Ecosystems more sensitive than previously thought Three-quarters of EU ecosystems are currently exposed to more nitrogen deposition than they can cope with and nearly one-tenth is receiving too much acid fallout. Read more
Sea levels could rise 1.3 to 2 metres by 2100 New studies have been published concluding that sea levels could rise far more rapidly than expected in coming decades. Read more
Land is a crucially important sector to keep global warming below 1.5°C. A quarter of human induced greenhouse gas emissions comes from agriculture, forestry and other land use. Read more
Tougher air pollution targets needed Revision of EU’s key legal instrument for improving air quality – the NEC directive – is currently the subject of intense negotiations. Read more
Analysis of the implementation on the Paris Agreement An analysis on how to translate the Paris agreement into action in a German context. Read more
Stricter air pollution rules for machinery agreed Emissions from non-road mobile machinery are a significant source of air pollution, especially nitrogen oxides and particulate matter. Read more
Huge health impacts from Balkan coal plants New study quantifies the public health costs of polluted air from existing coal-fired power plants in the Western Balkans at up to €8.5 billion per year. Read more
More than half US population exposed to dangerous air pollution A total of 166 million Americans live in areas that have unhealthy levels of either ozone or particle pollution, according to the American Lung Association. Read more
Save lives and costs by cutting GHG The greenhouse emission cuts that the United States of America agreed to at the Paris climate conference may come with a significant public health benefit. Read more
Big benefits of cleaner marine fuel Air quality in coastal areas improved significantly in 2015 after stricter sulphur limits for marine fuels were introduced in the North Sea and the Baltic Sea. Read more
Baltic Sea and North Sea move towards becoming NOx Emission Control Areas Significant health and environmental benefits will result from action to cut NOx emissions from international shipping. Read more
Livestock holds major potential for GHG reductions Policies targeting the livestock sector could potentially reduce global greenhouse gas emissions by 1.8 gigatons of CO2 equivalents per year. Read more
Sweden and the climate change performance index Sweden always scores well for climate policy on the annual scorecard of Climate Action Network Europe and Germanwatch. But for some years this has been more due to luck than to real progress. Read more
Health and climate co-benefits of dietary change Widespread adoption of a vegetarian diet would significantly cut food-related emissions of greenhouse gases and make people healthier too. Read more
Germany sets its sights on coal phase-out Coal must be phased-out for Germany to meet its ambitious climate protection goals. Read more
Carbon dioxide levels in atmosphere spike The annual growth rate of atmospheric carbon dioxide measured at the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii jumped by 3.05 parts per million during 2015, the largest year-to-year increase in 56 years of research, according to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Read more