commissioners
Gov/Politics

Climate Cooperation Binds EU, Eastern European Nations

BRUSSELS, Belgium, October 23, 2016 (ENS) – At the first Eastern Partnership formal ministerial meeting on environment and climate change, the EU and six partner countries to the east confirmed their joint commitment to cooperation on environmental challenges, climate change and sustainable development. […]

candidates
Air/Climate

Climate Mentioned Once in Bitter Presidential Debate

ST. LOUIS, Missouri, October 10, 2016 (ENS) – Democrat Hillary Clinton confirmed her intention to fight climate change, while Republican Donald Trump affirmed his dedication to a fossil-fueled economy as the two candidates faced off on Sunday night in the second presidential debate of the 2016 election. […]

Fiji
Air/Climate

Fiji Wins: Pacific Island Region Changes the Game

SUVA, Fiji, August 16, 2016 (ENS) – Fiji’s Olympic Gold medal win in rugby on Friday was a first for the South Pacific island nation, and more historic winning measures were in the works at the first standing Pacific Forum Foreign Ministers Meeting, which also took place Friday. […]

Sanders, Clinton
Gov/Politics

Democrats’ Platform Eco-Friendly, Republicans’ Not

WASHINGTON, DC, July 14, 2016 (ENS) – The Democratic and Republican platform planks on the environment, energy and climate change couldn’t be more different. The Democrats appear to be fully engaged in protection and restoration, while the Republicans are not. […]

No Picture
Gov/Politics

Congress Strengthens U.S. Chemical Safety Law

WASHINGTON, DC, June 8, 2016 (ENS) – By unanimous consent, the U.S. Senate passed a bill Tuesday that updates federal chemical safety protections for the first time in four decades. The measure gives the EPA new power to require safety assessments of chemicals found in ordinary products from toys and clothing to household cleansers. […]

Solheim
Gov/Politics

Changing Faces at the United Nations

NEW YORK, New York, May 4, 2016 (ENS) – UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has informed the General Assembly of his intention to appoint Erik Solheim of Norway as the new executive director of the United Nations Environment Programme, UNEP, and Mexican diplomat Patricia Espinosa Cantellano as executive secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, […]

Trudeau, Obama
Air/Climate

U.S., Canada Forge Climate, Energy, Arctic Partnership

WASHINGTON, DC, March 12, 2016 (ENS) – On the occasion of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s first state visit to Washington, he and President Barack Obama Thursday issued a lengthy detailed statement of cooperation on energy development, environmental protection, and Arctic leadership. […]

diplomats
Air/Climate

Guide to Paris Climate Talks: People to Watch

WASHINGTON, DC, November 20, 2015 (ENS) – In 10 days, world leaders will convene in Paris to forge a first universal, legally-binding pact to limit climate-changing greenhouse gas emissions. With many sticking points still unresolved after years of negotiating, completing an agreement hinges on the interaction of personalities around the table. […]

Obama
Air/Climate

Obama’s Climate Policy in Political Pressure Cooker

WASHINGTON, DC, September 8, 2015 (ENS) – President Barack Obama’s efforts to curb U.S. carbon emissions and forge a global consensus for action to reverse climate change before it’s too late go farther than any U.S. president has ever gone. But Obama is under pressure from both sides to change his position. […]

No Picture
Air/Climate

Australia Lets Climate Polluters Evade ‘Safeguard’

CANBERRA, Australia, September 6, 2015 (ENS) – The Abbott Government is calling for public comment on the proposed rules for its Emissions Reduction Fund safeguard mechanism issued Wednesday. Critics say minimal compliance obligations will allow emissions to grow 20 percent by 2030. […]

Malawi officials
Gov/Politics

Malawi Gets ‘Serious’ About Wildlife Crime

LILONGWE, Malawi, August 9, 2015 (ENS) – The harshest sentences ever handed down for wildlife crimes in Malawi are still too light, said the chairman of the newly formed Malawi Parliamentary Conservation Caucus at the MPCC’s launch ceremony August 3. […]

Gov/Politics

Environment a Non-starter in Republican Debate

CLEVELAND, Ohio, August 7, 2015 (ENS) – Ten Republican presidential hopefuls lined up on the stage Thursday night for the first face-to-face debate of the 2016 election season. Environmental issues were not addressed, not even control of climate change… […]

Obama, Saudis
Gov/Politics

Saudi King Calls Obama But Stays Home

WASHINGTON, DC, May 11, 2015 (ENS) – King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud of Saudi Arabia called President Barack Obama today to express his regret at not being able to travel to Washington this week for a meeting of the Arab States regional council. […]

Obama
Gov/Politics

Obama Vetoes Keystone XL Tar Sands Pipeline

WASHINGTON, DC, February 24, 2015 (ENS) – President Barack Obama today fulfilled his promise to veto legislation that would remove the President’s responsibility to decide whether a pipeline that crosses an international border into the United States is in the national interest and give that power to Congress. […]

Yellowstone
Gov/Politics

Obama’s FY 2016 Budget: What’s In It for the Environment?

WASHINGTON, DC, February 7, 2015 (ENS) – President Barack Obama unveiled his $3.99 trillion budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2016 this week, setting the stage for a showdown with the Republican-controlled Congress on funding for environmental issues such as climate change, clean water, clean power, and cleaning up abandoned mine lands. […]