Africa Renewable Energy Initiative to build 10,000 MW of renewables in Africa by 2020 22/12/2015

The Africa Renewable Energy Initiative (AREI) aims at enabling the installation of large-scale renewable energy capacity on the African continent by 2020. ...more

Snakes alive! Missing species found off Australia coast 22/12/2015

Australian scientists Tuesday hailed the discovery of two sea snake species feared to have become extinct years ago off the Western Australia coast. ...more

Indonesia punishes firms over deadly forest fires 22/12/2015

Indonesia is punishing more than 20 companies in an unprecedented move for starting deadly forest fires that killed 19 people, a government official said Tuesday. ...more

Jordan launches first utility scale wind power project in Middle East 21/12/2015

In a joint venture with Masdar and other international companies, the first utility scale wind power project in the Middle East was inaugurated last Thursday by King Abdullah II Ibn Al Hussain of Jordan. ...more

Thousands of factories cut production as Beijing smog persists 21/12/2015

Beijing has ordered 2,100 factories to suspend or reduce production as part of its "red alert" measures to deal with smog, the government said Monday, as the city remained shrouded under toxic haze for the third consecutive day. ...more

Forest fires sweep northern Spain despite winter rain 21/12/2015

Dozens of forest fires raged across northern Spain on Sunday after strong winds hindered efforts to keep them from spreading, forcing some homes to be evacuated in the worst-affected Asturias region. ...more

South Africa drought likely to persist -weather service 21/12/2015

Drought conditions in South Africa that have pushed prices for maize, the national staple, to record highs are likely to persist for the rest of the southern hemisphere summer, the national weather service said on Friday. ...more

Conservationist to fly 4,500 miles in motorized parachute to save UK swan 21/12/2015

A British conservationist is taking to the skies next year for a daring and uncomfortable 4,500-mile journey across the Russian Arctic to help save the UK’s smallest and shyest swan. ...more

Loss of monkeys and birds in tropical forests driving up carbon emissions 21/12/2015

Large fruit-eating monkeys and birds in tropical forests have been revealed as surprising climate change champions, whose loss to over-hunting is driving up carbon emissions. This is because their seed-spreading plays a vital role in the survival of huge, hard-wooded trees. ...more

UN policy centre to open in 2016 in Dubai 18/12/2015

A new environmental sustainable policy centre for the Middle East is set to open its headquarters in Dubai by the end of 2016, a senior UN official said on Thursday. ...more