Environmental News
Breaking environmental news, policy updates, and ecosystem changes worldwide
Analysis: China's new carbon metric leaves Germany-sized gap in its emissions
A major change in the way that China measures its core climate goal has effectively halved the growth in the country’s carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions over the past five years....
Ian McEwan says pessimism 'a bigger problem than climate change'
Speaking at Hay festival as UK breaks May heat record, author says optimism is a ‘moral duty’Pessimism is probably ‘a bigger problem than climate change’, said the novelist Ian McEwan...
Revealed: Floods have forced at least 67 closures at NHS hospitals since 2021
At least 67 NHS hospital wards, departments and other sites across the UK have been forced to temporarily close or relocate due to weather-related flooding over the past five years,...
UK needs to urgently install air conditioning in schools and care homes, climate campaigners say
Government should fit solar panels to power air con units where vulnerable people live, say green advocatesAs the country baked in record May temperatures, climate campaigners have said the UK...
Why Michigan is emerging as one of America's worst-hit climate states
The state saw 33 tornadoes last year and severe flooding as researchers say links to climate change are undeniableThe tornado hit west Ann Arbor at 1.45am on 15 April, passing...
The BHP files: World's biggest miner BHP backtracks on climate action with key projects put on ice, leaked documents reveal
Exclusive: Cache of internal documents leaked to the Guardian and the ABC’s Four Corners show multinational has war-gamed ways to massively delay decarbonisationRevealed: the internal BHP memo that slammed the...
BHP has made big climate promises – that's the easy part. Now it must do the real work of slashing emissions | Adam Morton
Given the scale of its contribution to global heating, the world’s biggest miner has a duty to invest heavily in solutions that could have a global impactRevealed: the internal BHP...
BHP defies its own climate strategy to spend hundreds of millions on polluting diesel trucks in Pilbara
Exclusive: Mining giant says technology is not yet advanced enough to run a fully electrified fleet but experts say it is hooked on federal fuel tax creditsRevealed: the internal BHP...
BHP quietly scrapped plan to build Pilbara plant that would have drastically cut emissions
Exclusive: Jimblebar processing facility would have produced higher quality iron ore sought by steelmakers around the world – themselves under pressure to curb pollutionWorld’s biggest miner BHP backtracks on climate...
Nature cannot be ignored by Europe's next big budget
Adeline Rochet is a programme manager for the Corporate Leaders Group Europe, a business coalition driving the transition to a sustainable, competitive, and resilient economy convened by the University of...
In Florida, an Agricultural Town in Need of an Economic Boost Eyes Hyperscale Data Centers
Across the state’s heartland, communities such as Indiantown are weighing proposals for hyperscale data centers. The massive facilities would reshape Florida’s rural lands.By Amy GreenINDIANTOWN, Fla.—Carroll McAllister frets over the...
USDA Extends Pause on Loans for Controversial Digesters That Turn Manure Into Biogas
Anaerobic digester loans showed ‘significant delinquency rates,’ the U.S. Department of Agriculture said, while environmental groups see the technology driving an expansion of large-scale animal farming operations.By Steven Rodas, Lisa...
Is this a good time for the CSIRO to be sacking climate scientists? | First Dog on the Moon
The next El Niño is predicted to be bigger than ever with devastating global impactsSign up here to get an email whenever First Dog cartoons are publishedGet all your needs...
The EPA just walked back Hawai'i's plan to retire its dinosaur power plants
Hawaiʻi has some of the freshest air in the nation, but in some parts of the state hazy skies can impact tourism and public health. Now, the U.S. Environmental Protection...
UK heatwave expected as temperatures near record highs for May
Forecasters say temperatures could hit 34C on Monday, with amber health alerts in place across much of EnglandA heatwave is expected to be declared in parts of the UK on...
Could nature itself hold the solution to climate change?
Technological interventions face huge financial or practical challenges, but there is another wayIn 2019, my scientific research was nearly brought to an early end when my team and I published...
Malnourished Gray Whales of the Eastern North Pacific Are in 'Serious Trouble'
The population has plummeted over the past seven years as climate change triggers mass starvation in warming Arctic waters.By Blaine HardenSEATTLE—Exceptionally skinny gray whales—enfeebled by starvation and mangled by blunt-force...
Sewage and Fuel Leaks Contaminate the Potomac River, Source of Drinking Water for More Than 5 Million People
Observers believe regulatory failures contributed to catastrophic sewage and fuel leaks in the watershed. The river was recently named the most endangered in the nation.By Aman AzharThe warning signs were...
Community Leaders in Florida Say Trump's FEMA Pullback Leaves Them Struggling to Fill the Void
The president may have backed off killing the agency outright, but his FEMA Review Council clearly sees a much reduced emergency management role for the federal government.By Amy Green, Charles...
UK records hottest day of year as forecasters warn of more extreme heat
Temperature reaches 30.5C in Kent as amber health alerts issued before bank holiday temperatures riseThe UK has recorded its hottest day of the year so far, with temperatures reaching 30.5C...
Solar to overtake coal on Texas grid for the first time ever this year
The Texas sun keeps rising, as Texas coal wanes. For the first time ever, solar is set to generate more electricity than coal in the power market managed by the...
'Turn off the juice of the rulers!' Who are the Volcano Group, mystery saboteurs behind a five-day Berlin blackout?
Earlier this year, the city was hit by its longest power cut since the second world war. But were those responsible eco-terrorists, agents of the far-right, or even Russian proxies?Sebastian...
Six Months After Oil Spilled Into California Tributary, Families Worry the Cleanup Was Never Finished
People in Ventura County are also concerned that an early estimate—which noted that about 420 gallons of crude oil was accidentally released into a waterway last fall—is inaccurate. Local and...
As Communities Warn of Health Risks, New York Will Weaken Its Landmark Climate Law
Gov. Kathy Hochul has announced revisions to the state’s greenhouse gas emissions targets that will push off its 2030 deadline. Organizers believe residents are already suffering.By Lauren DalbanAs part of...
A Bit of Good News for Right Whales
With 23 calves born this season, what does the mini baby boom for the critically endangered species mean?Interview by Aynsley O’Neill, Living on EarthFrom our collaborating partner Living on Earth,...
'There is no great master plan': anxiety as UK homes, roads and railways sink into the sea
Increasing coastal erosion has hit communities’ livelihoods and put lifestyles under threatThe remains of the road linking two towns in south Devon lie crumbled on the foreshore in a mess...
Federal Law Requires US Seafood Imports to Not Threaten Marine Mammals. A Lawsuit Is Pushing the Government to Finally Act.
Bycatch is the biggest threat to whales and dolphins, but many seafood-exporting countries fail to take protective measure.By Georgina GustinEnvironmental groups on Thursday sued the United States government to ensure...
As Wildfire Grows Near Ex-Nuclear Site, California County Sets Up Radiation Air Monitors
The fire department said ‘hazardous materials and radiological monitoring teams’ continue to track the health of the air in the Ventura County area.By Steven Rodas, Nina DietzWith a Southern California...
The Brazilian Supreme Court Makes Way for the 'Grain Train'
Environmental and Indigenous activists say the railway, if it proceeds, will unleash an explosion of carbon and further imperil the world’s biggest and most climate-critical rainforest.By Georgina GustinA nearly 600-mile...
A Youth-Led Campaign Claims a Win For Climate Justice
A new U.N. resolution reinforces a landmark court opinion tying fossil fuel use to human rights abuses and legal responsibility for climate change.By Bob BerwynA climate justice seed planted by...
What's at steak: myths about masculinity and meat eating pose a challenge for the climate crisis
Being a carnivore is often seen as an expression of manhood, but the need has never been greater for men to cut down their intakeChange by degrees offers life hacks...
DeBriefed 22 May 2026: UN adopts landmark resolution | Trump takes on 'RCP8.5' | Climate migration
Welcome to Carbon Brief’s DeBriefed. An essential guide to the week’s key developments relating to climate change. This week UN adopts landmark opinion ICJ OPINION: The UN has adopted a...
Experts: Why migration is 'not a failure of adaptation' in a warming world
Hundreds of scientists gathered in London this week to discuss the role of migration as a way for communities to adapt to climate change. The impacts of a warming world,...
'We will not survive': jailing of Daria Egereva highlights plight of Russia's Indigenous people
Authorities are cracking down on rights activists fighting for Indigenous people threatened by authoritarianism, extractivism and climate breakdownThe operation began at 9am Moscow time, but took place across all of...
Guest post: How CMIP7 will shape the next wave of climate science
Hundreds of scientists in dozens of institutions are embarking on the next phase of the world’s largest coordinated climate-modelling effort. Climate-modelling groups use supercomputers to run climate models that simulate...
Could Georgia Voters Turn Their Utilities Commission Blue?
Democrats are within reach of a majority on Georgia’s Public Service Commission, a little-known body that oversees Georgia Power and utility rates.By Ryan KrugmanGeorgia Public Service Commission elections historically received...
Why hybrids — not EVs — are winning over US consumers
Even as gas prices continued to rise across the United States, sales of electric vehicles fell in April. That is in contrast to strong growth elsewhere in the world, such...
In a rare show of global unity, countries adopt landmark climate ruling
About six years ago, law students at the University of the South Pacific convinced the government of the small island nation of Vanuatu to take the harms wrought by climate...
Chinese EV brands woo Yemen's wealthy elite as war prompts solar boom
Like many Yemeni farmers, Salem Abdallah first bought solar panels to power a well pump to irrigate his fruit and vegetable crops. Now, he has a new use for the...
Congress Grills Officials About the Potomac River Sewage Spill
Months after a collapsed pipe pushed nearly 250 million gallons of raw sewage into the river, residents say the area still smells.By Gabriel Matias CastilhoMembers of a congressional subcommittee this...
US will see below-average 2026 hurricane season, Noaa predicts
Forecast came amid warning that US was unprepared for storms with staffing cuts under Trump administrationSign up for the Breaking News US newsletter emailThe US will see a below-normal hurricane...
One Nation says it's the only party in Australia to question climate science. It should ask itself why | Temperature Check
Climate change denial has become untenable yet Hanson’s party digs in – with conspiracy theories, cherrypicking and claims that are easy to refuteGet our breaking news email, free app or...
Trump's EPA to roll back refrigerant rule for grocery stores in push it claims will lower prices
EPA is loosening Biden-era rule that requires US businesses to reduce greenhouse gases used in cooling equipmentThe Trump administration is set to loosen a federal rule that requires grocery stores...
'It's put the joy levels up': the flood-prone London school with a climate-adapted playground
When pupils could no longer play outside, St John’s school in Barnet decided to act, enlisting Trees for Cities to help rethink its outside spaceThe play area at St John’s...
China's Shark Finning Could Lead to US Seafood Sanctions
A formal petition to the U.S. government calls for sanctions on Chinese seafood imports as it highlights China’s loophole-ridden illegal shark fin trade.By Johnny SturgeonFor migrant workers trapped onboard Chinese...
New data shows rich nations likely missed 2025 goal to double adaptation finance
New data on international climate finance for 2023 and 2024 suggests that wealthy countries are highly unlikely to have met their pledge to double funding for adaptation in developing nations...
NextEra Energy to Join the Offshore Wind Club, But Does It Matter?
The country’s most valuable utility didn’t like offshore wind. But a proposed merger with Dominion would include a $11.4 billion project in Coastal Virginia.By Dan GearinoA utility megamerger announced this...
Colombia's climate crossroads: Trumpism casts shadow over presidential battle
Colombia is a global leader in climate activism. Could US influence drag country to a future of mining and fracking?Several hours after dark in a quiet Caribbean neighbourhood, a cluster...