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Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera reports that the wildfires affecting various areas across Europe are now spreading in Greece and Turkey. The European Union’s crisis management commissioner Hadja Lahbib “said the EU must ensure its climate strategy remains in lockstep with realities on the ground, as global warming advances faster than scientists previously projected”, according to the outlet. The Independent reports that temperatures in France and Europe “are set to soar again”, increasing the risk of wildfires. Separately, the Independent says: “Three of the 15 largest wildfires since the European Union began recording data 20 years ago have burned during the past month.” Reuters reports that “climate change is intensifying the hot, dry conditions that allow wildfires to spread faster and burn longer”. The Associated Press reports that “an uncontained wildfire four times the size of Paris threatened to surge again in southwest France on Wednesday”. Euractiv says the fires this year “could rival last year’s [EU] record of more than one million hectares burnt, with the total area affected reaching about 435,000 hectares by Wednesday”. The New York Times quotes climate scientist Johan Rockstrom, who says the fires will “inevitably get worse” as the planet warms.
The Financial Times says wildfires “threaten to inflict lasting damage” on one of the best-known oyster-producing regions in France. The Independent reports that wildfires near Bordeaux are causing concerns for wineries. Time asks: “Could wildfires overshadow Spain’s eclipse?” The Daily Telegraph describes the costs that Spain and France will face with “rebuilding and preparing for similar emergencies” as an “economic thunderbolt”. E&E News reports that the wildfires in Spain “risk becoming a political liability for the center-right People’s Party ahead of a pivotal election next year”, due to "perceived strategic failings” in dealing with the emergency. Politico reports that goats could be used to create firebreaks in the landscape. Separately, Politico says that “frequent, expensive natural disasters are testing Europe’s ability to protect itself against the cost of global warming”.
MORE ON EUROPE
Reuters reports that Spain and the UK have signed an agreement “‘to move forward together’ in the fight against climate change”. The UK and French governments have also signed a similar agreement, as noted by Carbon Brief’s Leo Hickman on social media. Bloomberg reports on concerns that “persistent drought will prolong constraints on French nuclear generation and leave the region more reliant on limited natural gas supplies”. Reuters: "Romania will shut down its second nuclear reactor on the Danube river, the energy ministry said on Wednesday, three days after decades-low river levels forced it to shut down the first.” Euractiv: “An EU state aid probe could help Romania avoid paying an arbitration award worth over €42m to ten European solar energy investors, who sued the government under the Energy Charter Treaty.” Vox explains why Europe is warming twice as fast as the global average. Deutsche Welle outlines the impacts of extreme weather on agriculture in Germany.
Mark Poynting, BBC News
The Environment Agency (EA) has declared drought across more than half of England, BBC News reports. The broadcaster says: “There is no single definition of drought, but it usually refers to a period of prolonged unusually dry weather that can have impacts on people, nature and the environment.” It continues: “Today's announcement means there have been three droughts in the past five years – 2022, 2025 and now 2026. While droughts happen naturally, scientists say that climate change is raising the risks, with higher summer temperatures drying out soils more quickly.” The Guardian reports that the “flash drought” has developed because of unusually low rainfall and high temperatures. It adds: “July has had only 7% of the expected rainfall, falling to 1% across southern England, with no substantial rainfall on the way.” The Times reports that “most of England is on high alert for wildfires” and BBC News says fire services are facing “extreme demand”. Outlets including the Financial Times, Reuters and the Independent also report on the drought.
Meanwhile, BBC News has a feature on “how the UK's extreme heat is shifting the conversation about air-con”. [See Carbon Brief’s recent article: “Eight facts about air conditioning amid an overheated global debate.”] The Daily Express says: “A major incident has been declared after a huge forest fire broke out near Sizewell B nuclear power station.” The Daily Telegraph claims on its frontpage: “The NHS has been forced to cancel blood tests during the summer heatwaves amid net-zero restrictions on air-conditioning units. The Daily Telegraph also reports that “Waitrose is preparing to roll out Mediterranean-style fridges that can withstand temperatures of up to 48C”. The Guardian covers a new study, which finds that “repeated use of saunas could help people cope better in heatwaves”. BBC News reports on the wildfires that have been burning in the Cairngorms for two weeks, causing “apocalyptic damage”.
MORE ON UK
The Associated Press reports that “Donald Trump has said [new prime minister] Andy Burnham told him that he was going to ‘open up North Sea oil’”. BBC News reports that “Ofgem has proposed new measures which could see developers of data centres made to pay hundreds of millions of pounds up front”, in an effort to manage “mounting demand for connections to the electricity grid”. The Financial Times reports on new data from broker Cavendish, which shows that “North Sea operators have committed $18.9bn to international expansion since 2022, compared with $6.47bn on deals at home”. The Daily Telegraph says the chief executives of the UK's biggest supermarkets have called for Burnham to set targets to increase domestic fruit and vegetables production, amid “fears that increasing incidents of extreme weather will cripple crop production in countries that help stock Britain’s shelves”. The Daily Telegraph reports that Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has, via a letter to the newspaper, “defended her vow to scrap the net-zero target, insisting it is the only way to bring down energy prices and grow the economy”. BBC News reports that “five islands have secured Scottish government funding to help them towards becoming carbon neutral”.
Bloomberg
China’s new “five-year plan” for its national climate change response signals it will take a “more important role in steering the global campaign to tackle climate change”, reports Bloomberg. “China’s influence, guiding capacity, shaping power and moral appeal in global climate governance will be significantly enhanced” through 2030, says the outlet, citing the document. The plan also calls for implementing the dual control of carbon and expanding non-fossil energy use, according to state news agency Xinhua. China will also continue expanding “green electricity” use and developing zero-carbon factories, industrial parks and computing facilities, says industry news outlet BJX News. “Green development” of the construction and transportation sector will also be supported, it continues. The document also calls for “climate risk assessments and stronger responses” to extreme weather events, says Xinhua. Cumulative turnover in China’s national carbon market had exceeded 62.9bn yuan ($9.3bn), reports state broadcaster CCTV. China Environment News carries the |
