U.S. environmental enforcement activity has dropped, study shows 25/2/2022

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's enforcement activities have dropped sharply since 2018, as criminal fines and civil penalties paid by polluters dropped to new lows, a Washington D.C. watchdog group said Friday in a report. ...more

UAE and US aim to raise additional $4bn in drive to bolster food security 24/2/2022

A UAE and US-led global coalition to enhance food security and limit the impact of climate change has announced a plan to double its investment target from $4 billion to $8bn by the time Cop27 begins in Egypt this November. ...more

EU proposes law forcing large firms to check suppliers for environment, human rights issues 24/2/2022

The European Commission on Wednesday proposed a law to make large companies operating in the EU check that their suppliers around the world respect environmental standards and do not use slave or child labour. ...more

Zambia firm starts producing fuel from used tyres, plastic 24/2/2022

The used tyres and plastic containers that litter the back streets of cities and towns in Zambia might be an eyesore, but for one company they are also an opportunity to make fuel that could slash the nation's energy import bill while cleaning up its trash. ...more

Plastic packaging increases fresh food waste, study finds 24/2/2022

Supermarkets should stop selling fresh produce such as apples and potatoes in plastic packaging, research suggests, because it does not make them last longer and adds to pollution and food waste. ...more

Climate change is intensifying Earth’s water cycle at twice the predicted rate, research shows 24/2/2022

Rising global temperatures have shifted at least twice the amount of freshwater from warm regions towards the Earth’s poles than previously thought as the water cycle intensifies, according to new analysis. ...more

China vows to join fight against global plastic waste as UN talks loom 23/2/2022

China will participate in international efforts to combat plastic pollution and build on its existing policies to cut waste, the environment ministry of the world's top producer said on Wednesday, a week before talks on a new global plastic pact. ...more

Extreme wildfires are here to stay - and multiply 23/2/2022

Indonesia's peatlands, California's forests, and, now, vast swathes of Argentine wetland have all been ravaged by extreme wildfires, heralding a fiery future and the dire need to prevent it. ...more

Energy sector methane emissions 70% higher than official figures -IEA 23/2/2022

Emissions of the potent greenhouse gas methane coming from the global energy sector are 70% higher than officially reported, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said on Wednesday, with the coal sector identified as the biggest single source. ...more

REUTERS EXCLUSIVE HSBC targets 34% oil and gas emissions cut by 2030 23/2/2022

HSBC aims to cut emissions associated with loans made to its oil and gas clients by 34% this decade, the bank's sustainability chief told Reuters, marking the first time that Britain's biggest lender has committed to such a target. ...more