, after auto manufacturers complained stricter measures could undermine electric vehicle investments.

Red Sea corals threatened by mystery sea urchin deaths

The Red Sea's spectacular coral reefs face a new threat, marine biologists warn -- the mass death of sea urchins that may be caused by a mystery disease.

Ethiopia, Egypt, Sudan resume Nile dam talks

Ethiopia said Saturday it had begun a second round of talks with Egypt and Sudan over a controversial mega-dam built by Addis Ababa on the Nile, long a source of tensions among the three nations.

Crowdfunding conservation: A Pacific island's plan to protect its waters

For a little under $150, you can now directly sponsor marine conservation across one square kilometer of the Pacific Ocean, through a novel scheme announced this week by the tiny island of Niue.

Charles wraps up France trip with cheering crowds in Bordeaux

King Charles III on Friday enjoyed a warm welcome from cheering crowds, a glass of organic wine and even an encounter with llamas as he wrapped up a state visit to France with a stop in the southwestern city of Bordeaux focused on the environment.

Major Indonesia coal plant back near capacity despite pollution concerns

Indonesia has restored one of the biggest coal-fired power plants in Southeast Asia to near full capacity, its operator told AFP Friday, after it was ordered to slice output to curb pollution in capital Jakarta.

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