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UN aims to set standards for scandal-hit carbon markets

Governments could finally approve new UN standards for countries and companies wanting to trade carbon credits, a long-awaited decision some hope can bring credibility to a scandal-ridden sector.

US town on alert after 43 monkeys escape research facility

More than 40 monkeys were on the loose Thursday in a small US town after escaping a research facility, with authorities warning residents to keep their doors and windows closed.

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Ex-Volkswagen CEO denies charges in 'dieselgate' trial

Former Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn denied the charges against him as his "dieselgate" trial began, his lawyer said Tuesday, nine years after the scandal first plunged the German auto titan into crisis.

UK announces record green energy auction

The UK on Tuesday said it had awarded a record 131 new green infrastructure projects in a single auction, including plans for Europe's two biggest offshore windfarms.

India launches flood warning systems at Himalayan glacial lakes

India is setting up high-tech warning systems at nearly 200 Himalayan glacial lakes at risk of bursting their banks, a deadly threat exacerbated by climate change, disaster officials said Tuesday.

Ex-Volkswagen CEO goes on trial over 'dieselgate'

Former Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn went on trial Tuesday for his role in the "dieselgate" scandal, nine years after the saga first plunged the German auto titan into crisis.

Larry the Downing Street cat gets 'Russian' rival

Larry the Downing Street cat is facing a challenge to his position as the British government's chief mouser -- a cute "Russian" kitten.

US climate envoy John Podesta to visit China this week

US climate envoy John Podesta will visit China this week for talks with counterpart Liu Zhenmin, state media said Tuesday, ahead of the COP29 summit in Baku in November.

'Queen of Trash' in dock in Sweden's biggest toxic waste scandal

Eleven people go on trial in Sweden on Tuesday accused of illegally dumping toxic waste in the country's biggest-ever environmental crime case.

Swaths of China, Japan log record summer temperatures

Swaths of China logged the hottest August on record last month, the weather service said, as Japanese authorities announced that this summer had been the joint warmest since records began.

Swathes of China, Japan log record summer temperatures

Swathes of China logged the hottest August on record last month, the weather service said, as Japanese authorities announced that 2024 had been its warmest summer since records began.

Norway's electric car sales set new world record

Electric car sales in Norway took a 94-percent share of the market in August -- a new world record -- statistics showed Monday, as sales in the rest of Europe stagnate.

Tiger mauls handler at Australian theme park

An animal handler was mauled by a tiger at Australia's Dreamworld theme park on Monday, emergency services said, and rushed to hospital with deep wounds on her arm.

Anti-whaling fight continues from prison, Watson says

Anti-whaling activist Paul Watson's detention in a Greenland prison pending his possible extradition to Japan has not prevented him from continuing his fight to save the animals, he told AFP in an interview.

'Russian spy' whale found dead in Norway

A Beluga whale whose strange harness sparked suspicions it was trained by Russia for spying purposes has been found dead in Norway, according to an NGO which tracks his movements.

Weakening Shanshan rains still disrupting transport in Japan

A powerful typhoon now downgraded to a tropical storm was still disrupting flights and trains in Japan Saturday, with authorities warning of possible landslides caused by heavy rain.

Activists seek clarity over mining ban in Ecuador forest reserve

A sprawling Ecuadoran forest reserve, home to toucans and the spectacled bear, is at the heart of a tug-of-war between environmentalist and miners.

Weakening typhoon churns through Japan, up to six dead

Typhoon Shanshan weakened to a tropical storm Friday but was still dumping heavy rains as it slowly churned through Japan, triggering transport havoc and landslide warnings, with up to six people killed.

Australian sauna helps save frogs from flesh-eating fungus

Hundreds of endangered Australian Green and Golden Bell frogs huddle inside a sauna, shielded from Sydney's winter chill.

Typhoon Shanshan barrels up Japan as five reported dead

Typhoon Shanshan slowly barrelled up the Japanese archipelago Friday, dumping torrential rains and causing transport havoc as its reported death toll reached five.

Coastal cities alarmingly slow to adapt to climate change: study

Coastal cities are not doing enough to adapt to climate change, taking too long and implementing insufficient measures, according to a major study published this week.

Quarter of China's energy now comes from non-carbon sources: white paper

A quarter of all the energy China consumes now comes from non-carbon sources, according to research published Thursday, as Beijing rapidly pivots its huge economy to a greener footing.

One quarter of China's energy now comes from clean sources: white paper

A quarter of all the energy China consumes now comes from clean sources, according to research published Thursday, as Beijing rapidly pivots its huge economy to a greener footing.

South Korea court to rule on embryo plaintiff climate case

A groundbreaking climate case brought against the South Korean government by young environmental activists who named an embryo as a lead plaintiff is set to be decided Thursday by the country's Constitutional Court.

Powerful Typhoon Shanshan slams into southern Japan

Typhoon Shanshan slammed into Japan's main southern island of Kyushu early Thursday, with authorities advising thousands of people to evacuate and issuing the highest warning level for wind and storm surges.

Switzerland reopens door for new nuclear power plants

Switzerland said Wednesday it was open to building new nuclear power stations in the long term, given new geopolitical uncertainties, climate targets and population growth boosting the demand for electricity.

Wildfires push Canada into top four CO2 emitters

Record wildfires last year bumped Canada into the top four CO2-emitting countries in the world, according to a study Wednesday that also cast doubt on its forests' future ability to capture and store significant amounts of carbon dioxide.

Tens of millions bake under extreme heat in eastern United States

Nearly 60 million people were sweltering under heat alerts on Wednesday as a late-summer surge of extreme temperatures blanketed much of the eastern half of the United States.

China's solar sector blazes trail in commitment to renewables

Hundreds of rows of gleaming panels blanket swathes of scrubby sand at sunset in a remote northern Chinese desert -- once the biggest solar farm in the world.

Toyota shutters Japan factories as typhoon approaches

Auto giant Toyota is suspending production at all its factories in Japan because of an approaching typhoon, the company said Wednesday.

US patient dies from rare mosquito-borne disease

A person in the northeastern US state of New Hampshire has died after contracting the rare mosquito-borne eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) virus, health authorities announced Tuesday.

The battle over mining mineral-rich deep sea 'nodules'

They might look like pebbles strewn across the seafloor, but to the unique animals of the ocean deep, polymetallic nodules are a crucial habitat.

As climate warms, S. Korea fights new border threat: malarial mosquitoes

Near the heavily fortified border that divides North and South Korea, a monitoring device is working 24-7 -- not tracking missiles or troop movements, but catching malaria-carrying mosquitoes that may cross the border.

UN's Guterres issues 'global SOS' over fast-rising Pacific ocean

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres voiced a global climate "SOS" at a Pacific islands summit on Tuesday, unveiling research that shows the region's seas rising much more swiftly than global averages.

Zürcher Nachrichten - Nature (English)