Why sh*t gets real for Keir Starmer in June
A flurry of crucial policy reviews on areas that could define the U.K. prime minister’s government are coming due. POLITICO has you covered.
disasters
US withdraws from UN climate damage fund
Establishment of the fund in 2023 was a victory for climate change activists from developing nations.
Green diplomacy faces first big test since Trumpโs return at Rome nature summit
Rich and poor countries are battling over who will fund nature conservation in the shadow of a radically anti-green U.S. administration.
Scottish Labourโs Keir Starmer problem
Anas Sarwar’s hopes of defeating the SNP have taken a dent. Some blame Keir Starmer.
Why Europeโs satellite policies must support a new era of connectivity
We now have the technology to ensure people can stay connected no matter where they are โ but we need the EUโs backing for it to become ubiquitous
Closing the climate protection gap [Promoted content]
The insurance industry can play a pivotal role in addressing the issue of the protection gap, which refers to the gap between the insured losses and the real economic impact of climate disasters.
Commission to grant โฌ100m package to farmers affected by disasters
The emergency support package is expected to be unveiled on 19 February, coinciding with the presentation of the ‘Vision for agriculture and food’.
Europe โcanโt copeโ with extreme weather costs, warns insurance watchdog
EU regulator Hielkema says governments and banks will struggle to pay for natural disasters
EU ministers mull new German plan to reinforce asylum rules
Ministers also discussed ways to prepare European citizens to respond to various threats, from invasions to natural disasters.
The post EU ministers mull new German plan to reinforce asylum rules appeared first on Euractiv.
Spain warns far right is exploiting anger over climate disasters
Nationalist Vox party has seized on โvisceralโ public reaction to mishandling of floods, says transport minister
How Trump silenced tech giants on his Paris withdrawal
Silicon Valley loudly criticized President Donald Trump when he quit the climate accord in his first term. This time? Crickets.
Von der Leyen: Paris climate deal still โbest hope for all humanityโ
The EU chief’s remarks came just hours after Donald Trump yanked the U.S. from the landmark climate accord.
Trump takes victory lap, thrills MAGA crowd at pre-inauguration rally
His rally put on full display the totality of his grip on Washington.
World โteetering on edgeโ of breaching Paris Agreement, scientists say
2024 was the first year to break through the 1.5C temperature barrier, an EU agency finds.
2024 by the numbers โ from victims of war to a warming planet
Out with the old, in with the … old. Familiar trends characterized a year of elections and bloodshed.
EU plans hot weather โstress testโ on railways and power grids
Bloc seeks to respond to growing number of disasters expected as a result of climate change
Wanted: An early-warning system for the end of the world
Some experts believe we could hit catastrophic climate โtipping pointsโ in a matter of years. The U.K. government, with a bit of help from Dominic Cummings, is trying to prepare.
More than 170 people killed as passenger jet crash-lands in South Korea
Fiery crash at Muan International Airport is one of the countryโs worst aviation disasters.
Hereโs a cause Greta Thunberg and the Pentagon can agree on
The world needs a coalition of the willing to protect our oceans.
EU watchdogs call for disaster-relief fund in wake of Valencia floods
Climate change increasing frequency of natural disasters, leaving more of their multibillion-euro costs uninsured, says report
Press release – Parliament paves way for the use of EU funds to finance natural disaster recovery
Two new EU laws will offer quick EU funding for recovery measures following natural disasters that have occurred after 1 January 2024.Committee on Agriculture and Rural DevelopmentCommittee on Employment and Social AffairsCommittee on Regional Developm…
Who were the biggest dunces? Final grades for von der Leyenโs first Commission
Whoโs at the top of the class and who flunked? Here are POLITICO’s grades for each 2019-2024 European commissioner.
Press release – EU Budget 2025 deal: EP reinforces EU programmes and manages borrowing costs
MEPs achieved increases for the 2025 EU budget and secured funds for helping EU countries facing climate-related disasters.Committee on Budgets Source : ยฉ European Union, 2024 – EP
The long lunch blamed for Spainโs flood alert failure
Survivors accuse regional government of errors as experts warn climate change is creating volatile natural disasters
Why Trumpโs 2nd withdrawal from the Paris Agreement will be different
The president-elect could act faster this time.
Why Trumpโs 2nd withdrawal from the Paris Agreement will be different
The president-elect could act faster this time.
Make oil and gas companies foot the bill for Valenciaโs floods | Letters
Eva Saldaรฑa of Greenpeace Spain says the industry knew about climate change for more than six decadesYour editorial on Valenciaโs tragic floods (1 November) is correct that โweather events that used to be regarded as โnatural disastersโ are now, rightl…
Make oil and gas companies foot the bill for Valenciaโs floods | Letters
Eva Saldaรฑa of Greenpeace Spain says the industry knew about climate change for more than six decadesYour editorial on Valenciaโs tragic floods (1 November) is correct that โweather events that used to be regarded as โnatural disastersโ are now, rightl…
Trumpโs in. Hereโs what it means for Europe.
From energy and trade to finance and defense, hereโs how Donald Trumpโs second presidency will impact EU policy.
Drone footage shows scale of devastation caused by Spain floods โ video
Drone footage from Torrent, a city just outside Valencia, shows the scale of devastation caused to it by the floods last week. Authorities have announced that the number of casualties from the floods has risen above 200, with Spain’s prime minister sa…
Spanish royals set to visit flood-hit Valencia as recovery efforts intensify
Spainโs King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia are set to visit the flood-stricken Valencia region on Sunday, where more than 200 people have died in one of the countryโs worst natural disasters. The Spanish government deployed more troops to aid with recov…
The Guardian view on climate-linked disasters: Spainโs tragedy will not be the last | Editorial
More than 200 deaths and widespread destruction in Valencia are the latest sign of danger in a warming worldThe death toll from floods in Spainโs Valencia region has topped 200. A huge clean-up is under way amid desperate conditions, with severe weathe…
Floods in Spain: ‘The Mediterranean’s warming is dynamite’
Antonio Aretxabala, a geologist and natural disasters expert, analyzes the reasons behind the high death toll and devastation following the floods that killed almost a hundred people in the Valencia region.
Spainโs โmonsterโ floods expose Europeโs unpreparedness for climate change
National government blamed local authorities after at least 73 people died as heavy rainfall swept through homes, shops and roadways.
EU should spend 20% of budget on security and climate disasters, report says
Finlandโs former president reports on cost of Europeโs preparedness for multiple crises
World on track for catastrophic 3 degrees Celsius warming, UN warns
Current plans and policies will lead to global temperatures rising between 2.6C and 3.1C this century, a new report finds.
Elon Musk pushes for an American technopoly
Stumping for Trump, the tycoon is embracing a progress-for-its-own-sake vision of the future. Guess who benefits?
Commission proposes using unspent rural funds to help disasters-hit farmers
As part of a multi billion package with finances coming from regional funds.
Tool kit to make limb-saving devices set to transform treatment in crisis zones
British scientists have developed simple ways for those in danger areas to make complex medical equipment quicklyTwo shattering events played a critical role in British scientistsโ efforts to develop technology that could transform the treatment of peo…
How scientists pinpoint climateโs โtelltale signsโ on Hurricanes Milton and Helene
POLITICO discussed the emergence of attribution science and the human fingerprints on Helene and Milton with Gabriel Vecchi, a Princeton University professor of geosciences.
Elon Musk amplifies hurricane disinformation while boosting Trump
The billionaire is using the power of his social media platform to spread falsehoods that officials say are hampering recovery efforts.
Press release – Five countries to receive over โฌ1 billion in EU aid following natural disasters
On Tuesday, MEPs approved over โฌ1 billion in EU Solidarity Fund aid to support recovery efforts in five EU countries due to severe floods that occurred in 2023.Committee on Budgets Source : ยฉ European Union, 2024 – EP
Hydrogenโs toxic secret worries a town in northern France
Green hydrogen is central to Europe’s energy transition, but it relies on potentially dangerous forever chemicals.
Trump turns Hurricane Helene aftermath political
Speaking in Georgia, Trump laced into Harris, Biden and Walz, even as he acknowledged it wasnโt the time or place.
Nine dead and 48 missing after migrant boat sinks off Canary Islands
Rescue services say they saved 27 of the 84 people aboard the vessel believed to have come from MauritaniaNine people are confirmed drowned and at least 48 are missing after a boat carrying migrants capsized off Spainโs Canary Islands overnight, rescue…
Baltic shadow tankers: Growing threat to environmental safety and regional stability
The alarming rise of unregulated “shadow” tankers transporting Russian oil through the Baltic Seaโan increase of 30% last yearโposes a serious threat to the region’s environment and safety. Experts warn that if this trend continues, environmental disas…
Extreme weather is worsening Europeโs food supply
Last year was the hottest on record, and scientists worry this year will be worse. Thunderstorms in Europe destroyed 9.1 billion euros in assets, while the U.S. also experienced twenty-eight separate weather and climate disasters throughout 2023 costin…
Russia in satellite deal with West African military governments
They are for TV and radio, border security and responding to natural disasters, a minister says.
Russia in satellite deal with West African military governments
They are for TV and radio, border security and responding to natural disasters, a minister says.
Post your questions for Isabelle Huppert
Sheโs worked with most of the great names of European cinema, from Godard to Haneke, and on one of Hollywoodโs greatest disasters. Now sheโs ready for your closeup quizzingFrance has quite a few grandes dames of cinema, with Catherine Deneuve, Juliette…
As wildfires rage in Portugal, so do debates about their origins
Some 40 fires are still active and at least seven people have died in the Aveiro region since Sunday. After the deadly fires of 2017, the country thought it had taken steps to avoid such disasters. Forest management has come under particular scrutiny.
Dutch government announces โstrictest asylum policy everโ
Netherlands will ask the European Commission for an opt-out on EU asylum and migration policies.
What Kamala Harris Should Learn From Richard Nixon
Try not to wreck the economy.
Greece โ the country that lets people escape justice
Cover-ups, botched investigations and a general feeling of impunity set alarm bells ringing.
Putin is paralyzed in crisis โ again
As Ukraine awaits a response to its Kursk invasion, the Russian leader is once again demonstrating he has an adversity problem.
Balkans battle wildfires from prolonged heatwave in Europe
Experts say it’s time to act to avoid more climate-based disasters across Europe and urge European leaders to address the concerning trends in weather across the continent.
Evan Gershkovich, the Wall Street Journal reporter who became the story
Evan Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter sentenced to 16 years in Russia on disputed espionage charges, was released Thursday in a major multinational prisoner swap after spending more than a year behind bars.ย Originally from Russia, the journ…
โMassive security breachโ: Secret Service under fire after gunman got clear shot at Trump
How a gunman could scale a roof where Trump was speaking prompts calls for investigation.
Pragmatism over principle: Europeโs Greens adapt to surviveย
The group is ditching some of its ambitions as it prepares to back conservative Ursula von der Leyen atop the EU executive.ย
From conflict to the climate โ what are the UK partiesโ international plans?
As the election nears, we scrutinise how each of the main contenders would deal with problems around the worldConflicts and environmental disasters are stretching humanitarian resources, and a new UK government will have to decide what role it will pla…
Switzerland at further risk of natural disasters, government warns
Severe weather causing damaged infrastructure and at least four deaths in the mountainous central European country of Switzerland has forced one federal politician to ponder if the country is capable of weathering future storms.
EU leaders ditch call to prepare for โnew realitiesโ of warmer planet
The European Environmental Agency found Europe unprepared for climate change risks such as floods and heatwaves.
Far right charts irresistible rise in Franceโs conservative heartlands
Political boundaries are shifting in Sarthe, a traditional bastion of the French conservatives.
The Brief โ Single-handed manmade disasters
Climate change is a manmade disaster caused by mankind as a whole. But history remembers disasters of dramatic proportions caused by a single man. We are currently paying the price of at least two such disasters.
At least ten migrants dead, dozens missing in two boat disasters off Italian coast
At least ten migrants died and dozens of others were missing in the Mediterranean after their boat flooded with water off the coast of Italy, a German charity said Monday. Nearly 60 migrants were missing after a separate shipwreck off Calabria, Italia…
Swiss parliament spurns European climate ruling
Both chambers accused the ECHR of โjudicial activism.โ
Weatherwatch: satellite weather data plays growing role in saving lives
Eumestat early warning system helps predict climate trends and forthcoming extreme weather events in Europe and AfricaEarly warning systems for adverse weather are increasingly important in saving lives and preventing economic disasters. Thirty countri…
Forest risk management needs better data monitoring, say experts [Advocacy Lab Content]
Natural disasters prompted by climate change are putting pressure on EU forest resilience, but the blocโs Forest Monitoring Law could help forest owners, researchers, policymakers and civil society address these risks.
EU Commission strengthens Europeโs crisis response abilities
In response to a growing number of emergencies – particularly climate-related disasters – the European Commission is looking for better coordination and new tools to strengthen the bloc’s crisis-response abilities.
Southern Germany battles floods as experts say Berlin will miss climate targets
Scientists dispute governmentโs claim that 2030 goal will be met.ย
Europeโs alarming descent into extreme political acrimony and violence
Attempt on the Slovak prime minister’s life won’t lead to a world war, but it should be a wake-up call for all who care about democracy.
How a supervolcano on the Italian coast became a problem too big to tackle
Earthquake this week finally jolts authorities into action after decades of runaway construction puts half a million people at risk.
Europe unprepared for climate disaster, warns World Bank
Climate-related disasters cost Europe more than โฌ77 billion last year, according to a new report. But costs can be lowered with better data and financing strategies.
Infected blood: UK apologizes for decades-long healthcare scandal
A public inquiry found that the infected blood scandal could have largely been avoided
Europeans see natural disasters as a bigger threat than armed conflict, study reveals
More than 2,000 people across seven EU member states were quizzed about what they think are the most pressing issues facing the bloc.
The new EU asylum laws, part 8: the โcrisisโ Regulation โ and conclusions
Professor Steve Peers,
Royal Holloway, University of LondonPhoto credit: Sam Zidovetski, via Wikimedia Commons(Last amended June 18 2024: amendments marked by asterisks)
Just before Christmas, the
European Parliament and the Council (the EU body…
Biden spoke with Josรฉ Andrรฉs after World Central Kitchen strike
The president conveyed his grief in a call.
Aid group accuses Israel after 7 workers die in Gaza airstrike
World Central Kitchen says its convoy was hit โdespite coordinating movements with the IDF.โ
Climate activists disrupt Rome marathon to ‘sound alarm’ on looming disasters
Three activists from climate movement Last Generation briefly interrupted the Rome marathon on Sunday before police arrested them, the group said.
How Malaysia Airlines came back from twin tragedies
Despite the MH370 and MH17 disasters, Malaysia’s national carrier is still flying a decade on.
Europe must quicken green efforts after election, EU climate chief says
The bloc should โfocus just as much and probably moreโ on climate in the coming years, Wopke Hoekstra told POLITICO.
5 things we learned from the EUโs big (and first) climate risk report
Farming must change. Diets must evolve. Southern Europe is at risk. And disaster looms if EU leaders donโt act after Juneโs elections.
Brussels warns of danger of water conflicts in EU
A document obtained by POLITICO shows the European Union will urge capitals to accelerate their preparations for a warming world.
Watchdog urges EU rescue rules change after migrant boat disaster off Greece
Ombudsman says papers show EU agency made four offers to help Greece with surveillance of boat that sank, but got no responseOpinion: Emily OโReillyThe rules governing the EUโs border and coastguard agency Frontex must be urgently revised if Europe is …
Investigation open following deadly Valencia apartment block fire
At least nine people were killed by a huge fire that ripped through an apartment block in an affluent district of Spain’s third largest city, Valencia, authorities said on Friday (23 February).
The future of EU forests โ A new EU Framework for Forest Monitoring and Strategic Plans
European forests are vital for preserving native wildlife and for fighting against climate change. Currently, the EU lacks some knowledge about its forests that would help to restore and protect them.
The EU Framework for Forest Monitoring and Strat…
War, money, politics: Discord among wealthy countries hampers landmark climate fund
Squabbles involving the EU, Russia, Turkey and the United States are holding up the launch of a board that’s supposed to oversee aid to communities wracked by disasters.
What will Spain look like when it runs out of water? Barcelona is giving us a glimpse | Marรญa Ramรญrez
Angry farmers, worried tourism workers and unprepared politicians โ Catalonia is on the frontline of a drought-stricken future Walking through Barcelona these days, you canโt miss the signs and billboards picturing a red plastic bucket and the message …
Nicola Sturgeonโs ruined legacy
Scotland’s ex-first minister faces Britain’s Covid inquiry with her once-proud reputation in tatters.
Israelโs first responders struggling to heal 100 days onย from October 7
‘When we tried picking up the bones, the bones turned to ash,’ says an Israeli first responder recalling the Hamas attack a hundred days ago.
Itโs official: Global temperatures soared to a new record in 2023
And 2024 may bring more of the same.
Of love letters and distant galaxies: Uplifting stories from 2023
It was a turbulent year from start to end, but 2023 was not just about devastating wars, natural disasters and the cost-of-living crisis. The past 12 months also saw the approval of a revolutionary new malaria vaccine, a sharp drop in the deforestatio…
Rights groups decry Greek investigation into migrant shipwreck that left more than 500 dead
Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International claim that authorities failed to mobilise โappropriate resourcesโ, while Greece says the shipโs crew refused assistanceHuman rights groups have deplored the lack of progress made by Greek authorities in thei…
Climate summit makes โhistoric progressโ โ but the world still canโt quit oil
The contradictions in nationsโ attitudes toward fossil fuels were at the forefront of the talks in Dubai.
Open secret at climate talks: The top temperature goal is mostly gone
Researchers injected a sobering finding into global climate negotiations Sunday by saying the world will likely fail its most important warming test.
How to watch the climate summit like an expert
Interested in the 200-nation effort to save the planet? Get used to squabbles about money and โphasing outโ versus โphasing downโ fossil fuels.
World on pace to blow past Paris climate targets, UN says
Global emissions need to fall 42 percent by 2030 to set the world on a path to limit temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Humanity remains far from that goal.
The state of the planet in 10 numbers
A snapshot of the warming world, from sea level rise to fossil fuel subsidies.
Whoโs who at COP28
Biden and Xi will probably skip it, but the summit will have Lula, the pope and King Charles. And yeah, Rishi Sunak.
US-EU unity ruptures over climate damage payments
The transatlantic cracks will make negotiating against the likes of China and Saudi Arabia trickier at an upcoming climate summit.