Zürcher Nachrichten

Featured

California vows to step in if Trump kills US EV tax credit

California will revive its own subsidy programs for electric vehicles if Donald Trump guts US federal tax breaks for such cars, the state's governor said Monday.

Plastic pollution talks must not fail: UN environment chief

Talks to agree the world's first treaty to curb plastic pollution cannot fail and must tackle both production and consumption, the UN's environment chief told AFP on Monday.

Last news

Ethiopia, Egypt, Sudan resume Nile dam talks

Ethiopia said Saturday it had begun a second round of talks with Egypt and Sudan over a controversial mega-dam built by Addis Ababa on the Nile, long a source of tensions among the three nations.

Crowdfunding conservation: A Pacific island's plan to protect its waters

For a little under $150, you can now directly sponsor marine conservation across one square kilometer of the Pacific Ocean, through a novel scheme announced this week by the tiny island of Niue.

Charles wraps up France trip with cheering crowds in Bordeaux

King Charles III on Friday enjoyed a warm welcome from cheering crowds, a glass of organic wine and even an encounter with llamas as he wrapped up a state visit to France with a stop in the southwestern city of Bordeaux focused on the environment.

Major Indonesia coal plant back near capacity despite pollution concerns

Indonesia has restored one of the biggest coal-fired power plants in Southeast Asia to near full capacity, its operator told AFP Friday, after it was ordered to slice output to curb pollution in capital Jakarta.

New Zealand probes mystery illness killing rare penguins

A mystery illness is decimating the chicks of New Zealand's endangered yellow-eyed penguins, and scientists say they may have found the cause.

Arson turns Amazon reforestation project to ashes

It was supposed to be a good-news story out of the damaged Amazon rainforest: a project that replanted hundreds of thousands of trees in an illegally deforested nature reserve in Brazil.

King Charles's France trip closing with climate focus

King Charles III on Friday puts the environment at the heart of the final day of his state visit to France, learning about climate-induced wildfires and visiting a sustainable vineyard in the heart of wine country.

Ex-UN climate chief has 'lost patience' with fossil fuel industry

The UN's former climate chief said Thursday she had "lost patience" with fossil fuel companies and that they should steer clear of crunch talks in Dubai if the industry refuses to be part of the solution.

UK backtracks on net zero policies

The UK will soften policies aimed at achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050 and instead pursue a "pragmatic" approach to hitting the target, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said Wednesday.

Marshes, mills and Michelin stars: Spain's 'chef of the sea'

As a child, Angel Leon spent hours fishing in the marshes of Cadiz in southwestern Spain -- and today the chef draws inspiration from this terrain for his three-star Michelin restaurant.

Six young people sue 32 European states over climate change

Six Portuguese youths are taking 32 nations to the European Court of Human Rights this month for not doing enough to stop global warming, the latest bid to secure climate justice through the courts.

Australia gives up fight to eradicate bee-killing parasite

Australia on Wednesday abandoned its fight to eradicate the destructive Varroa mite, an invasive parasite responsible for the collapse of honeybee populations across the planet.

Australia gives up fight to eradicate Varroa mite

Australia on Wednesday abandoned its fight to eradicate the destructive Varroa mite, an invasive parasite responsible for the collapse of honeybee populations across the planet.

At UN, Zelensky set for first in-person Russia showdown of war

Ukraine's president is set to go face to face with Russian officials for the first time since his country was invaded, as the UN Security Council meets Wednesday for a potentially dramatic session.

Invasive species on the menu at London restaurant

A London restaurant is exploring whether eating invasive species such as grey squirrel, American Signal crayfish and Japanese knotweed could help fight their spread, but scientists remain sceptical.

Most species of 'world's largest flower' risk extinction: study

Most species of the famously large Rafflesia flower, which has long captured the imagination with its enormous speckled red petals, are now at risk of extinction, new research warned Wednesday.

Courtrooms: a growing arena in the climate fight

The battle against climate change is increasingly being fought in the courtroom, as national governments, specific laws and individual companies are targeted for their roles in the crisis.

Tire maker honored for tackling electric car pollution

Electric cars are widely hailed as the future of transport, but even though they eliminate the issue of fuel emissions from tailpipes, the problem of particle pollution as a result of tire wear hasn't been resolved.

COP28 will include first local climate summit

A summit for non-national authorities will take place during crunch UN climate talks in the United Arab Emirates, officials said Tuesday, in recognition of the role of cities and local governments in averting ecological disaster.

For climate activists, New York's lights shine too bright

New York's annual Climate Week is underway, bringing together activists, politicians and business leaders for hundreds of events aimed at addressing the planetary crisis.

Marine heatwaves last longer in deeper water: study

Marine heatwaves may last longer and be more intense in deeper water, potentially threatening sensitive species as climate change makes the extreme events more frequent, researchers said on Monday.

IEA chief Birol: an 'unexpected hero' of climate fight

Fatih Birol had big dreams of becoming a footballer or a filmmaker when he was younger.

Firefighters battle peatland blazes as haze shrouds Indonesian city

Firefighters on a western Indonesian island were battling large peatland fires on Friday that have covered Palembang, a city of nearly two million people, in a haze for weeks, officials said.

The tricky path to tripling renewable energy capacity

Significant hurdles lie ahead of the G20's renewable energy target agreed in New Delhi last weekend, but the ambitious goal is feasible, experts say.

Two dead as police, illegal miners clash in Venezuelan Amazon

Clashes between illegal gold miners and soldiers trying to dislodge them from a natural reserve in Venezuela left two civilians dead and six people injured, authorities said Thursday.

Maldives frontrunner eyes closer ties with China

The Maldives stands at a geopolitical crossroads ahead of its presidential runoff vote with the frontrunner, a former construction minister, set on demolishing India's influence and building stronger ties with China.

Heat, drought, fires threaten Lebanon's northern forests

Heatwaves, low rainfall and the threat of wildfires are compounding the woes of people in the forested north of Lebanon, a country where economic pain has long taken prominence over environmental concerns.

EU confronts Chinese subsidies with electric car probe

Brussels will investigate Chinese state subsidies for electric cars, the EU chief said Wednesday, vowing to defend Europe's industry from unfair competition.

Breathless Indonesians irate over pollution crisis

Soaring pollution in Indonesia's capital has left 35-year-old Asep Muizudin Muhamad Darmini hooked up to breathing tubes at a Jakarta hospital, gazing at the dense grey haze outside.

Colombia deadliest country for green activists in 2022: report

Environmental activist murders doubled in Colombia last year, making it the most dangerous country in the world for those trying to protect the planet, a watchdog said Tuesday.

IEA sees 'beginning of the end' of fossil fuel era

For the first time, world demand for oil, gas and coal is forecast to peak this decade due to the "spectacular" growth of cleaner energy technologies and electric cars, the International Energy Agency's chief said Tuesday.

Fossil fuel demand to peak this decade: IEA chief in FT

World demand for oil, gas and coal is forecast to peak this decade for the first time as the use of cleaner energy and electric cars accelerates, the International Energy Agency's chief wrote Tuesday in the Financial Times.

Zürcher Nachrichten - Nature (English)