Twenty years after the Earth Summit in Rio pledged to save the environment for future generations, observers and policy makers agree swifter action is required to avert climate catastrophe. More »Slow progress since Earth Summit 20 years ago
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton leaves next week on an … More »Clinton to visit Scandinavia, Caucasus, …
Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff Friday vetoed parts of a new forestry code that environmentalists … More »Brazil leader vetoes parts of law opening …
Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff Friday vetoed parts of a new forestry code that environmentalists say would lead to further deforestation in the Amazon, home to the world's largest collection of plants and animals. More »Brazil leader vetoes parts of law opening up Amazon
As the world's biggest emitter per capita of greenhouse gases, Qatar faces a test of credibility but also an opportunity when it hosts the UN forum on climate change in December, say veteran watchers of the process. More »For Qatar, climate forum offers a test but also a chance
A once rare butterfly is becoming a common sight in the English countryside after capitalising on climate change, research has shown. More »Butterfly boosted by climate change
LONDON (Reuters) - For 10 days next month, some of the world's top authors and their readers will descend on a small town on England's border with Wales for a "Woodstock of the Mind" to talk about music, politics, the environment, but mostly about books. … More »Hay book fest marks 25th at "Woodstock of the mind"
LONDON (Reuters) - British newspaper group Daily Mail & General Trust said it still expected full-year earnings to grow, helped by an improved second-half performance, after the cost of disposals, restructuring and redundancies hit its first half. "Clearly … More »Cover price rise keeps Daily Mail on track
School pupils from across Northern Ireland have been praised for their role in lobbying Stormont on legislation aimed at protecting marine life. More »Pupils help shape marine life laws
Europe warned at climate talks in Bonn on Wednesday that efforts to forge a new global pact to avert environmental disaster were in danger of floundering, and some pointed fingers at China. More »EU warns climate talks at risk of floundering
Europe's beaches are generally clean but France is lagging behind other tourist destinations in the south of the continent, a report from European Environment Agency (EEA) showed on Wednesday. More »Europe's beaches clean, but France lagging: study
LONDON (Reuters) - A project to allow companies to set up a website with almost any address has relaunched after a software glitch exposed sensitive details of applications last month, forcing it to shut down. In the most ambitious expansion of the Internet … More »Internet domain name project relaunches after software bug
Comedian-turned-politician Beppe Grillo is the man of the moment in Italy after his Internet-based movement made big gains in local polls last weekend with a blend of populism and eco-friendly initiatives. More »Beppe Grillo: The new live wire of Italian politics
British clothing-to-food retailer Marks & Spencer on Tuesday announced a drop in annual profits in a "challenging economic environment," forcing it to slash the group's revenue growth target. More »Marks & Spencer profits plunge 19%, slashes target
In less than 24 hours Lake Cachet II in Chile's southern Patagonia vanished, leaving behind just some large puddles and chunks of ice in the vast lake bed. More »Chile's vanishing Patagonian lake
LONDON (Reuters) - A towering pyramid of colour, a lesson in water-conscious beauty, patriotic fervour, Olympic enthusiasm and a host of green-thumbed celebrities kicked off one of the world's most lavish flower shows on Monday. The display gardens for … More »Chelsea Flower Show blooms defy drought and gloom
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama intends to nominate a new chairman for the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission soon, a White House spokesman said on Monday after the current nuclear safety chief, Gregory Jaczko, resigned. "A strong and effective … More »White House - nomination for new nuclear chairman coming soon
By Gopal Sharma KATHMANDU (Reuters) - Three climbers died while descending from the summit of Mount Everest, officials said on Monday. Eberhard Schaaf, 61, from Aachen, Germany, who was climbing with the Eco Everest Expedition to remove decades-old garbage … More »Three climbers die as Everest season winds down
KATHMANDU (Reuters) - Three climbers including a German physician died while descending from the summit of Mount Everest, officials said on Monday. Eberhard Schaaf, 61, from Aachen, Germany, who was climbing with the Eco Everest Expedition to remove decades-old … More »Three climbers die as Everest season winds down
High in the Swiss alpine village of Salins, plans are afoot to build a new hotel and residence complex catering to the hordes of skiers who flock to the resort each season. More »Swiss tourist regions outvoted in holiday homes upset
The Government's pledge to reduce environmental "red tape" must not be a smokescreen for stripping away vital protection for people's health and the countryside and allowing growth at all costs, MPs have warned. More »MPs warn over environment law plans
LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's drive to create a low-carbon economy is stalling, because the government is too reliant on voluntary action and the Treasury appears to regard the environment as an obstacle to economic growth, a parliamentary group warned … More »Green plan too reliant on voluntary action-MPs
Massive extraction of groundwater can resolve a puzzle over a rise in sea levels in past decades, scientists in Japan said on Sunday. More »Climate scientists say they have solved riddle of rising sea
Safety and standards on buses need to improve to boost public confidence in Northern Ireland, Environment Minister Alex Attwood has said. More »Attwood: Bus safety must improve
LONDON/FRANKFURT (Reuters) - To reach its strict climate targets and fulfill Chancellor Angela Merkel's nuclear exit plans, Germany needs to avoid coal and build a stack of gas power plants to secure clean energy supplies beyond 2020. Yet the challenge … More »Analysis - Germany's Merkel losing green battle to cheap coal
LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's climate policies can help shield the economy from oil and gas price shocks triggered by external factors such as the Arab Spring, an analysis commissioned by the government showed on Friday. Energy price spikes can often dent … More »UK climate policy can curb energy price shocks - report
The number of UK households in fuel poverty has dropped from 5.5 million in 2009 to 4.75 million in 2010. More »'Fall in fuel poverty' welcomed
LONDON (Reuters) - About 750,000 households were lifted out of fuel poverty in 2010 due to rising incomes among cash-strapped consumers and lower consumption following the roll out of energy efficient boilers, helped by stable energy prices, the government … More »About 750,000 households escape fuel poverty in 2010
BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel fired her environment minister on Wednesday after he led her party to a regional election defeat, replacing him with a loyal conservative ally to push through her plans to take German energy into the post-nuclear … More »Merkel ditches environment minister after poll rout
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Commission is in close contact with the United States and the International Energy Agency (IEA) but sees no immediate need for any release of oil stocks, the EU's energy chief said on Wednesday. Oil markets have been … More »EU talking to U.S. on oil release - EU energy chief
LONDON (Reuters) - European carbon prices should be at least twice their current value of just over 6 euros ($7.66) a tonne in order spur investment in cleaner technology, EU Energy Commissioner Guenther Oettinger said on Wednesday. Europe's recession … More »EU energy chief favours carbon at 12-18 eur/t
DUBLIN (Reuters) - Irish cider-maker C&C is uncertain whether a sales boost from this summer's Olympics and European football championships will be enough to grow its bottom line this year, its chief executive said on Wednesday. C&C, which sells cider … More »Irish cider firm C&C wary of predicting Olympic boost
LONDON (Reuters) - Alliance Boots , owner of Europe's biggest pharmacy chain, posted a 12.4 percent rise in full year trading profit, driven by international expansion. "In the coming year, we expect the economic environment to remain difficult with continuing … More »Alliance Boots profit boosted by expansion overseas
AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Dutch bank ABN AMRO said on Wednesday it expected quarterly profits to fall this year due to a rise in bad debt costs and continued pressure on interest margins after reporting a 17 percent fall in first-quarter underlying profit. … More »ABN AMRO sees lower profits in 2012, first quarter falls 17 percent
SYDNEY (Reuters) - BHP Billiton will not be spending $80 billion (50 billion pounds) on expansion projects over the next five years, Chairman Jac Nasser said on Wednesday. Nasser told reporters the expansion figure given by CEO Marius Kloppers last year … More »BHP says will not spend $80 billion on expansion projects
Men's sperm count could be reduced by exposure to chemicals in the environment, according to research. More »Chemicals 'may reduce sperm count'
LONDON (Reuters) - The role of Europe's traditional gas suppliers such as Russia and Norway will not be challenged by the prospect of new sources delivering into the continent, Germany's market leader E.ON Ruhrgas said on Tuesday. "I do believe we will … More »Europe's gas suppliers to keep grip on market - E.ON
Learner drivers could be allowed to drive at 70mph under radical changes to testing in Northern Ireland, the country's Environment Minister has said. More »Learner driver changes considered
LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices have found a long-term floor at $90-95 per barrel and nearby spot oil prices could rise sharply if Middle East tensions increase again, the co-heads of trading company Mercuria said on Monday. Marco Dunand and Daniel Jaeggi, … More »Arab Spring not over, oil to stay volatile - Mercuria
LONDON (Reuters) - Geneva-based energy trading house Mercuria is looking to buy into liquefied natural gas (LNG) assets in order to benefit from large gas trading opportunities that are developing between North America, Europe and Asia. Speaking at the … More »Mercuria looks to invest in LNG assets
LONDON (Reuters) - Europe should focus on cutting carbon emissions, rather than just repeating an existing range of EU green policy targets that expire at the end of the decade, Britain's energy and climate chief said on Monday. Business, which needs … More »UK wants EU focus on new CO2 cuts, not renewables
Parts of England are no longer in drought following the wettest April on record and continuing rain this month, the Environment Agency has said. More »Record Rain Ends Drought In English Counties
LONDON (Reuters) - Some parts of England are no longer in drought, after the wettest April on record restored water levels, the Environment Agency said on Friday. Last month, the agency had said a drought affecting parts of the country could last until … More »Parts of England get respite from drought - agency