Pollution








Asia

North America

Environment

Thames Water crisis prompts UK water reforms

On Monday, Britain will announce measures to fix the broken water sector. Thames Water is on the verge of collapse and needs to "reset" its regulations to avoid nationalisation. The biggest water company in the country has been fighting to survive for 18 months. If the company fails, the government will have to step in and add billions to already stretched public finances. Last year, Britain ordered a review of the privatised water sector in England and Wales. The industry needs massive investments to fix its aging infrastructure and stop sewage spills that angered public. The review is being led...

Climate Change

Trump boosts coal to feed data centers that are energy hungry

Executive Orders to Boost the Coal Industry Trump Administration pulls back plants from retirement The United States has ceased its efforts to reduce coal consumption By Carey L. Biron Then, the Trump administration issued an order to keep the plant operating, citing a regional energy crisis caused, in part by the retirements of coal and natural gas power plants. Trump issued executive orders to boost the coal industry. These were in response to the rapidly increasing electricity demand for new data centres that run artificial intelligence tools. The rebound is a resupply of coal for the JH Campbell plant, located...

Pollution

Union says EPA must reinstate workers placed on leave due to a dissenting letter.

Leah Douglas WASHINGTON (July 10) - A union official wrote to EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin Thursday that employees of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency who were recently placed on leave for signing a critical letter of Trump's administration policies should be reinstated. The 139 employees and hundreds of other EPA personnel signed the letter of June 30, accusing the agency harmful deregulatory action and ignoring science. Under the direction of President Donald Trump's directives, the agency is going through a major restructuring, which includes staff reductions, elimination of grant programs and grants, and environmental justice. In a letter to Zeldin,...

Environment

Health Rounds: Plastic waste can be used to make a widely used pain medication

Researchers have found that common bacteria can convert plastic waste into acetaminophen (an over-the-counter painkiller), which researchers discovered. Acetaminophen is made from fossil fuels, and it's the main ingredient of Tylenol, also known as Paracetamol in certain countries. AstraZeneca helped develop the new method that transforms a polyethylene terephthalate molecule into Tylenol’s active ingredient. The process produces virtually no carbon dioxide emissions. Researchers said that the plastic can be converted into the drug in less than 24 hrs at room temperature, by using a similar fermentation process to beer brewing. PET, a lightweight, strong plastic that is used in water...

Climate Change

US Environmental Agency puts 139 employees on Leave after criticizing Trump's Policies

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has placed 139 employees in administrative leave following a letter they signed criticizing President Donald Trump's policy. The letter, titled "Declaration of Dissent," was made public this week. The letter accused the federal agency of "harmful deregulation," of "ignoring scientific consensus in order to benefit polluters," and of "promoting a climate of fear." The letter was sent as another round of expected staff reductions is looming and as the agency undergoes major reorganization. This includes the dissolution and cancellation of millions of dollars of grants and its office of Research. The letter was signed by...

Pollution

Top cases heard by the US Supreme Court in 2025-2026

The U.S. Supreme Court is preparing to decide a number of cases during its upcoming term that begins in October. These cases include issues like transgender rights; campaign finance laws; gay "conversion therapies"; crisis pregnancy centers; religious rights and the death penalty. The following are some of the cases that will be heard during the upcoming court term. Separately, the court has also acted in emergency cases involving challenges against President Donald Trump's policy. TRANSGENDER SPORTS PARTICIPATION On July 3, the court decided to hear Idaho and West Virginia's bid to enforce state laws that prohibit transgender athletes in female...

Environment

IDB aims to unlock more than $11 billion for sustainability goals

The Inter-American Development Bank wants to unlock at least 11 billion dollars in sustainable financing to help countries deal with events such as natural disasters, which put pressure on their currencies and hinder private-sector investments. Multilateral lenders are being pressed to find innovative ways to address climate change, biodiversity loss and other challenges as the United States and richer nations reduce official development aid. Ilan Goldfajn, IDB president, said that the IDB's actions would inspire the private sector to contribute more - a priority of the conference. He said: "We are not just announcing new ideas, we're launching the things...

Climate Change

IDB will increase climate finance support to at least $11 billion

Inter-American Development Bank President, said that the bank aims to attract at least $11billion in new climate finance by launching a series initiatives to assist countries with global warming impacts and to attract private funding. Multilateral lenders, such as IDB, are being encouraged to squeeze even more out of what they already have. Ilan Goldfajn, speaking on the sidelines of 4th International Conference on Financing for Development said that the IDB's series of actions would help to attract more private funding - which was a major goal of the conference. He said: "We are not merely announcing new ideas, we're...

Oil & Gas Refining

US Supreme Court dismisses Exxon’s appeal of $14.25 million air pollution penalty

The U.S. Supreme Court rejected Exxon Mobil Corp.'s attempt to reverse a civil penalty of $14.25m that a court imposed as part of a long-running case over air pollution in its Baytown, Texas crude oil refinery. Exxon asked the Justices to review the case, after a lower-court in December upheld a penalty that was the highest ever imposed in a citizen's lawsuit seeking enforcement of protections against pollution in the air under the landmark Clean Air Act. The lawsuit was filed by the Environment Texas Citizen Lobby in 2010 and the Sierra Club. It focused on Exxon’s Baytown operation, the...

Pollution

Canadian Carbon Tech Startup attracts US Interest Post-Trump

After Donald Trump was elected, a Canadian startup has reported an increase in inquiries from U.S. firms. Deep Sky, a startup, recently finished construction of its "Alpha Direct Air Capture" test ground, in Alberta. It will allow 10 companies to fine-tune and deploy technologies as they work towards developing commercial-scale plants. Deep Sky CEO Alex Petre stated that due to the Trump administration’s decreased focus on climate and uncertainty regarding the future funding support of DAC technology in the U.S., Deep Sky has received more inquiries from U.S. carbon tech developers than they expected. She said that the changes south...

Electric Utilities

Former US nuclear regulators condemn Trump's firing NRC commissioner

On Tuesday, nearly 30 former employees and officials at the U.S. Nuclear Power Regulator criticized President Donald Trump for firing a commissioner from the independent agency. They said that the action placed politics above safety and public health. Why it's Important The firing of Chris Hanson this month, a Democrat at the five member Nuclear Regulatory Commission, followed Trump's Executive Orders on accelerating the Agency's reactor approvals, as artificial intelligence (AI) and data centers are driving the first increase in U.S. energy demand in 20 years. These orders also included efforts to restructure NRC and evaluate its staffing levels. Experts...

Power Markets

Fuel producers can challenge California emission standards in US Supreme Court

The U.S. Supreme Court agreed on Friday that the legal challenge against California's vehicle emission standards and electric cars, under a federal law on air pollution, should not have been dismissed. In a 7-2 decision, the justices overturned a lower-court's dismissal of a lawsuit filed by a Valero Energy affiliate and groups from the fuel industry. The lower court concluded that plaintiffs did not have the legal standing required to challenge the 2022 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's decision to allow California to set its own regulation. The majority wrote: "The government cannot target an industry or business through a stringent,...

Europe

Pollution

Greece will draft urgent reforms in order to address water scarcity, says PM

The rapid decrease in water levels of Greece's reservoirs shows the water scarcity issues the country faces due to climate changes, said Prime Minister Kyriakos Mistiakos on Wednesday. Urgent reforms are required. Mitsotakis informed ministers that the water level in reservoirs that feed the capital Athens has dropped by 50%. The meeting was to discuss strategies to address water-related problems expected to arise in the next thirty years. Data showed that Europe was the continent with the fastest rate of warming. Last year, Greece, located on Europe's southernmost frontier, and using about 10 billion cubic meters of water per annum,...

Pollution

The central banks are being told to prepare themselves for a climate shock on the labour market

A report released on Wednesday by London School of Economics warns that central banks could be blindsided by climate-driven shocks in global labour markets, unless they change their approach to monetary policies. Climate change will lower productivity in many sectors, including agriculture, construction, and those exposed to heat, even in the most optimistic of scenarios, where global warming is limited between 1.5 and 2 degrees. The Centre for Economic Transition Expertise's (CETEx), in a report, urged the monetary authorities to pay more attention to environmental risks. This includes natural disasters and the effects of the green transformation. Joe Feyertag is...

Pollution

What are the main recommendations for reforming UK’s water sector

A report published on Monday detailed a plan for overhauling Britain's water industry, aiming to protect consumers, investors and the environment. After releasing sewage levels that were unprecedented into rivers and lakes in England and Wales, the privatised water industry sparked widespread outrage. The Labour government promised major reforms after it was elected. Here are some of the highlights from the 88 recommendations made by the Independent Water Commission in the report: SINGLE WATER RULATOR The report recommends that a single regulator for water in England, and another in Wales replace the fragmented regulatory systems. The report stated that this...

Western Europe

East Asia

Carbon Emissions

Australia PM promotes green steel when iron ore miner meets Chinese steelmakers

Australia and China need to work together more closely on green steel, said Anthony Albanese, the Prime Minister of Australia, in Shanghai, on Monday. He also called for China, the world's biggest steelmaker, to reduce its excess production capacity. China depends on Australia for two-thirds or its iron ore consumption by its massive steel industry. This trade will bring Canberra A$105 Billion ($68.90 Billion) in this financial year according to the most recent government estimates. Decarbonisation, which requires higher-grade iron ore from countries such as Guinea and Brazil, puts this trade at risk for Australia. Green steel is metal that's...

Environment

EU delays signing climate pledge with China, FT reports

A top climate official said in comments published by the Financial Times on Monday that the European Union will not sign a joint climate pledge with China during a summit to celebrate a half-century diplomatic relationship. EU climate targets are some of the most ambitious in the world, but have always been based on domestic emission reductions. The bloc has a deadline of mid-September to submit to the UN a new climate target for 2035. Officials from the EU said that Brussels refused Beijing's repeated demands for a climate agreement after the summit between the second and third largest economies...

Environment

EU delays signing climate pledge with China, FT reports

A top climate official said in comments published by the Financial Times on Monday that the European Union will not sign a joint climate pledge with China during a summit to celebrate a half-century diplomatic relationship. EU climate targets are some of the most ambitious in the world, but have always been based on domestic emission reductions. It faces a deadline of mid-September to submit to the United Nations a new climate target for 2035. Officials from the EU said that Brussels refused Beijing's repeated demands for a climate agreement after the summit between the second and third largest economies...

Environment

US rejects UN summit, but global leaders vow development push

The first ever summit of its kind began in Seville on Monday in scorching temperatures, with the world leaders increasingly under pressure to reduce poverty and limit Climate change Other key development goals are increasingly in danger. U.N. Chief Antonio Guterres stated that the event was intended to "repair and rev up" an international system in which "trust is fraying, and multilateralism has been strained." This was a jab at the most notable absence from the conference - U.S. president Donald Trump. The world's biggest economy and its traditional largest aid donor, refused to take part in the conference after...

Climate Change

At the Spain Summit, global leaders address poverty and climate goals

On Monday, a once-in-10-year summit began in Seville as world leaders are under increasing pressure to speed up progress on poverty reduction. Climate change The Sustainable Development Goals are at greater risk of failing. The U.N. Chief, Antonio Guterres said that the event was intended to "repair and rev up" an existing system of cooperation in which "trust is fraying, and multilateralism has been strained." The U.S. president Donald Trump was notably absent from the summit, which had been attended by more than 50 leaders of the world. This is because the leader of the largest economy in the world...

Environment

Stellantis and Renault fear China's rivals in the small car market, and lobby EU for less rules

Stellantis, a French company, and Renault, a Chinese automaker, are pushing for fewer safety features in small cars, which would make them more affordable. In the past two months, Stellantis chairman John Elkann has engaged in a public campaign that is rare to try and get the European Union's attention on the issue. It is a goal to revive the small car segment that was abandoned by Europe's automobile manufacturers because they were unprofitable. They blame this on regulations which make vehicles heavier, larger and more expensive. Elkann said last week that Europe needed its own version, which could be...

Pollution

Scientists in Japan have developed plastic that dissolves within hours in seawater

Researchers in Japan developed a plastic which dissolves in the seawater in just a few hours. This could be a solution to a problem that is destroying oceans today and harming animals. Researchers from the RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science at the University of Tokyo claim that their new material breaks up much faster and leaves no residue trace. The team showed that a piece of plastic vanished from a container of salted water after stirring it for an hour. The team's research, according to project leader Takuzo Aida, has drawn a lot of interest from the packaging industry....

Environment

Nikkei reports that China will resume seafood imports to Japan once the fears over Fukushima thaw.

The Nikkei reported Friday that China and Japan had agreed on procedures for resuming imports of Japanese fisheries products. This could be a sign that a trade embargo is ending, according to a source in Japan's ruling political party. The agreement was reached at a bilateral meeting between officials on Wednesday in Beijing. Both governments are working to reduce tensions resulting from the release of treated wastewater by Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in 2023. The report stated that under the agreed-upon measures, Japan would register its fishery processing plants with Chinese authorities and export shipments would include certificates of...

Refined Products

US to declare Biden fuel efficiency rules beyond legal authority

Automakers said that the U.S. Transportation Department will declare that the fuel economy regulations issued by then-President Joe Biden, which included electric vehicles when setting the rules exceeded the legal authority of the government. Sean Duffy, Transportation Secretary, said that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration of the Department submitted to the White House on Friday its interpretive rule "Resetting Corporate Average Fuel Economy Program". He said that the previous administration "illegally" used CAFE standards to impose a mandate for electric vehicles, which drove up car prices. The reduction in fuel efficiency requirements could be achieved by removing EVs as...

Pollution

North and Central China is hit by heatwave

On Tuesday, temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius (104 degree Fahrenheit), scorched northern and central China. Authorities issued heat warnings to farmers and offered assistance to protect their food production. The temperatures in China's Hebei Province, Henan Province, which is a major wheat-producing area known as China's Granary, and Shandong province (in the east) all reached 40 degrees Celsius on Tuesday. Authorities reported that in Zhengzhou and Shahe (both located in Henan Province), the mercury reached its highest level ever for May on Monday. National Meteorological Centre of the United States said that temperatures will continue to rise until Wednesday. Climate...

Environment

North and Central China is hit by heatwave

On Tuesday, temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius (104 degree Fahrenheit), scorched northern and central China. Authorities issued heat warnings to farmers and offered assistance to protect their food production. The temperatures in China's Hebei Province, Henan Province, which is a major wheat-producing area known as China's Granary, and Shandong province (in the east) all reached 40 degrees Celsius on Tuesday. Authorities reported that in Zhengzhou and Shahe (both located in Henan Province), the mercury reached its highest level ever for May on Monday. National Meteorological Centre of the United States said that temperatures will continue to rise until Wednesday. Climate...

Pollution

EU legislators set to accelerate softer CO2 emissions targets for cars

The European Parliament has cleared the way for a rapid approval of EU CO2 emission targets for cars and vans, which will give automakers more time and reduce potential fines. European automakers warned that failing to meet existing targets this year could lead to fines up to 15 billion euro ($17.0 billion), as the goals depend on selling more electric cars, a segment in which they are behind their Chinese and U.S. competitors. After heavy lobbying by automakers, the European Commission has proposed that they meet their targets using the average emissions for the period of 2025-2027 rather than this...