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Nayla Razzouk, Bloomberg
Bloomberg reports that France has recorded more than 7,000 excess deaths in the two heatwaves in June and July, “as industry and public health services were hit by the country’s hottest month in more than a century”. It adds that at least 5,764 excess deaths were recorded from 17 June to 2 July, and a further 1,243 from 3-22 July, according to Santé Publique France. France24 reports that nearly three-quarters of the excess deaths "concern people aged 75 and over", though they affected "all age groups from 45 and over". Reuters notes that July was the hottest month on record in France and one of the driest. It adds that “Europe as a whole has experienced more extreme warming, linked to human-induced climate change, than any other continent this year”.
MORE ON EUROPE
Bloomberg reports that rising ocean temperatures now have the potential to cause intense storms in Europe this year, according to new research from World Weather Attribution. Agence France-Presse reports that Lake Zurich’s water level has dropped to its lowest level in 75 years, amid a “drawn-out drought”. Politico looks at how “historic heat is forcing the French government to rethink its spending plans”. The Associated Press reports that champagne producers are “racing to pick their grapes as the region’s earliest harvest on record gets underway, after extreme heat and drought accelerated ripening”.
Lu Yutong, Caixin
China’s new energy vehicle (NEV) exports rose 86.5% to 610,000 units in July, with value climbing 90% to $11.54bn, reports Caixin, citing the General Administration of Customs. Overall, “new three” exports rose 51%, with battery exports increasing by 30% and solar cells dropping 40%, adds the outlet. It says that China’s strong exports of “green-energy products” are supporting its “trade momentum” as exporters “front-load shipments” ahead of changes in US tariffs. Chinese automaker Chery will establish a research and development centre in the UK in late autumn 2026, reports Reuters. It adds that “boosted by competitive pricing”, Chinese auto brands now account for about 15% of new UK vehicle registrations from January to June. An article by the Communist Party-affiliated newspaper People’s Daily says that the “real challenge” for the EU’s auto sector is whether it can “strike a balance between the green transition, industrial security and openness and cooperation”. The newspaper says that, currently, its attitude toward Chinese NEVs remains “complex”, but cooperation is “far more in line with Europe's long-term interests” than protectionism.
MORE ON CHINA
Torrential rains lashed south-western China, killing 10 people in a house collapse and a landslide, with tens of thousands more evacuated, reports Reuters. A Global Times editorial says that rather than having “nitpicked the short-term challenges”, such as China’s wind and solar power curtailment, the global north should “tackle” its own energy transition troubles. The “industrial utilisation” of carbon dioxide is becoming “extensive” as the deadline for carbon peaking approaches, says People’s Daily. A local official in Beijing writes in People’s Daily, calling for leveraging “ecological advantages” to promote the “industrialisation of ecological resources”. Niu Huayong, professor at Beijing Foreign Studies University, writes in People’s Daily that China should improve the “green taxation system” to promote “green consumption” and low-carbon transformation of traditional industries. China Daily publishes an opinion article by reporter Hou Liqiang, saying that China is offering a “legislative reference to other countries” by integrating ecological protection and low-carbon development into a single code.
Martin Strydom, The Times
The Times covers new forecasts that the energy price cap could jump 4% in the UK, to the highest level in three years. The Independent adds that bills are set to increase despite the prime minister’s plan to remove VAT from household electricity bills from October. BusinessGreen adds that the forecast from influential analyst firm Cornwall Insight would see the annual price cap for a dual fuel tariff rise from £1,663 to £1,729. Reuters adds that the increase is being driven by the “ongoing uncertainty over the US-Iran conflict”, according to the analysts. The Daily Telegraph quotes Craig Lowrey, a consultant at Cornwall Insight, who said: “This latest hike will hit struggling households especially hard. Driven by international conflict rather than domestic policy, it is a stark reminder that our energy bills remain tied to events thousands of miles away.”
MORE ON UK
The Guardian reports that the Labour party could lose 50 seats to the Green party if the government allows new oil and gas drilling in the North Sea, according to new research. Desmog looks at what the Reform UK party has said about climate change, following comments by deputy leader, Richard Tice, on Monday that “climate change has always happened” and “it always will”. The Guardian covers calls by the Labour party chair Bridget Phillipson for Reform’s deputy leader Richard Tice to apologise to firefighters for his comments urging British people to “enjoy” this summer’s extreme heat. BusinessGreen covers the launch of a new group-buying scheme for solar and battery energy storage. The Times carries a story on a photographer who spent “36 hours embedded with the embattled firefighters on the front lines of the wildfires sweeping across mid Wales”. The Times talks to financier and environmentalist Ben Goldsmith about how the “restoration of natural habitats reduces the risk of wildfires”.
Federica Marsi, Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera covers a new study by researchers at Stanford University that found a much higher number of elderly people than previously thought are at high risk of illness or death from extreme heat. It continues that people aged 65 or older face more exposure to “uncompensable heat at 1.5C of global warming above pre-industrial levels than younger adults would at 4C of warming”, according to the study. The article notes that the number of people aged 60 or over is expected to double by 2050, to represent 21% of the world's population. NBC also covered the study.
Allan Olingo, Associated Press
Kenya has tripled its long-term target for expanding its renewable energy capacity, reports the Associated Press. It continues that a new plan from the government calls for 5,500 megawatts (MW) of renewable energy, up from 1,500MW now. The article adds that this would include 2,000MW of nuclear power, alongside 700MW of hydropower and new geothermal projects. AP notes that Kenya already produces 93% of its electricity from renewable sources, but experts say reforms to utility contracts, the electricity grid, financing and pricing are needed to turn this clean energy growth into lower power for consumers.
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